Ep. 5 - The 3 Hidden Blocks That Almost Stopped My Podcast

What happens when you're in a recording studio, the clock is ticking, and your carefully planned lyrics just won't fit?

When I stepped into the studio to record The Breakthrough Collective theme song, I thought it would be simple. Instead, I hit a wall — and discovered the same three blocks that stop so many of us from launching our big ideas.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode::  
🌀 How perfection paralysis almost made me quit before I began  
🌫️Why unclear next steps can trick you into stalling out  
🎭 The sneaky voice of silent sabotage — and how to call it out

Discover how to recognize these sneaky roadblocks in your own projects—and push through them before you feel ready. Plus, get actionable strategies to shift from "perfect but unfinished" to "good enough and done." #StartBeforeReady 

Ready to identify YOUR biggest block? Download the free Breakthrough Block Quiz to discover which of the 3 hidden blocks is holding you back and get your personalized breakthrough action plan in just 2 minutes:

https://bit.ly/BreakthroughBlockQuiz

Transcript

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The words don't fit. My brain is screaming, change the lyrics. But nope, I refuse. So now, mid-recording, I'm stuck. No plan, no backup. Just me, the mic, and the pressure to make it work. And that's when I realized. This is the same three hidden blocks that stops so many of us from starting anything new. It's me, Traci. And when I get on the mic, you know we about to have a good time tonight. Real talk, real growth, that's a fact. So go ahead now, sit back and relax. Hang ing with us, you'll see that nothing is impossible. Because together we become unstoppable. You know that taking action is the objective. So get ready for the Breakthrough Collective. This is The Breakthrough Collective, where your story matters, your courage counts, and your next chapter starts now. This is where we get things done and real stories lead to real change. I'm Traci Swain, and today I'm sharing what happened when I stepped into the studio to record my podcast intro song and found myself face to face with the same blocks that keep most people from launching their big ideas. Let me take you back to Plush NYC, this amazing recording studio here in New York. I'm there to record the intro song that you hear at the the beginning of every episode. And yes, I wrote that myself. Now, why did I decide to write my own intro song? So, this is what happened. Back when I was producing content for Scholastic Book Clubs, I used to write songs for children's books. It was so much fun. I loved helping teachers get their students excited about reading. So, I thought to myself, let me do a little something for my own project. I wanted the song to be fun and engaging, a way to share info about the podcast that felt authentic to me. I wrote the lyrics and Aaron created this incredible track and I was excited. However, the night before the recording, I figured, hey, you know, I should practice the lyrics and just get the flow of it all to make sure everything went smoothly during the recording. So, I don't think I should have done that because that was a big mistake. There was this one line that was giving me trouble with the timing. And at first I started laughing about it, but then I was like, oh, crap. I realized that I couldn't nail this line. It just was not happening. And I literally kept saying out loud that I couldn't do it. Yes, I was talking to myself. And you know what they say about being careful with what you speak out into the world. Well, I started stressing myself out, thinking negative thoughts about my own ability. And I know I'm not the only one. I know we all do that. So, fast forward to studio day. The mic is on. The clock is running and time is money, right? I take a deep breath. I start my intro song and halfway through, I stumble. The words don't fit in the time frame within that one bar. I mean, they fit, but not for me. So my brain is screaming, you should have changed the lyrics. But I'm stubborn. I'm like, nope. These are the lyrics that I wrote. These are my words. And I'm not changing them. I'm sure the sound engineer, Felipe, was looking at me like, you so dumb, girl. Plus, you know, Aaron is tuning in through Zoom and, you know, you put that pressure on yourself. I'm like, I've got to figure out how to make this work. And in that moment, I realized this wasn't just about music. I was running into the same sneaky blocks that, you know, stop most of us from starting anything new. That day in the studio taught me something important. The road blocks that pop up when you're about to launch, post, or release something, those aren't random. They have patterns. And if you've been waiting to start something, there is a good chance that you've met them too. So, the sooner you can spot them, the sooner you can move through them. Today, I want to share the three hidden blocks that almost stopped me before I even began and how you can recognize them in your own life so you can start before you feel ready. Okay, so before we dive into each block, if you're thinking, well, wait, which one of these is my biggest block? I've created a quick free assessment to help you figure that out. I'll leave the link in the description below for you to take the three hidden blocks assessment and get your personalized breakthrough action plan. It's completely free, takes only two minutes, and you'll know exactly Exactly where to focus first. Okay, you ready? So these are the three hidden blocks. Block number one, Perfection Paralysis. This is that sneaky voice that says, it's not ready yet, or I'll do it once everything is perfect. I'll do it once the kids go away to college. You know that story that we tell ourselves. In the studio, my brain was screaming at me to change the lyrics, to make it easier. That's the trap of Perfection Paralysis. It convinces you that changing the plan will