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What I've Learned From Starting a Podcast...
3 Steps to Start That Sh*t! (And Stay Consistent)
Matt Harriman
September 25, 2023
Last month I started a podcast with my friend & fellow productivity writer Trung Dao…
Last week we released our 8th episode. (and recorded the 9th this past weekend)
The craziest part about this ‘minor’ accomplishment?
Most people never reach this point.
They think about starting for months, sometimes even years.
Then they finally start…and quit right after.
Why? What’s holding most back from staying consistent?
There’s one enemy of consistency that haunts us all…
PERFECTIONISM.
The Mental Trap of Perfectionism.
There’s an extremely popular stoic concept that depicts this perfectly…
source: pinterest.com
The Thinker
The thinker attempts to perfect his work from the get-go. He thinks…and thinks…and thinks…
So much so that he forgets to get started.
That constant thinking creates a pessimistic attitude toward the idea itself.
“There’s a million podcasts out there, why would mine succeed?”
“There’s a million people with a personal brand, why would mine succeed?”
The truth? You won’t know.
If you never get started, you won’t even have a shot at ‘making it’.
The Doer
The doer does not care if his work his perfect…
He never even questions whether it will work out…
He simply takes action.
The doer does not wait for the path to reveal itself.
He understands that…
“The path illuminates as you walk it.”
And as long as you stay on the path, you will find your way to success.
Our Mentality on The Podcast.
Trung and I both come from a performance & productivity background.
We’ve learned the hard lesson that the “The Doer” mentality is the only way to win.
Both of us have tried & failed many businesses. We’ve felt reluctant to start again.
That’s why in one of our conversations recently we agreed on this…
It doesn’t matter how long it takes; we’ll stick it out.
If you even want a chance at hitting your goals this is the mentality you must have.
You may be saying, “Matt, I get it. But this isn’t easy.”
Don’t worry…I’ve got something for you.
3 Steps to Start That Sh*t! (And Stay Consistent)
#1: Take The Risk.
Start that thing.
Try something new.
It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make any sense. If you want to do it, just do it.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel ready.
Quit the excuses.
I promise that if you start today, your future self will thank you for it.
#2: You Started! But It’s Not What You Expected…
Now that you’ve gotten over the hump and decided to start, it’s time to come to terms with yourself.
You aren’t good…yet.
I’ve learned this lesson multiple times.
I would jump into a new business, try it for 3 months, and quit.
…And this is the story for the majority of people who try.
This tweet from Dan Koe perfectly sums up the mentality I’ve learned to have when it comes to growth and business.
If you're lost, learn.
When you have direction, act.
Make mistakes. Be embarrassed. Create a giant mess so you have something to improve. And when you feel lost, repeat the process.
You don't need a mentor, you need experience.
— DAN KOE (@thedankoe)
10:22 AM • Dec 30, 2022
If you understand that you won’t be an overnight success before you start, you’ll be ahead of the curve.
“You’re going to be bad at first. Then you’ll be so not bad that you’re actually good”
You need to be okay with pushing uphill with slow progress for months if not YEARS, otherwise, you shouldn’t have started in the first place.
#3: Build & Optimize Your Way to Perfection.
Source: the collector.com
“Rome wasn’t built in a day”
Perfection isn’t achieved through thinking. It’s achieved through building brick by brick…
The podcast you start tomorrow may not be the one that succeeds…
But if you build and optimize…build and optimize…build and optimize…
You will eventually win.
Building & Optimizing In Action
This past week I looked back on the first reel I ever made…
I made my first reel 9 months ago…
Today I made my 190th.
The difference is night and day.
This is the power of consistency.
I put my head down and realized it’s a game of you vs. you.
— Matt (@themattharriman)
11:36 PM • Sep 23, 2023
9 months ago I had:
Little-to-no experience in being on camera… (other than my Gaming YouTube channel back in middle school)
No experience in scriptwriting…
No experience in video production…
My first video was BAD to say the least…
Since starting I’ve been trying to make each video just a bit better than the last.
My reels are far from perfect, but this goes to show the power of building and optimizing.
If I had never taken action, I’d still be thinking about how to make my first reel.
There’s a saying from one of my friends in the coaching industry that goes like this…
The only way to learn is baptism by fire”
Or in other words, the obstacle is the way.
P.S: Trung deep dove into this in one of his latest newsletters, check it out here: → https://boldlymotivate.ck.page/profile
The #1 lesson I learned from starting a podcast?
“The path will illuminate as you walk it”.
Thanks for reading!
Keep at it,
-Matt “Start that Sh*t!” Harriman
PS:
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:
Grab my FREE self-reflection guide to break your burnout & make consistent progress in life & business easy.
Check out my Consistency System which I’ve used to build amazing habits that have helped me scale my personal brand & add several pounds of muscle in the last 6 months.
Book a 1-1 Strategy Session to gain clarity on your routine, habits, and systems.