Setting goals can highlight fear within us. If I never started my podcast I would still have 0 listeners and 0 downloads. And I nearly didn’t start. For so many reasons. I put off starting my own podcast for 3 years. I feared failure, so I procrastinated.
“What if people don’t like the sound of my voice? I hate the sound of my voice, who would anyone want to listen to that? “I don’t know enough to start a podcast.” “What if I start and it flops and I fail?”. They’re just some of the thoughts that ran through my mind for years.
I didn’t even know where to start, a podcast seemed so professional and I definitely don’t describe myself as professional. Then one day I was on a call with a friend asking for advice about starting my online coaching business, it was sometime in early 2020 after the whole you know what took over the world. I had just lost my job as a face-to-face personal trainer and figured it was now or never with starting my online personal training business.
At the end of the call, he asked me “When’s this podcast starting?”. “Ehm how about 3 months from now?” putting it off because it was easier than starting.
“Nope that’s too far away, how about you have it by Monday?” They said. It was a Friday…
I spent all weekend ordering a mic, downloading software and trying at least 5 different recordings of my very first podcast. I aimed to have it out by Monday but there was an issue beyond my control, so I persisted. The first podcast episode was out on Tuesday.
I thought it was fitting to talk about my own experience with fear of setting a goal and putting myself out of my comfort zone. But why?
For me, although I was scared of the goal I had a fixed deadline and a bit of accountability. That made all the difference.
How to achieve a goal
We look at successful people and think they don’t procrastinate or they don’t fail. They do. They just don’t listen to the reasons they give themselves for procrastinating and ruminating.
I often have to remind myself that life is short and the things I worry about right now won’t matter a year from now let alone 100. So who cares if you fail? You can show up tomorrow and do better.
Lessons from Jiu-Jitsu
But, as my Jiu-Jitsu coach says “You quit today, you quit tomorrow” There’s a difference between failing and quitting. And if you have the attitude that you’ve given up today, what’s going to change tomorrow?
I seek to be a failure because then I can learn and move on. I only seek to be a quitter when it’s something that’s damaging my health or happiness. I failed miserably at so many things this year.
In my first few weeks at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I wore my pants backwards until my coach noticed, I felt like a fool.
I was watching YouTube videos on how to tie my belt properly for weeks because for some reason the simpler a concept is the harder it is for me to understand until it clicks and makes sense. I often have to go over things countless times until it makes sense, which is probably why I found school so hard.
And my message in all of this is this… If I chose fear of failure over embracing failure.
Reviewing my goals
And I continued to let the lies (in the form of excuses) feed my mind and hold me back from starting. I’d still be on 0 episodes, 0 downloads and 0 listeners on my podcast. But yesterday I celebrated my highest downloads from listeners in 18 countries. Including Hong Kong – which just blows my mind.
My podcast is in the top 10% most shared globally of all podcasts in the world.
I created 1,583 minutes of podcast content (with a sprinkle of value and entertainment) this year alone, which is more than 96% of all other podcast creators in the health and fitness category.
I don’t say any of this to boast.
I say it to show you what’s possible when you start showing up for yourself, stop procrastinating and lean into that fear of failure. If the idea of starting something scares you right now. It scares you for a reason. So go for it.
What have you got to lose?
