Welcome to the second edition of The Founder’s Corner! The Founder’s Corner posts are based on previous segments from our weekly newsletter. So if you want this type of content first, check out the link at the end of this post! Now, onto what I want to share with you today. Today, we’re actually tackling a pretty big topic in the podcasting space. But let me back-track just a little…We all have times when we lose our groove, right? Particularly at this time of year. We lose our momentum. We get distracted or preoccupied. And the result is we get off track. So the question is, “How do I get my podcast back on track?”
With summer coming to an end, we start to think about those upcoming fresh starts. Many of us may have just taken a bit of time off, stopped to catch our breath, or perhaps just fallen off track a bit with where we have wanted to be by now…
We’ve all been there... following a new diet religiously for a week only to break it as soon as the weekend comes around because it’s your best friend’s birthday. Or maybe you get up early for a workout two days in a row, and then you’re absolutely dead by the third day because your toddler woke up 3 times in the night with a fever.
Yes, I’ve been there too. But as time goes on, I have realized that even though you might have these small hiccups in your plan, they definitely don’t make you a failure! Life happens, to all of us. The most successful people out there slip up from time to time too. But what separates them from others is their ability to get back on track!
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
― Vince Lombardi
The same thing rings true in other areas of your life. Whether it’s podcasting, consistent content creation, growing your brand, or getting closer to reaching your next goal; habit formation utterly depends on your ability to bounce back from whatever has thrown you off course.
Most successful people start in the exact same place as you might be right now. Once you realize that, the question you need to ask yourself is, “What did they do to get to that place of success?”
I can tell you right now, that the first step is focusing on progress. Any amount of progress, no matter how small, is progress! Do what you can do and you step into the power of this progress to let it propel you into success.
So how do you get back on track in order to make some progress on your journey?
Well, with a new season comes new opportunities. But instead of simply hopping on the bandwagon or the next “habit-hacking” trend, let’s look at three ways you can establish a solid foundation and strategy to get yourself back on track, regardless of how many times you derail.
1. Reap the Benefits of Self-Compassion
The first step to realizing the benefits of self-compassion is to give yourself permission to make mistakes!
Self-compassion fosters and improves your resilience when responding to these missteps. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the curve balls in life, when you face them with a supportive and caring mindset you are more likely to cope adaptively and bounce back from these temporary setbacks.
By allowing yourself the freedom to get off track you are ultimately anticipating your backwards steps. This in turn helps you to tune in and control what’s possible while acknowledging it’s okay not to be in control of everything.
Now, embrace those imperfect starts! You’re off the track, and everything is okay… now get back on. Don’t wait for the perfect timing, just get going!
“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”
― Margaret Atwood
Give yourself credit for the positive changes you have been making and the healthy habits you have formed.
2. Create Sure-fire Habits with Incremental Steps
At the heart of it, true success takes time. Making one small change may not be immediately visible. It might not even translate directly into new clients gained or more downloads for your podcast. But I’m here to remind you to trust the process!
Practicing healthy habits and taking these incremental steps toward your goal will lead to success over time.
► Create a Schedule:
The first step to creating sure-fire habits is to physically schedule them into your life. Add them to your calendar and stick to it, even in the smallest ways. If this means that you’ve scheduled “create video content” on your calendar, then that’s what you do in that block of time.
Now some days you will be able to create tons of great clips, even repurposing previous content into video, and voilà! You’ve had a successful session. However, on other days life happens. Your time block gets taken up by an emergency or maybe you just can’t seem to get the right shot. But instead of giving up, just create something!
Even if you only have 10 minutes, maintain your routine. Create a story for Instagram or answer a quick question for your listeners. Either way, you’ve taken an incremental step towards your habit.
► Design your environment:
If you’re like me, then there’s nothing better than getting work done in an environment that makes you happy and keeps you inspired. So make sure to design your environment for success.
Whether you need steady background noise or complete silence, find an environment where you know you’ll be most likely to stick to your schedule and be the most productive.
You shouldn’t expect to fail, but instead, plan for it by design. Organize your life and your surroundings with built-in reminders that will help you get back on track even if you get derailed.
► Strive for Progress:
Rather than trying to be 100% amazing at every goal you’ve set, start small, improving with every step of progress you make. Even when you fail, every time you get back up and keep going your willpower and motivation will increase, making it easier to “get back on the horse” each time.
“My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again.”
― Richard Branson
The key is to be consistent, not perfect. Think long-term, knowing that everything you do today is an investment in your future success. Strive for progress!
3. Integrate Your Accountability Components
Now that you know you will inevitably get off track every so often, it’s time to find ways to integrate your accountability components into your daily habits.
Ask yourself… “What kind of support will help me do better next time?”Whether that’s having an accountability partner, joining a podcasting community, or simply having a stake in your own success ― there is real power and motivation that springs up when you know there is someone who expects something from you.
A study showed that there is a 65% chance of success when you commit to one person, and a 95% chance of success when you have a standing appointment to check in with your accountability partner. When you integrate these types of social accountability into your daily habits, your missteps will become smaller and your ability to reach your goals will become so much greater!
So, to conclude. Whether it’s for your listeners or for your community, it is time for you to SHOW UP, put these strategies into action, and get that podcast back on track!
The Founder’s Corner posts are based on a segment of our weekly newsletter.
Want this type of content while it’s still hot off the presses? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Podcast Playbook!
