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A simple system to keep a backlog of article ideas
Forget complicated project management tools. You need three steps and one core habit.
Miroslav Novohradsky
September 20, 2025
In partnership with
Every creator faces the same nightmare: sitting down to write with a blank page and a ticking clock.
Your brain freezes.
Your fingers hover.
That half-formed idea you had while walking the dog? Gone.
The hot take you wanted to expand after scrolling X last night? Vanished.
You don’t need more inspiration.
In fact, you need a system.
A backlog of ideas that waits patiently for you, ready to serve when it’s time to create.
And I will give you that system.
It’s lightweight, fast, and designed for busy creators who don’t want another productivity tool stealing their time.
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Why a Backlog Saves You
Most creators think the hard part is publishing.
Wrong.
The hard part is sitting down with zero ideas. If you’ve ever:
Opened a blank doc, stared for 20 minutes, and closed it in frustration
Scrolled Twitter hoping for inspiration, only to lose an hour to memes
Promised yourself you’d “just write tomorrow”
Then you know the cost of not having a system.
A backlog flips that dynamic.
It lowers the activation energy. Instead of asking, “What should I write about?” you ask, “Which idea from my list should I pick today?”
One question is paralyzing. The other is freeing.
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The Backlog System
Forget complicated project management tools. You need three steps and one core habit.
Step 1: Capture Everywhere
Ideas don’t wait for your desk.
They show up in the gym, in the shower, or while you’re arguing with your cousin about reality TV.
So your job isn’t to “think harder.”
It’s to catch sparks when they fly.
Phone Notes App: fastest capture method. Title the note in 3–5 words. Example: “YouTube thumbnails are mini billboards.”
Voice Memos: great if you’re walking or driving. Record a quick sentence.
Paper Scratchpad: sometimes analog beats digital.
Rule: if an idea crosses your mind, capture it within 30 seconds. No exceptions.
Step 2: Centralize Weekly
Scattered notes don’t help.
Once a week (Sunday morning works), funnel every spark into a single list.
This can be:
A Notion database
A Google Doc
A Trello board
Or a simple spreadsheet
Doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s one place. Call it your Backlog Vault.
Step 3: Tag and Sort
Give each idea a quick label so Future You knows what it is.
Example tags:
Hot take (reaction to trending news)
Personal story (lesson wrapped in your scars)
Tutorial (step-by-step guide)
Question (something you want to explore)
Optional: add a 1–5 “energy” rating. A “5” means you’re dying to write it today.
A “1” means it’s half-baked but worth keeping.
Core Habit: Pick, Don’t Chase
When it’s time to write, open your Backlog Vault. Scan the list. Choose one. That’s it.
No scrolling feeds. No hoping for lightning. You pick, you write. The system did the heavy lifting already.
Why This Works
The backlog system works because it matches the way ideas arrive: randomly, inconveniently, often half-formed.
Instead of demanding brilliance at 9am sharp, you accept that your brain is messy.
You capture, centralize, and sort later.
You also free yourself from perfectionism. You don’t have to judge whether an idea is “good” in the moment.
You just capture it.
Some will die in the vault. Others will grow into your best work.
The AI Shortcut
If you want an even sharper edge, you can use AI to expand and polish backlog ideas.
Below is a ready-to-use prompt.
Drop it into ChatGPT (or your tool of choice) whenever you want to turn a spark into a full draft.
Copy & Paste Prompt
“You are a newsletter writer helping me turn backlog ideas into engaging content.
Here’s the backlog idea I want to expand: [INSERT YOUR IDEA].
Your task:
Write to one person, not a crowd.
Hook them early with a question, bold claim, or quick story.
Build momentum with short paragraphs, strong verbs, and active voice.
Open loops: hint at answers before giving them.
Close loops later with payoffs.
Use the Trust Formula: show scars (failures, mistakes), admit limits, back claims with proof, deliver more than promised.
Hold a strong point of view. Don’t list too many options—reduce friction.
Keep flow clear: bold subheads, bullet lists, digestible blocks.
End with a strong takeaway or next step.
Tone: conversational, energetic, practical. No hype, no jargon.”
A backlog doesn’t just save you from blank-page panic.
It builds creative momentum. It gives you proof that you’re never “out of ideas.”
The sparks are already flying around you.
Your only job is to catch them, drop them in the vault, and let the system do the rest.
Thanks for reading!
Best,
Miroslav from The Zilahut
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