Not Even The Same Sport

Let me tell you a secret about success… 

“Success” means something DIFFERENT for every podcast, novel, and poetry chapbook. It means something DIFFERENT for every single creator.

For example: For one podcast, success means securing a TV deal. For another podcast, success means creating lasting political change. For another, success means gaining a record number of new clients each month. For another, it’s changing just one person’s life.

The “finish line” is in a radically different place for every podcast and every podcaster. 

In fact, we are not even running the same race. 

Think of podcasting as the Olympics — and every podcast is a different event. Maybe the Write Now podcast is boxing. Maybe Girl In Space is synchronized swimming. Maybe your podcast is archery, or fencing, or gymnastics.

So why are we constantly monitoring each other’s progress, feeling jealous of others’ milestones, and focusing on comparing our work to theirs? 

Of course, we can all LEARN new stuff about podcasting from each other — just like a boxer could learn about balance and flexibility from a gymnast. 

But at the end of the day, the gymnast’s success does not take anything away from OR diminish the success of the boxer.

We are not competing against each other. We are all participating in different and unique events in one big weird creative Olympics. We are each running our own race, toward different versions of success. We are all podcasting, writing, and creating for different reasons. 

Keep your eyes on your own finish line, and save your focus and your energy for creating your best work.

Words & warmth,

Sarah