Why do you produce your podcast?
On the surface, it might seem like a simple question with a simple answer. But the reason most people initially give in response to the question is rarely the real reason.
For that, you have to dig deeper. Five times deeper in fact.
The “Five Whys” practice is a method for getting to the root of either a problem or motivation and is an exercise worth doing before beginning any difficult task such as starting a podcast or a business.
It works like this:
- Ask yourself why you’re doing this task (in this case, producing your podcast).
- When you have an answer, ask “Why?” in response to that answer.
- When you have that answer, again ask “Why?”
- You guessed it, ask yourself “Why?” again.
- And yes, one last time, ask yourself “Why?” in response to the previous answer.
Most of us are often only vaguely aware of our deeper motivations, and the Five Whys exercise can help you gain clarity about what’s driving you forward towards your goals.
This knowledge is an invaluable tool when pursuing a difficult to achieve goal, because — hopefully — it provides you with a deep motivation to fall back on that is more powerful than the difficulties that will inevitably arise along the journey.
While, “I produce my podcast because I love talking about backyard gardening,” might not drive you through a months-long slump, “I believe I can help people learn how to grow their own food and shift the way our country feeds itself,” probably will.
In my experience, people are often embarrassed of the true motivations behind their pursuits and are hesitant to say them out loud to others or even acknowledge them to themselves.
How The Five Whys Helped Me Lose 50 Pounds
I undertook a weight loss challenge last year where I was instructed to perform the Five Whys early on.
I knew I was unhappy with my weight, but I hadn’t thought about the deeper motivations behind why now I was ready to commit to making the change.
When I went through the Five Whys, I realized that my image of myself and my body was not as healthy as I had always believed. At some level, I didn’t believe I was worthy of success or love until I had lost the weight.
This “why” is something I would have never admitted out loud. It felt too much like a confession of weakness, that I was lacking or insufficient in a way I was embarrassed of. But knowing that why, and thinking of it over the months of changing my habits around food powered me onward and has resulted in lasting change.
While knowing your Why is essential to helping you push through slumps and difficulties, it’s also helpful in understanding when it’s time to quit and move on to a better opportunity.
How Your Why Can Help You Decide to Stick or Quit
In 2015 I started a blog about photography. My goal was to grow an audience and build a location independent online business selling digital products that would allow me to travel full-time.
I kept up with the blog for six months, gaining some traction with the blog and building an audience before I realized that there was a better opportunity staring me in the face in the form of podcast editing.
I was already listening to 50+ hours of podcasts per week and was trained as a sound engineer, so when the link became clear to me, I quit the photography blog and jumped feet first into the world of podcasting.
The Why of building a business that allowed me to travel full-time was a powerful one, and I have no doubt that it would have helped me create that through the photography blog if I had stuck with it.
But knowing that Why also allowed me to recognize an opportunity to more quickly achieve my real goal of running a business that allowed me to travel, and likely shaved multiple years off of the process.
So my question to you once more: Why do you produce your podcast?
Get clear on your deepest motivations and then ask if podcasting is really the best way to reach that goal.
If it is, great. You’ve got all the motivation you need, and with some perseverance, patience, and experimentation, you’re likely to make podcasting work for you.
But if it’s not, don’t be afraid to look elsewhere for a faster route to your destination.
Every Sunday I send out an exclusive article on how to use podcasting to build an audience and grow your business.
No opt-in, no freebie no bribe. But hopefully a new perspective, encouragement, and maybe even some occasional wisdom. It’s something I’m proud to create and I’d be honoured to share it with you.
Jeremy travels full-time, loves long-distance cycle touring, and will always look back on the day he finally saved up enough money to buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set as one of his proudest achievements. He believes that the way to grow sustainable businesses is by leading with heart, vulnerability, and helping your people be and become their best selves.
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