If you produce regular communications in any medium – blog, e-newsletter, print newsletter, whatever – it’s a good idea to “have one in the can.”

The metaphor comes from the film industry. A movie that was “in the can” was completed – the reels sat in the steel canisters in which they were stored.

It’s good to have one or two (or ten) of any regular communication “in the can” at any given time. The article is written, the e-letter or blog post has been entered into the delivery system, the web page has been set up, and it’s all ready to go with a few minutes’ attention.

You know this is sound advice. Stuff happens. People get sick or have emergency surgery or step into the street without looking both ways. Buildings burn down. More often, folks simply get too busy or burned out at the exact time the piece is due. It’s good to have a fallback.

In communications, as in food, canned isn’t as tasty as fresh. Timely articles or posts or reflections that connect to recent events are bound to garner more reader interest. They’re also easier to write and promote, because we’re excited about the news and what we have to say about it.

But in communications, as in food, canned is better than none. The people in your audiences, like you, lead busy lives and have too much to think about. They forget you the minute they stop reading your newsletter or browsing your website. You have to keep your cause or business in front of them on a regular basis. To paraphrase Woody Allen, 80% of effective communication is showing up.

The trick is to do it. We lead busy lives and have too much to think about. How can we possibly get ahead of the ever-mounting pile of work?

I can’t help you with your workload, but I can give a few tips:

• When you come across a good idea, instead of just entering notes into your idea file, start actually writing it.
  (You do have an idea file, don’t you? Would you like to read an e-letter about how to build one and what to do with it? Let me know.)
• Have this beginning available where you can work with it at odd moments. If you like to write on your smartphone, great, but most of us will prefer to print out what we’ve got so far and stick it in a pocket or a folder.
• Keep a little notebook handy. It can serve both as idea file and as drafting table.
• “Write” while you run or stand in line. Some of your best thoughts come when you’re riffing on ideas rather than actually producing words.
• Make an appointment with yourself, just as if you had a scheduled staff meeting. Use this time only for generating articles/posts/reflections.
• Chain yourself to the computer until you have finished a piece or provided a set amount of text.
• Hire me. An hour’s interview with you will generate viable ideas for several articles/posts/reflections. I’ll churn out two of them in the time it would take you to fret about starting one.

Finally, having “one in the can” is like all those other things you know you should do but don’t. Just do it.