Learning in Public: My Productivity Video Series Experiment

Reading time: 3 min

I’ve always loved to create, organize, and reinvent educational materials. I don’t have an explanation for it. I just know I’ve been doing it in one way or another since first grade. I remember teaching my toys what I learned at school.

So, when I decided to test the idea of creating videos for social media (particularly TikTok), I leaned into what I knew. I must say, I used to be very judgmental about this platform, but decided to stop being so radical and just be curious.

I picked productivity. Why? I’ve been reading about the topic for a long time already, and it can be addressed to a larger audience. 

Why I Started

Goal 1: To deepen my understanding of the topic.

Goal 2: To work on my public speaking.

Goal 3: To structure my thinking for better clarity and recall. 

I am a visual learner,  so I use brainmaps or schemas. But I have to create them myself if I want to learn.

The Power of Teaching Others

Teaching is one of the most effective ways to solidify your understanding. When you explain to someone else, you are forced to organize ideas and present them clearly.

How I Created My Series

It was a one-man show, really.

And no, I didn’t just press record, but I took some time for the MAGICAL PLANNING. 

This was for sure the most important part of the process (and so far, the one I enjoyed most). 

That phase led to a Video Creation Blueprint I made for myself, so I can replicate the process another time (and I did use it, as I created Part 2).

Like I said, I’m a visual thinker, so it’s very schematic. ↓

And to have a glimpse of how I organized myself, I am sharing a screenshot of my Notion page. As you can see, I strived to be a professional and took it seriously. ↓

Challenges & Wins

Challenges

• Microphone/audio quality, as I didn’t invest in the best mic.

• Keeping it under 90 seconds, and delivering a message that is educational, engaging, clear, relevant, and fun (I didn't succeed with the fun part).

• Editing complexity and the time invested for just one 90-second video.

Wins

• Improved my public speaking step by step and learned to structure my ideas more concisely.

• I mastered CapCut video editing. Can’t wait for AI tools that will do this for us. There are some tools already, but they don’t get the same outcome. 

• Good account growth (about 90% if we talk in percentages). In numbers, from 7 to 77 followers, all organic (and I didn’t apply all the recommended hacks: using specific hooks, spending time on the platform, engaging with other people).

Key Lessons

I am a strong believer in the power of discipline, but not a supporter of toxic productivity. 

These are tools to add to our toolbox. They are meant to support us, not add more stress.

They don’t apply to everyone and don’t work for all of us the same way. And this is great, it means we get the chance to explore - explore ourselves, explore what is available, and find what fits us best. 

I was reminded about Chronos and Kairos while reading the Tiny Experiments book, and I want to leave this idea here. The key takeaway for me is how important it is to stay flexible. 

Real productivity isn’t rigid, but a nice blend between clear, structured goals (chronos) and playful experiments (kairos). 

It is not rocket science to experiment with activities that get us out of our comfort zone. We can transform everything into a lab (for sure, the pharmacist in me is happy about this). 

Now, curious to see The Productivity Series? 

I created a YouTube Playlist where I added The Productivity Series Basics (Part 1) and Level Up (Part 2), so you can see my experiment - and maybe feel inspired to start your own. 

I’d love to hear what resonated with you.
You can reply to this email or leave a comment if you're reading this online. I’m curious to hear your ideas.

Until next time!

Hugs,
Silvia