These Are The “Good Ol’ Days” That You’ll Look Back on Nostalgically

When you had nothing but hope and big dreams

There’s a good chance I may pass out while writing this.

I’m exhausted, sweaty, and very lightheaded.

It smells like a can of spray paint detonated in my room, a scent which I’m strangely enjoying.

Yet there’s no artistic graffiti or spilled paint in sight, just the soundproof paneling that’s surrounding me on all sides.

Let me explain. Today was a special day.

I turned my bedroom into a podcast studio

Great, you and half the world started a podcast during COVID.

Sure, a lot of people started podcasts during COVID, but check out this wild statistic shared by Modern Wisdom’s Chris Williamson:

“90% of podcasts don’t make it past episode 3, and of the 10% that do, 90% don’t make it past episode 20. So by simply producing 21 podcast episodes, you’re in the top 1% of podcasters on the planet.”

As someone who just recorded episode 70 of The Dare to Dream Podcast, this fires me up immensely.

But at the same time, I can easily see why most people give up. It is difficult to continue pouring your heart and soul into something in the beginning stages when no one cares.

Is anyone even listening?

Let me be more specific. People will care at first when your podcast is novel and new. They will listen to a few episodes, comment on how much they love it, and then slowly stop listening.

And this makes total sense. It takes time to develop the skills and guest list to have a compelling show, and getting 1% better every episode isn’t going to excite anyone else besides your co-host.

But here’s a simple fact that feels both obvious and insightful at the same time:

You will never be word-class at anything if you quit. It takes time, energy, and an unwavering commitment to embrace the slog if you ever want to gain mastery.

Seth Godin calls this period of slogging, The Dip.

There are millions of people who want to be world-class at their craft, yet nearly all of them give up before they reach their destination.

I’ve never met a professional anybody who quit the mountain they were climbing. The fact that they made it to where they are today was entirely dependent on them not quitting.

Should you keep the dream alive?

The only reason I haven’t quit my dream of being a successful podcaster is that I find the act of recording a podcast extremely fulfilling.

There’s something special about sitting down with a guest and having a long-form conversation about life. Think about it, when was the last time you got to speak to someone, uninterrupted, for over an hour?

Podcasting aligns with my deep interest in genuine human connection. It also lights up my core values of curiosity, authenticity, and vulnerability. These are the reasons I know I will have a podcast for the rest of my life.

I am motivated by internal factors, not external ones.

If you are questioning whether you should keep your dream alive or shut it down and head for the exit, ask yourself this simple question:

Would I do this for free for the rest of my life?

If the answer is yes, keep going.

If not, chances are that one of the obstacles you’ll inevitably face will be larger than your will to continue.

Everyone (including myself) hopes to make great money from my dreams eventually. But it takes more than hope to keep walking the path when it gets dark out.

Feng-Shui or guest episodes

This was the decision I was faced with today.

I live with roommates and taking over the living room and praying for no loud noises didn’t seem like a sustainable strategy.

So I decided to turn half of my already tiny bedroom into my podcasting studio. I said goodbye to the previously enjoyed feng-shui and hello to this cramped but doable setup.

Don’t worry, I’ve got more soundproof paneling and a second chair on the way.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, wow this looks like shit!

And to be honest I wouldn’t disagree with you. But at the same time, this makes me incredibly happy because I am finding a way to not quit.

These are the “good times”

I’ll now be working full-time out of my bedroom and recording the podcast in it. This is not ideal by any means, but I don’t have many other options at this point.

This is the part of my journey that I’m going to look back on fondly 20 years from now. These are the good times and the glory days that successful people talk about.

Right now I’m in the boiler room, fueled by hope and youth and optimism.

I’ll smile nostalgically as I look back at this picture, only remembering the good parts about it.

I’ll forget the fact that the soundproof paneling was (more than) slightly toxic, and that I almost passed out from breathing in the fumes.

Maybe I’ll read this article and cringe at how little I knew.

I honestly hope so, because that will mean I learned a lot more along the way.

Did I say anything that made you smile, pause, or ponder?

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