Create Before You Consume
Before you touch the phone, create something — mindset, body, art, connection
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 85%
About 85% of phone owners consume media first thing in the morning. Forleo's rule flips it: create before you consume. Before injecting other people's ideas, agendas and comparisons into your head, create something — a stronger mindset, a workout, a piece of art, time with your partner, a message to a friend. It doubles as a pause you can use any time you reach for the phone out of insecurity or boredom: ask 'what do I really want to create right now?' rather than getting sucked into consuming. Protecting that un-consumed, open time is where creative 'downloads' and original ideas come from, instead of running other people's thoughts.
Origin
Forleo shares it as a simple mantra that helped her stop starting the day by consuming, and to reclaim the open mental space where ideas surface.
Core principles
- 01Most people consume media first thing; flip the order.
- 02Consuming injects others' ideas, agendas and comparisons.
- 03Open, un-consumed time is where original ideas surface.
- 04The mantra doubles as a pause before any phone pickup.
How to run it
- 1
Create first thing
Before checking your phone, create something — mindset, movement, art, or connection.
- 2
Use it as a pause anytime
When you reach for the phone out of discomfort, ask 'what do I really want to create right now?'
Pro tip Take a walk, make a meal, or message a friend instead of consuming.
- 3
Protect open time
Guard un-consumed stretches so your mind can rest, wander and generate ideas.
Watch out A face stuck in Netflix or TikTok for hours crowds out the 'downloads'.
In the wild
Instead of waking to a crisis in the inbox, Forleo creates first — and notes the open time is where original ideas come from that never arrive when consuming.
→ More original thinking and less reactive, comparison-driven consumption.
Common mistakes
Consuming before creating
Starting the day (or every idle moment) by consuming fills your head with others' agendas and comparison, crowding out your own ideas.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone who reaches for the phone first thing and feels reactive or drained.
Not ideal for
Roles that genuinely require immediate morning monitoring of live systems.
From the transcript
“create before you consume”
From the episode
World Leading Life Coach: 3 Steps To Figuring Out ANYTHING You Want: Marie Forleo
World Leading Life Coach