200 episodes.
4 seasons.
I’m still in disbelief.
Statistics say that most podcasts don’t even get to celebrate their one-year anniversary much less have the stamina to pump out 200 incredible episodes. And let’s not forget that nearly everything else I was working on when we launched our pilot episode has since fell to pieces. My improv theater, my training business, my first marriage, all gone with the Covid wind.
And yet, Women Your Mother Warned You About endured.
Turns out, a podcast who at one point featured a lengthy discussion about exploding bee penises has real staying power. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve had such brazen dialogue in all my other ventures.
In reality, commitment and consistency might’ve played bigger roles here.
CONSISTENCY IS HARD. And for someone like me who is often distracted by the many other opportunities that life has to offer, it’s REALLY HARD.
So consistency is an area I’ve been working on and recently, got to celebrate!
How exactly did I do it? You mean, besides having a slew of champions who kicked ass at kicking my ass? Really though, the first step in becoming consistent is accountability. And for that you need a solid support group. There’s a reason people in recovery are required to have a sponsor and the best exercise programs ask that you find an accountability partner.
So find a friend and do the following:
One Thing at a Time
Like most people, I have a to do list that has the ability to paralyze me. Akin to the cliche ‘one step forward, two steps back’, for every line item I get to put a checkmark to, four more appear in its place. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t afternoons that I simply spent reading that list like a suspense novel and eventually retired to the notion that I would never get through everything in that moment so why even start. Then I would get up from my desk and go make a lasagna. Now I just do the next thing, (assuming I’ve prioritized the list, more on that later.) One small step is better than no step. You can’t record your 200th episode if you don’t record your 8th.
Define Your Why
When Rachel and I set out to record the pilot of WYMWYA in January of 2019 we wanted a platform for our personal brands while spotlighting admirable thought leaders. We wanted an outlet where we could remain true to ourselves as real, raw, relevant and irreverent women in business and encourage others to do the same. It was important throughout this process that I reminded myself that this was an important avenue of growth, both professional and personal. It’s easy to get bogged down by action items and tasks if you’re not focused on why you’re performing those tasks in the first place.
Schedule Your Priorities
I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it a thousand more, ‘what gets scheduled, gets done.’ Use that Google Calendar. Buy a day planner. Put pencil to paper and block out time in your life to get the things done that you want to get done.
Discipline Not Motivation
Motivation is bullshit. It’s a fickle and unreliable and almost always quits when things get hard. Discipline and habits (good ones of course) are going to be what propels you forward on the hardest of days. Discipline is what’s going to help you prospect even when you’d rather hug a large cactus than make another cold call.
And when everything else fails go back to step numero uno and put one foot in front of the other. After all, I didn’t embark on a 4th season of the Women Your Mother Warned You About by skipping seasons one through three.
Haven’t made it to step one because you’re looking for more than a friend to hold you accountable? As a bad ass business coach, that’s exactly where I do my best work so we should CHAT!
