We finally made it!!! Today’s episode marks 1 year since I took the leap and started this podcast, Inspiring Women Weekly. Every single week for 1 year I have written, recorded, edited, and published an episode for you guys to hopefully be inspired by. I have learned so much along the way, about myself, and especially about success. In today’s episode I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learned through this year journey and I hope to inspire you to give it a try.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout this journey is the importance of consistency! I don’t believe that I’ve ever done something that I wasn’t required to do every week for one year. Yall, I don’t get paid for this, I don’t get some big reward every week, I just do this because I want to. And consistency has lead to so much growth in the audience. People like consistency and when you’re consistent they feel like they can trust you. If you want to be success, start with being consistent. Now, don’t misunderstand me…there are several areas in my life that I need to work on being more consistent. But this podcast has taught me that being consistent can lead to achieving those goals you’ve set. To me, this is one of the hardest of success to me. Most of us aren’t consistent, if we are honest, we start and stop stuff so much that we never get to see the fruits of our labor, because we don’t labor long enough. It’s like planting a seed in the ground and after a week we stop watering it because we haven’t seen any results yet. That’s not how it works. It takes weeks, months, and even years to get to reap the harvest. So don’t give up so soon. Try to be consistent. Create your schedule and stick to it. Soon you’ll see that it is worth it.
The next lesson is that Comparison kills! Yall, comparison almost killed this podcast a few times. There have been times when I’ve been caught up in the numbers and began to compare myself to others and it can be so discouraging that it has made me consider giving up a time or two. Then I have to encourage myself and listen to my own advice and remember to put my blinders on and only compare myself with myself. I’m my only competition. Now, the numbers that I’m trying to beat are the numbers I had last week…no one else’s. The tough part about comparison is that sometimes it really does start innocent. It begins by doing some research on something and before you know it instead of getting information from the person, you’re comparing their stuff to yours. I just want to remind you to focus on your goals and nobody else’s. Like I’ve said plenty of times before…you don’t know what they’ve done to get where they are. And don’t worry…if you are consistent, your time is coming!
Now when I began to compare one of the lessons that kept me grounded was to Remember Why You Started. This is key. This brings things back into perspective. I started this podcast because I wanted a platform where I could help women to see that they are not alone in the things that they go through and I wanted to provide some wisdom and knowledge to help them overcome the things they are going through on a day to day basis. I know that I have so much to offer and a podcast was a great way to get my voice out there and to inspire others. That’s why I started. You must always remember why you started. When things get hard, when things slow down, when you’re disappointed, when you’re frustrated, and when you’re just down right tired…remembering why you started will keep you going. It’s knowing that you have a purpose and that others are depending on you to fulfill your purpose that will help you to keep pushing when you want to give up. So always remember why you started because it will be what carries you on.
My next lesson is to Focus On What You Can Control. This is a lesson that I learned more recently, but it has been a game changer when it comes to setting goals for myself. Often times when I’ve set goals for this podcast they include things like having x number of downloads or x number of reviews, and I’ve learned that setting goals on things that I cannot control is a set up for disappointment. I cannot control how many people download this podcast. I cannot control who chooses to go and leave a review, so I should not put my hope in that. But what I can control is that I create quality content. I can control that you guys will get an episode every Monday. I can control how I choose to market this podcast. Those are the things that I needed to focus on. I never disappoint myself in those areas. And I’ve learned that if I focus on my work…that they other stuff that I care about such as the numbers will work themselves out. So I say to you that when you are creating goals for yourself or your business, make sure they are goals that you can truly contribute to. Don’t put your success into the hands of other people. That is a set up to be let down.
And now, the last lesson that I had to learn over this year of podcasting is that I Am Enough. This episode really connects with last week’s episode on confidence. Go check it out if you haven’t listened yet, it’s really good. I had to be confident enough in myself to know that I have everything I need in order to be successful. I don’t need any fancy editing, I don’t need any controversial topics, I don’t even need any celebrity interviews. I am enough. My knowledge is enough. My stories are enough. My voice is enough to be successful. This took me a while to become comfortable with. There was a time during this journey that I began to do interviews and a part of that, aside from wanting to share these amazing women’s stories, was because I wasn’t sure that I was enough. Before I go on let me say that I have enjoyed every single interview that I’ve don’t this year. These women are amazing and they are some of my favorite episodes! What they shared is priceless and I appreciate them being willing to share their stories with you guys. Thank you to Bonita, Laquanda, Kamilah, Shiquita, and Jessica aka MahoganyCurls for being on the show this year. I loved interviewing them, but there’s nothing like it being just me and the mic. And doing the interviews was just an added layer of pressure that I didn’t need. Trying to find the right person, making sure our schedules work, coming up with good questions, and even recording and editing with another person which can be a pain. And then there was the flip side of it which was people emailing me about being on the show who had never listened to the show, who don’t even follow me, or anything. I had to realize that I didn’t NEED to do this. If I wanted to, that’s find, but I don’t need anyone else on this podcast. I am enough. So it’s been a while since I’ve done an interview and I have no clue when or if I will begin again, because I am 100% confident now that all I need is me and what’s in my brain and heart. And the most amazing thing is that with just me, this podcast has grown so much in the last month and it felt like confirmation for me that all I need in this podcast life is me and God. We good.
So here we are, one year later and I’ve learned so much and I know that this next year will bring its own lessons to learn, and I can’t wait. I hope that through listening to me that you give IT a try. Whatever that IT is that you’ve been thinking about doing: starting school, starting a business, writing a blog or book, starting a podcast, changing jobs, going for a promotion, trying a new hobby, whatever that IT is that you’ve been wondering about I’m telling you to GIVE IT A TRY. Take it from me. Last year I was in your shoes, wondering if it will be worth it to do my IT. And I’m hear to tell you, it’s absolutely worth, so get to work already.
So I hope that you feel inspired to take the leap toward your goals and dreams, to keep comparison at bay and focus on what you can control, and to remember that you are enough, so go ahead and give it a try. So until next time stay encouraged and inspire someone else along the way.