Today I took the leap and did my first Periscope broadcast.
Periscope is an app (currently available on iPhone and Android) that live streams broadcasts. It’s like YouTube, but it records live (no editing! yikes!) and people can jump on and interact with the broadcaster by typing messages that air directly into the stream or send hearts (likes) by tapping on the screen.
As someone who shies away from the spot light, the concept of doing a live video broadcast is terrifying.
What if no one shows up? Worse, what if people do show up?
What if I screw up, forget what I’m supposed to say, or start rambling.
What if I look stupid?
What will my friends say?
All of this centers around the fear of not being perfect.
How many times have you hesitated doing something because you are waiting to get good at it?
When you think about it, this is kind of ridiculous. When we’re kids, we’re okay with being bad at stuff. We tripped and fell when we were learning how to walk. Fell off bikes and skates. Even after cuts and scrapes (and for some, broken bones), we just got back up and tried again.
The only way to get good at something, is to practice.
Cultivate courage; experiment.
Tim Ferris, author of the best seller, 4 Hour Work Week, said he doesn’t necessarily set goals, he does experiments. Experiments give you permission to try new things without investing in an expected outcome.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Conduct an experiment. Set a time frame in which you think you’ll start to be good at it.
I think I’ll need to do at least 20 Periscope broadcasts before I start to get “good” at it. Then I can decide if I like it and if it’s fulfilling my personal or business objectives. Don’t give up because you’re not good at it. Give up if it isn’t serving your needs.
Focus on completion, not perfection.
I resisted the urge to buy all the right equipment, spend days on writing a tight script and rehearsing.
To be frank, I got tired of obsessing and worrying about doing it.
I got as prepared as I could with an outline. I did my best for what I could do at that moment in time.
Perfection is for Olympic athletes, not entrepreneurs.
You get better with practice. You can’t wait till you are really good at riding a bike before you start riding.
Take action. Now.
Celebrate completion, not perfection.
So how did my first live Periscope broadcast go?
Twenty four people tuned in live. I forgot most of what I wanted to say and blabbered on. I forgot to breathe. I forgot to look at my notes. It was kind of a train wreck.
That said, I’m very proud of myself because I did it. I don’t care that I didn’t do it well (I’m going to work on that).
Focus on who you are helping.
I want to get better at this because I feel that I can help and encourage so many people if I put myself out there.
Who can you help and inspire? The world needs your gifts. Share them now.