I’ve never been much of an “inspirational quotes” guy until recently.
As a newspaper reporter, it was my job to get quotes for my stories. As a play-by-play announcer, it’s my job to get interviews for my pregame show. I take pride in obtaining noteworthy quips and leading interesting conversations.
But when it comes to seeking out words to inspire myself, it’s changed from “a little” to “a lot” over the last decade. Mostly because my gym always has a new motivational quote written on a wall near the entrance each day. Also because I’m now always on the prowl for a quote that will inspire a Substack post.
Now I’ve got quotes, reminders, and mantras all over the place — Post-It notes at the ballpark on my monitor, mis-spelled words in my iPhone Notes, legal pads with scribbles that I can barely decipher, and I even buy artwork with motivational words to hang onto my walls at home.
I’ve decided to combine them into an end-of-year sampling of the best advice I’ve received this year.
Don’t let perfection become the enemy of completion
This was the advice my cousin Tom gave me after I finished some landscaping in my backyard and it didn’t turn out exactly what I had envisioned. The advice inspired a post.
In the two months since completing the work, I can honestly say that I rarely focus on the lack of perfect precision. I’m just grateful it’s done.
It will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better.
The best speech I heard all year was something Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson said last year to her team. I finally heard it when my friend Ferris forwarded it to me. (Isn’t it strange when a video goes viral and you don’t see it until a year later?)
Her speech has really stuck with me. Here’s a link to the powerful three-minute speech. I can’t recommend it enough.
Here’s an excerpt:
It will never get easier.
What happens is you handle hard better.
Make yourself a person that handles hard well.
Not someone that’s waiting for the easy.
The grass is greenest where you water it
I heard this before and forget it too often. Most recently, I heard new San Diego State football coach Sean Lewis say it. The topic was student-athletes who transfer to other colleges. This was his mantra to players about choosing SDSU and staying at SDSU.
Applies to all of us.
Love profusely, but not exclusively
This is the advice former basketball star Harold Miner gives to his star volleyball playing daughter Kami.
Harold was nicknamed “Baby Jordan” and won an NBA Dunk Contest. He had some notable moments, but never lived up to the enormous hype and basketball kinda spit him back out. He’s trained his daughter Kami with some of these messages:
Love profusely, he told his daughter, but not exclusively.
Train with fervor, he instructed, but preserve your body.
Distinguish yourself, he demanded, but fight off comparison.
The only thing that disqualifies you is giving up
Before attending the “That’s Voiceover Expo” earlier this month, I wrote about my voice insecurities.
The conference was easily the best I’ve ever attended in my life, on any subject. It was equal parts inspirational and intimidating. I furiously scribbled notes all weekend as I listened to speakers. When I reviewed these notes, I realized how most of them were life advice that had little to do with Voiceover.
Here’s a collection of my notes that I think will resonate with you, especially if you change “mic” or “voice” to something in your life:
Keep moving forward. The only thing that disqualifies you is giving up.
Don’t let gear be the barrier to creativity.
You are a business. Invest in yourself like one.
Invest in the mic. Your environment might change. Your mic won’t.
Confidence is key. They can smell desperation. Confidence can’t come from job achievement.
Switch your hat to “student mode” and don’t stop learning.
Today’s assistant is tomorrow’s Vice President.
Use social media to showcase your work. Self-perpetuate. Constantly show your work. If your followers feel inundated by your work, tough shit.
Have the hashtags ready to cut and paste.
Words are only there to remind you what to say. Everything is mood driven.
Early in your career, practice the technical. Then it becomes natural.
The script might suck. But someone is booking it.
Volume does not create energy.
With networking, think “what can I give” more than “what can I get?” (I’m pretty sure they were quoting Bryan Cranston who was probably quoting someone else.)
Humans invented the concept of luck.
You might feel insecure. You might not think you’re a badass. But can you be a badass for 20 minutes?
Think about how to get out of “survival mode” and into “thrive mode.”
“Self casting” is important to save your time.
You’re already enough.
It could be anyone else on the mic. But right now, it’s you.
The projects for you are out there. You have to find them.
Keep your money and keep on marketing. Yes, keep on marketing.
Practice reading it with lot of “fucks” and then take out the “fucks” to submit.
Commercial success is not booking a job. One gig is an accident. Skills are how you get consistent work.
Audiences want to be helped, not sold.
Artificial Intelligence will never know WHY it’s doing it. Humans will.
If you only had one voice the rest of your life, what would it be? Start there.
Move around. Don’t shrug. Take off your shoes. Move your arms and hands. Feel it.
Make a “fuck you” list of people who rejected you. The people who are not trying to encourage you, actually DO ENCOURAGE YOU.
It’s easy once you know how to do it. What gets in the way is mostly ourselves.
Know you’re worth and ask for it. Yes, this means money.
Just keep going. Don’t use a cutoff date.
You only need one open door. Imagine a house is burning. You only need one door to exit.
The algorithm loves a face within three seconds.
Clean your phone camera lens.
Listen to others to fire up your brain.
Believe in yourself. Buy your own product.
Set a specific goal for income each year.
You can’t compare your journey to others. This leads to depression. Everyone is a different individual.
Fear will always be there. It never goes away. Learn to live with fear. Drag fear with you. Hold hands with fear.
So there’s my list.
What people, and what words, inspired you in 2023?