The "Why" of a podcast: the key for staying motivated

As with any project, getting started with podcasting requires a certain rigor as well as good organization. Launching your podcast is work. It takes time and motivation. But…you and I both know that maintaining and keeping that motivation can sometimes be difficult. It can diminish, evolve or leave us altogether, making the thought of abandoning your podcast rather tempting. 😩

So how can you maintain your desire to produce episodes and keep going?

Farah, from the “Think with Farah” podcast, gives you the key tip for sticking with your podcast over the long term: the “Why?” She explains it all in this article to help you find your motivation and keep it! 💪

Having a “Why”, what does that mean? 🤔

The “why” is the nucleus of your project. It’s the reason you began and why you work so hard to succeed, it’s also about vision. Finding your “Why” allows you to understand where you wish to take your project over the long term, so you can overcome (almost with ease) the obstacles you’ll encounter. ✌️

If you know why you’re doing it, you’re sure to figure out how to do it.

Because podcasting is not always as rosy as it seems. Before surpassing 5,000 listens a month, there are lots of episodes to think about, to produce, to edit and a whole lot of things to create and examine in order to build a true brand identity for your podcast. It’s a great adventure, but one which can sometimes be slowed down by a lack of motivation… 🙃

By having a “why”, you’ll have the vision necessary to remind yourself on a daily basis why you’re doing all of this. You can be motivated by your project, but what makes you persevere when that motivation runs low? Well, that’s your “why”! 💪

With each step, you imagine and visualize your goal. It’s even more effective than gas in your car! 🚗

Ask yourself the following question: What does your podcast bring to your listeners? How will your show transform them? What are they searching for when listening to your episodes? Why should they listen to your podcast versus others? How is it different?

The secret for staying motivated: having interim goals

When working towards your vision, it’s often over the long term. However, this poses a problem that can have a real impact on the rest of the project: where to begin? How can you keep from running out of steam along the way? 🤔

Well, we need to define goals that are achievable in the short term in order to have a concrete path to follow. Here are a few examples of short to medium term objectives for a podcast:

Writing the description of your podcast 🖊️
Recording three episodes to get a solid head start 🎙️
Preparing communication materials for these three episodes 📣
Opening an Instagram account 🖼️
Reaching 100 listens 🚀
Reaching 1,000 listens 🚀🚀
Being interviewed about your podcast 🤝
Interviewing someone famous in your podcast 💪
Etc.

Having SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound) goals makes it much easier and less daunting to find your way to success. 🚀

As mentioned before, motivation isn’t everything. You must also demonstrate discipline. People who accomplish the most are those who are disciplined. And they rely on this discipline in their “why” and in their long-term vision. This is what keeps them going. 🏃‍♀️🏃

Using your “Why” to bounce back

Having a “Why” is even more important when you’re facing obstacles. 😱 Without this famous long-term vision, you’ll have a tendency to remain blocked by your obstacle, rather than visualizing what will happen after you overcome it.

Now, if your “Why” and your vision are well-developed, you’ll understand directly that the problems you face are simply normal steps on the road to success. 🚀

I know, it’s hard to apply at the moment, but imagine what your podcast would look like if you could overcome all the difficulties and drops in motivation with the snap of your fingers?

💪 Record your episodes effortlessly and get ahead of schedule
💪 Take the time to search for your next guests
💪 Launch your marketing strategy and talk about your podcast
💪 Analyze your audience and tailor it to them

You’ll understand that to launch your podcast (as well as to commit to it), you don’t just have to want it or just like the idea of the project. You need a true source of inspiration and a well-defined “Why” to take your project all the way.

And if you’re looking to dive deeper into this subject, here’s a podcast episode for you:

–

Farah is the host of the “Think with Farah” podcast, hosted on Ausha and the author of a blog with the same name. She offers training and support to entrepreneurs to help them optimize their organizations and maximize their performance.