somehow make it better when really it just delays you from getting it done. It convinces you that you can't move forward until it's flawless, it's perfect. So, I could have taken the time to change the lyrics, which would have delayed it, or I could have postponed the shoot until I had it down perfectly, which also would have delayed it, but I decided against that. So listen, it wasn't exactly how I pictured it in my head. And it wasn't perfect, but it was finished. It sounded great. Well, or good enough. And it made it out into the world. I got it out there. So here's the shift I want you to try instead of asking, is this perfect? Ask, is this good enough to share? And would this help someone today? Because good enough and done will beat perfect, but unfinished every single time. So block number two, Unclear Next Steps. Sometimes we're not actually stuck. We're just overwhelmed by the big picture. So when that line wouldn't fit, I had to troubleshoot on the spot with Aaron and Felipe. Felipe is, he was the engineer. And after a few takes, I came up with the idea of just using sections from different takes. I suggested we record the line in separate takes and move forward from there, just because I knew that I was not going to get it. It just was not happening. And otherwise, we just would have been there all day, or I might have given up completely. I was lucky to have a talented team. Aaron and Felipe were great and they rolled with it and made it work. Was it easy? No. Was it flawless? Definitely not. But it was good, or at least good enough to share. And it got the job done. At first, Aaron was, he was being great. He was initially like, well, no, no, no, no. Let's just do it again. You got this. And then after a while, he was like, okay. Yeah, let's do that. Let's use different sections from different takes. So, basically, Lil' Kim... Megan, Missy, Nikki, Cardi B, they have nothing to worry about. My rap career was clearly short-lived. My rap game was not on point. But listen, we made it work. Okay, so what's the lesson? When the big picture feels overwhelming, just solve the next 10% of the problem. What's the smallest step you can take right now to figure it out and move forward and make it work. So it could just be a small thing, just tiny. Every little bit counts, right? So block number three, the Silent Sabotage. This one goes a little deep. It's those quiet stories we tell ourselves, like, who am I to do this? Someone's already doing it better. Maybe I'm not... I'm not the kind of person who succeeds at this. So the night before recording, I was literally sabotaging myself with negative thoughts about not being able to do this line, not being able to hit that line in that timeframe within that one bar. That voice telling me I couldn't do it in the timeframe. So that was Silent Sabotage at work. And here's how you beat it. You name the voice. I name mine, Boonifa Rocknesha. You call out the lie. You tell it, "no, this is not so." You look in the mirror and you keep going. When in doubt, keep it moving. Start from service, not ego. So, who will benefit if you do this? What might change for someone for someone else if you share, create, or launch your project. So don't think about yourself. Think about someone else. So there you have it. The three hidden blocks that almost stopped me from creating the intro song that you hear in every episode. And I am so glad that I didn't allow it to win. But here we go. We're going to recap. So number one, Perfection Paralysis, chasing flawless instead of finish. Number two, Unclear Next Steps. Feeling overwhelmed instead of focusing on the next small move. What is a small thing that you can do? Number three, Silent Sabotage. That inner voice telling you you're not capable of doing something. But here's what I learned that day. Your dream doesn't need perfect conditions. It just needs you to hit record. and get it done, right? So take that next step. Here's my challenge for you. Think of one thing you've been putting off and take the smallest possible next step today. So don't wait for the perfect moment. Don't overthink the entire process. Just make one move. Take one step. And if this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear about it. DM me, tag me, or leave a comment. Tell me me what you're finally ready to start. I would love to hear about it. Because here's the truth, that little inner victory of not compromising your vision, that feeling when you figure out a way to make it happen instead of taking the easy way out, instead of delaying or changing your work in pursuit of flawlessness, of perfection, That's available to you too. And before we wrap, let me leave you with this one quote. You know, we always end each episode with a quote. This quote is from Arthur Ashe. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." That's exactly what I did in that studio. And that is exactly what you can do today. I have faith in you. Thank you for being here and for being part of the collective. Keep breaking through because we are just getting started. Until next time. Okay, hold up. If you've been sitting on that podcast idea thinking someday when I'm ready, then this one is for you. I am part of an incredible community called "My 7 Figure Podcast" and it's exactly what you need to stop overthinking and start recording. We're talking real podcasters sharing real strategies - not theory - actual results. Plus, you get a whole crew of people just like you who are figuring it out as they go along. Here's the thing, I'm learning right along side you in this community. We're all growing together, sharing wins, troubleshooting the messy stuff and celebrating every single breakthrough. So, whether you want to launch your first episode or level up the show you've already got running, this is where you stop waiting for perfection and start building something that matters. So, are you ready to turn the idea into income? The link is in the description. Let's make this happen together now!