How to start a new project when you're already doing all the things

When you want to take that knitting class, write poetry, learn how to code, but juuust can’t get yourself to start. For me, it was podcasting. Here are a few eye-openers from starting something new.

I wanted to create a podcast for a while, but the thought of having to do all the things—record, find the right mic, edit, figure out which tools/software to use, promoting it felt like a bridge too far. 

But the desire kept gnawing at me, like a kid tugging at the back of my shirt, begging me to give him candy or buy him a toy. 

I kept wondering, why is it so hard for me to start this damn thing?

So I thought, I will only focus on the recording part so I can stop thinking about it. I told myself I’d worry about the editing later. 

I bought a few mics from Amazon and recorded interviews with my parents. Each time I went home to visit my folks, I turned on the mics and hit record.

I shared my first podcast about their experience with the L.A. Riots in last week’s Substack. 

I got clear on the why

My parents are getting older and I wanted to capture their stories. Of course, a lot of what I capture in the recordings will also go in my book, so I needed it for research, but in a way, it was also just an excuse to talk to them.

My family wasn’t the best at communicating when I was growing up. I never really knew where my parents came from, or what their parents were like. 

Nearly all of my grandparents died before I was born. I met my mom’s dad when I was five and he was on his deathbed in Korea. I don’t remember much. There’s only one photo of my dad’s mother in existence (framed at my uncle’s house). I’ve never seen a photo of my dad’s father because my dad doesn’t have any.

My parents won’t be around forever, and when I’m old and grey and miss them, I can turn to these podcasts. These recordings are also for my siblings, especially my younger brother. I think of these podcasts as something I can pass on to him. 

Editing, the next hurdle

Once I captured the conversation about the L.A. Riots, the file sat there on my computer for nearly a month. I dragged my feet on learning how to use an editing platform. Which one would I use? Garageband? Riverside FM? Audacity?

I felt that tug on my shirt again. 

I looked up some YouTubes on the pros and cons of Garageband and decided since it’s already on my computer and it’s free, I’ll just go with it. I wasn’t quite ready to pay for a podcast editing program yet. 

Big takeaway—Garageband sucks as a podcast editing tool. I hated having to manually adjust the volume. The default volume settings are also confusing. It’s not very user-friendly, so I had to look up how to add a new audio file.

Bite-sized works for me

Instead of trying to get all of the editing done in one day, I took my time with it. I did this so I wouldn’t stress myself out.

There were days when I edited for 15 minutes and then I’d go on a hike. I chipped away at editing and slowly learned Garageband in bite-sized increments—how to add voiceover and adjust the sound. 

Despite my dislike for Garageband, there were moments when I’d get lost in editing for a few hours. It was a nice change of pace from writing and if I can sit in one place for more than an hour it means I’m in the flow.

I was eager to see how the podcast would come together with music, and it was so satisfying to see my creation complete.

I was thrilled that I finished and eager to share it with my parents. I felt like a first-grader showing my mom an art project I made in school. It wasn’t perfect and there were narration mistakes and parts that I could’ve made better, but it takes practice that I know will come with time.

My takeaways from creating this podcast

Starting without overthinking is key.

This is my mantra for lots of things I don’t feel like doing but have to—writing 2,000-word articles for clients about topics I’m not interested in or going to yoga when I’d rather sit in front of the TV. 

I’m reminded of Mel Robbins’ book, “The Five-Second Rule.” In a nutshell, the book is about this: “If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within five seconds or your brain will kill it.” Five seconds! 🤯

A second important takeaway is to give myself enough space and freedom. Go at my own pace and do it one step at a time. But here’s the hard part—I did it without feeling bad about it (and about myself).

I also learned that I have to give myself some tangible deadlines. A three-month window to learn a tool and edit a podcast is a smidge too long. However… I realized that three months brought a kind of awareness that helped me identify the areas I was resisting and why. 

For example, my disdain for Garageband was the main reason why it was taking me forever to edit, even though I really wanted to finish.

So last week, I signed up for Riverside.FM. They have a free plan that allows you a few hours to edit each month. I’ll start with that and see if I like the platform before I decide to upgrade.

Other things I did for motivation

I’m a big believer in taking classes.

For extra motivation and to learn something new, I took a three-hour podcast storytelling masterclass in May with the great Rob Rosenthal. I learned what it takes to create a great story from audio. 

I also appeared as a guest on a few podcasts (Crime & Compassion with Shayla Raquel which is not published yet, We Travel There, and

Sophia Le

at The Write Life Balance). As a guest, I was able to see how other podcasters structure and format their questions and what software they use. 

Podcasting—I love it. Getting started with my first one was almost like an experiment. I leaned into how I felt along the way and what made me feel excited vs. when I was dragging my feet.

When I got clear on why I wanted to do it, worked a little at a time, and allowed some flexibility, I felt less overwhelmed and more satisfied.

Curious to know what you did to get motivated on new projects. How did you start?

More stories…