There’s this moment when you realize you’re solving the wrong problem entirely.
For me, it happened while staring at a LinkedIn post I’d recently published. Good engagement, solid comments, all the metrics looking healthy.
But something felt off.
Over the past month and a half, I’ve found myself creating content that felt… forced. Like I was feeding a machine rather than serving my audience. The ideas weren’t terrible, but they weren’t truly mine either. They lacked the depth and authenticity I like to think others expect of me.
And honestly? I wasn’t thrilled by what I was putting out there.
That’s when I remembered something I learned years ago but had forgotten in the chaos of consistent content creation: the OODA loop.
Originally developed by military strategist and fighter pilot John Boyd, OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. It’s a decision-making framework designed to help you move faster than your competition by making better decisions, not just pushing harder.
But here’s the counterintuitive part: to go faster, you sometimes need to slow down first.
Observe: What’s really happening?
The first step is brutal honesty about your current situation.
Look at your recent content performance, but don’t just check the vanity metrics. Ask yourself: Is this content moving people closer to a decision? Are you getting the kind of engagement that builds relationships? Are you actually proud of what you’re putting out there?
For me, the observation was clear: I was creating content that felt generic, even when it was technically “good.” I was responding to trends rather than leading conversations.
Orient: Where do you stand?
This is where you connect your observations to your core strengths and values.
What has worked for you before that you’ve drifted away from? What are the principles that define your approach? How do these align with what your audience actually needs right now?
My best content has always combined strategic thinking with practical application, often through personal experience. It was never about publishing a ton—it was always about speaking less but saying more and going more in-depth.
But somewhere along the way, I’d started creating bite-sized pieces that didn’t dive into a topic but always scratched only surface-level tactics.
Decide: What needs to change?
Based on your observations and orientation, what’s your new approach?
This isn’t about completely overhauling your strategy. It’s about making targeted adjustments that align your content with your actual goals.
My decision was simple: I’d rather publish less frequently and create content that genuinely serves my audience with depth and focus. I’m now trying to work on a single challenge and create content about it over the span of a couple of weeks, always diving deeper. Each piece is useful in and of itself, but if people really follow along, they’ll get more depth and nuance.
Act: Execute with intention
The final step is implementation, but with the clarity that comes from the previous three steps.
Your actions now have purpose behind them. You’re not just creating content; you’re executing a strategy that’s aligned with your observations and goals.
Round and round we go
The beautiful thing about the OODA loop is that it’s, well, a loop.
You don’t do this once and forget about it. You continuously observe, orient, decide, and act. But each cycle gets faster and more effective because you’re building on better information and a clearer strategy.
For content marketers, this means regular strategic pauses to assess what’s working, why it’s working, and how to do more of it.
***
In a world obsessed with speed and volume, taking time to observe and orient isn’t just smart—it’s your competitive advantage.
You’ll move faster in the long run because you’ll be moving in the right direction.
Direction matters,
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