Ep 200: Next-Level Writer Relentlessly Execute Your Plan to Level Up
[Ep 200]\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nUnless a fairy godmother shows up and sprinkles fairy dust all over your laptop to magically boost you to the next level\u2014without any effort on your part\u2014you\u2019ll have to commit to your plan and follow through.\n\n\n\nRelentless Implementation\n\n\n\nShane Melaugh of the ActiveGrowth podcast said in a recent webinar we must \u201crelentlessly implement\u201d or \u201crelentlessly execute\u201d to level up. It\u2019s the only way we evolve and mature into the writers we need to be in order to produce the work we want to produce to reach the readers we want to reach.\n\n\n\nThis podcast itself is an example of my own relentless implementation, although \u201cfaithful" implementation might be a better way to phrase it. I did leave some unavoidable gaps here and there due to some caregiving chaos, but the majority of time, for five years, I\u2019ve faithfully, relentlessly, sent out weekly content.\n\n\n\nI don\u2019t have any superpowers; I just keep showing up, week after week, year after year, and here we are at episode 200.\n\n\n\nThat faithful, relentless commitment allowed me to level up.\n\n\n\nIf Growth Is Slow, Don't Give Up\n\n\n\nBut it can be slow going. In fact, for any of us, our growth can be imperceptible\u2014so much so, we may be tempted to give up before we realize our full potential. You may stop before you gain traction and experience real growth.\n\n\n\nWhen I started the podcast in 2014, I treated it as an experiment. And things didn\u2019t take off right away. I was releasing episodes weekly, so eight episodes would be two months of output. If I\u2019d stopped after the eighth episode, I would have missed the fruit of my labor. And I could have easily ended the experiment.\n\n\n\nBut I was having fun and I wanted to keep going, even if it wasn\u2019t a success by measurable standards.\n\n\n\nThankfully I stuck with it. I figured out the best length and frequency to release episodes, and I decided what I really wanted to offer through the podcast. Even in the midst of a crazy time of life, I kept up with it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhile I\u2019m not showing actual numbers on this graph, I do want you to see the growth over time. Between 2014 and 2017 you see gradual growth. The first month a few people listened to find out what I was up to\u2014friends and family and few followers on social media.\n\n\n\nThe month after that, it dips down. That may have been during one of my chaotic caregiving seasons, but even if you look at the third month, it barely rises to where I was when I launched. Basically, in three months of effort, I saw no growth.\n\n\n\nThe fourth month rose a little. The fifth month barely rose above the fourth.\n\n\n\nNot until the sixth month did this podcast finally see a bump. It took six months before I saw any substantial growth.\n\n\n\nKeep Implementing the Plan\n\n\n\nI didn\u2019t have a fairy godmother sprinkle fairy dust on my microphone, not even at the sixth month. I never showed up on the Apple Podcast New & Noteworthy page where people often get a boost. I just kept creating another episode and sharing it with people on social media, faithfully\u2014relentlessly\u2014implementing my plan.\n\n\n\nIt took time, but the good news is if you look at the long-term growth, you do see a gradual increase.\n\n\n\nPrior to the podcast, my plan involved creating content for my website and social media. When I introduced the podcast to my plan and it leveled up, my exposure as a coach and writer rose with it.\n\n\n\nBenefits of Sticking with the Plan\n\n\n\nThanks to podcasting, I:\n\n\n\ndeveloped audio recording and editing skillswrote regularly to script and share my contentshared that content not only in audio form but in written format as wellgained confidence as a presenterlanded speaking opportunitiesconnected with new writers who \u201cmet\u201d me through the podcaststayed current on industry trends to pass that information along to listenersintroduced you to authors and publishers through interviewsread more books on writing than I normally would to share that wisdom in various episodeshad fun\n\n\n\nYes, I had fun. I really do enjoy this medium.