Ready? Not Ready? Doesn’t Matter

The other day I was at an event and I mentioned that I had recently started doing a podcast series. “Oh,” she said, “I want to do that too but I’m scared and I don’t know where to start. Tell me how I should do it.”

As I was talking to this person I have to admit that I was laughing a little bit on the inside too and it got me wondering, do we ever know all the steps and are we ever fully prepared for a new venture? Certainly that has not been the case for me… It’s been mostly about committing to something then figuring it out as I go, making tweaks and improvements along the way. I’d say that this is what I’ve always done – as a human but also as a parent, wife and business owner.

It seems to me that we can create whatever we want to, but the trick is you have to start.

And perhaps that is the hardest part. It’s so easy to get stuck in all of the hundreds of reasons that you’re not qualified to do something or not “good enough” to do something (fill in your own details as to what that means to you). But at some point you have to gather your information, make some choices and step off the figurative cliff.

That’s certainly the approach I took with the podcasts. Recently I was presented with an opportunity to do a weekly radio show and although I didn’t know the ins and outs of how I was going to make that happen I heard myself saying yes. I knew that it would make sense to get on iTunes, SoundCloud and the other platforms but again had no real idea of how to go about it. Fast forward a few weeks and although I’m still figuring out how to optimize the audio quality and other details, many of my initial questions have been figured out. My guests have been amazing and I’m starting to get feedback and follows from listeners who tell me they are enjoying the show and are getting value out of it.

So if there is some idea that you have, a passion, an interest, a nagging thought that just won’t go away, please pay attention to that. Don’t wait until you’re “ready” – prepare as best as you can and make the leap. As you find your voice and your message you have no idea how many lives you’ll touch and change for the better. And even if it’s only one person whose life you somehow made better, well, in my book that is totally worth it.

I’m having a lot of fun with the podcasting and would love it if you’d follow me on one of the platforms that you’ll find on elinbarton.com/podcast.  I’m also building up an active community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and would love to have you follow and participate in the discussions. You can also sign up for my newsletter right on the website so you never miss a story or special offer.

Thanks for reading, and if you do have an idea that just won’t go away, don’t wait. Go. Do it now.