EP151: THE 3-YEAR SHOW
Today is the 3rd anniversary of Mike Murphy Unplugged and this an update episode about change, development and creating the life you want. I have some exciting news to share with you.
Episode Summary:
I started this show on Friday 9/25/2015. Thank you to all of you who have supported me over the past 3 years.
The podcast is still on hiatus, but I created this episode:
1) To acknowledge you and the anniversary
2) Share some updates since Episode 150
3) Let you know about my new position with podcast hosting company Simplecast
What is a Milestone?:
A milestone is an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development.
Change is to make or become different.
Development is state of growth or advancement.
So Why Did I Start Mike Murphy Unplugged
Reason 1: To connect, teach and help people figure things out,
Reason 2: To figure out how to make a living as an online educator and content creator.
My solution: Starting a podcast was the perfect medium for me:
Why Podcasting?:
-I have been an avid podcast listener since the iPod 1.0
-I love audio and gear
-I could share my voice to the world from my bedroom
-I knew it was an emerging medium.
Timeline:I gave myself 30 days to learn how to start a podcast, how to record and edit audio, create the artwork and branding, and set up social media profiles and figure out what it was about.
I did not overthink starting a podcast and I was determined to stay genuine and authentic to me and do it my way.
Everyone told me I had to niche down and narrow my topic, but that is not who I am.
I have a wide range of interest and skills and I wear many hats (I’m the guy who has watched over 11,000 Lynda videos remember).
I used to think of this as my weakness, but it is my super-power.
My long-term goal was to make a living as a content creator and teacher.
Mike Murphy Unplugged
was to document my journey and share all of the tools and resources and steps I was taking to move myself forward towards a very general goal of making a living in creativity and teaching tech tips and tricks.
Step #1: in the journey was starting a podcast so I dedicated the first several months of Mike Murphy Unplugged to being a podcast about podcasting.
I shared everything I knew about setting up and producing a podcast as that was my main focus at the time and I knew it was an emerging and important medium for businesses in the future. And guess what, the more you talk about and share knowledge about a topic the more of an expert and authority you become. I knew what I was talking about and was confident in my abilities from the start.
The main principle I want to share today on this anniversary is showing up day after day even when it seems like nobody is listening or you are not getting many downloads or views or likes, etc.
I created at least one piece of content 7 days a week 365 days in row for almost 3 years because I knew that if I just kept showing up I would either figure it out or an opportunity that would present itself.
I started this podcast and online venture without a roadmap or plan, but I started and I just kept at it. My priority was to get really good at everything related to teaching and creating content and to be consistent and patient and to work as hard as I possibly could. It was not always fun or enjoyable, but I was not going to stop because I knew it would take time and require resilience and patience.
In Episode 150 I announced that I was taking a break and putting the podcast on hiatus.
Was I podfading? Not quite, but I was needing a break.
It started as a tool to help me and it was starting to feel more like a burden that I was holding onto just to keep streak intact of never missing a Friday episode. I’m a problem solver and I knew I had to fix this negative force in my content machine.
2018 has been the year of simplicity and I created my version of minimalism.
I spent the first half of 2018 actively de-cluttering and reducing most of what I owned to the bare essentials.
I gave away, threw away or sold everything I did not use or need and did the same cleaning on my digital assets. I simplified my diet and exercise and it felt incredible and everything feels clean and light and simple. My head-space and physical space has never been clearer or more laser-focused. Less is indeed more for me.
Death. Early in the summer, I lost someone that I cared a lot about right before a summer trip I had planned and it was almost instantly that I gave myself permission to take a break from the podcast. It often takes Death or tragedy really brings the word priority in focus as you really start to understand what is most important in life and I knew that if I gave myself a break from the podcast for a couple of months, things would be okay. You would understand and I can pick back up at anytime.
De-cluttering and simplifying was very a deliberate and conscious choice of mine to take a deep breath and to really go back to the basics.
Get off the hamster wheel and put as much positive and happy energy into to world as I could muster up because I knew that I was making progress and that my efforts would work out and that I would be okay. I had everything I needed in life. I was running out of money, but I was not in debt and I was healthy and happy.
I had enough and I was getting really good at all of the things I want to do for the rest of my life.
Getting rid of stuff made me relax and put things in perspective. I felt really happy and relieved and I was still cranking out content, but I was not stressed about anything. I just trusted that I would be okay because my intentions were consistent and good all along.
Opportunity Knocked
I was offered a position with the podcast hosting company Simplecast and I happily accepted. I start Monday 9/24 and my official title is podcast support specialist. My job duty sounds a lot like how I describe my why for starting this podcast. Helping people figure things out and creating educational content.
I could not be more excited or proud and everything about it just feels like a perfect fit.
Maybe I got lucky or maybe it was a coincidence or the right place at the right time. Or maybe on this 3 year milestone, the change and development that is happening right now in my life and career is the manifestation of me taking the first step into the unknown and putting in the hard work and showing up day after day because I trusted myself and knew that if I could remain patient and true to myself, that things would work out.
Creating the life you want is not fast or easy and there is no clear path, but you have to start somewhere and take the first step no matter how big or small. Show up for yourself and nobody else. You are not competing against anyone but yourself. Keep going. You do not need to have all the answers and your original plan is going to change multiple times, but you have to make the effort and take a chance on yourself and do not give up or give into your own self-doubt or the doubt of those around you.
There is no better time than now to do whatever you want in this world and there is no excuse not to give it all you have to try and create a life that makes you happy and successful whatever that may mean for you.
Happy 3rd anniversary to Mike Murphy Unplugged and a big thanks to you.
If there is anything I can ever do for you, you can always reach out to me at mike@mikemurphy.co or look me up at Simplecast.com
Note:
The podcast is still in hiatus mode, so bear with me as I figure out the next version, but I will keep you in the loop.
Thank you for joining me on this milestone and turning point episode and for joining my one man band and together we can Learn. Create & Move Forward. Cheers, Mike.
Questions, Comments, Feedback?
mike@mikemurphy.co
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