It’s true. Even if you have the best equipment money can buy your first podcast will sound like crap. Why? Because you’re your own worst critic.
You’ve taken the classes. You’ve bought all the recommended equipment. You put it all together just like you were instructed. Everything ran smoothly. You even took 8 hours to edit your first episode so it would sound perfect but no matter how many times you listen to it you think it sounds like crap. That’s OK.
When you record your 1st or 1000th podcast you’ll probably have some of these thoughts:
- I hate the sound of my voice
- I said “uhm” too many times
- I smack my lips too much
- I mispronounced a word
- My laugh sounds stupid
- I could hear the washing machine in the background
- I think an alien abducted me and replaced me with a clone
- Do I sound fat?
Don’t let those thoughts stop you from producing another podcast. Some of those things are valid. Others are just a little imp sitting on your shoulder telling you that you suck.
I still listen to podcasts I produce and think they’re terrible. Compared to my first podcast it’s night and day but according to what I thought I heard in my head when I recorded it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
You will probably never overcome that feeling that it could be a little bit better. You’ll probably never record the “perfect podcast” because it doesn’t exist. Does that mean you should settle for “good enough”? No.
Don’t settle for less than your best. Some days your best isn’t as good as your last attempt. Some days your best pales in comparison to others. Circumstances may dictate that your best is a 5-minute update to explain why you haven’t released a podcast in 3 months. That’s fine.
Know that perfection is out there and strive for it every time you hit the record button. Hone your craft and choose to be 1% better every time you sit in front of your microphone. 1% better beats the guy next to you who’s complacent. 1% is all it takes to tip the scales in your favor. 1% more is all you need to move forward.
At times it will seem excruciatingly slow. It may not look like you’re making progress but it’s there. Little by little you’ll get better. Little by little you’ll approach perfection and right when you think you’re about to “arrive” you’ll notice something else to improve.
Don’t quit. When you look back on your podcasting journey you’ll see peaks and valleys. Maybe you’ll see plateaus or vast plains. Everyone’s journey is different. Everyone thinks that they can do better. Everyone thinks their last podcast sounded like crap because everyone who has a heart beating in their chest wants to be perfect.
Go out there today and give it everything you’ve got. Be 1% better than you were last time and Don’t Forget to Press Record.