How to Stop Overthinking and Start Recording Your Podcast
Let me guess—you have a great podcast idea, maybe even a script, but when you hit record, your voice sounds weird, your thoughts feel jumbled, and suddenly, you’re convinced you’re not ready. Sound familiar?
Overthinking is one of the biggest roadblocks podcasters face, but here’s the truth: your podcast doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be recorded. In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset shifts and strategies to help you stop overthinking, start recording with confidence, and actually enjoy the process.
If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, perfectionism, or feeling “not ready,” this episode is for you.
Why Overthinking Stops You from Podcasting
Overthinking isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a defense mechanism. Your brain is trying to protect you from failure, embarrassment, or judgment. But the reality? Most of the fears that stop you from recording will never actually happen.
Common thoughts that keep podcasters stuck:
❌ "I need the perfect equipment." → Truth: You can start with what you have. Your voice is what matters most.
❌ "I need to sound flawless." → Truth: Listeners connect with authenticity, not perfection.
❌ "What if I mess up?" → Truth: You can edit, redo, and improve over time.
The longer you wait for perfection, the more you delay the incredible impact your podcast can have.
How to Quiet the Overthinking and Just Start
If you’re struggling to record, try these mindset shifts and strategies:
1. Embrace Imperfection
Your first episode won’t be your best—and that’s okay. Podcasting is a skill, and like any skill, you improve by doing. Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on getting comfortable behind the mic and improving with each episode.
💡 Try this: Set a timer for 5 minutes and record a short episode without over-editing or redoing. Just hit record and let it flow.
2. Simplify Your Process
Overthinking often happens when podcasting feels overwhelming. Simplify by:
Creating a loose script instead of writing every word.
Keeping episodes short and focused (10-15 minutes is enough!).
Using a simple recording setup—don’t stress about having the best mic.
💡 Try this: Outline your next episode in three bullet points—no need to overcomplicate it.
3. Shift Your Focus to Your Audience
When you worry about how you sound, you’re making it about you. Shift your mindset and focus on your listener instead.
Ask yourself:
✅ What does my audience need to hear today?
✅ How can I serve, inspire, or educate them?
When you make it about impact rather than perfection, recording becomes easier.
💡 Try this: Before recording, picture one listener who needs your message. Talk directly to them.
Take Action: Build Momentum Starting Today
The best way to stop overthinking? Take action. You don’t need another course, another mic, or another week of procrastination. You need to record.
Here’s your challenge:
🎙️ Hit record TODAY—even if it’s messy.
🎙️ Record for just 5 minutes on any topic you love.
🎙️ Remind yourself: Done is better than perfect.
Every great podcaster started with a first episode. The difference between them and the ones still waiting? They hit record.
Need Support to Show Up Confidently?
If you’re ready to stop overthinking and start recording with confidence, let’s work together!
✨ Ways to work with me:
💡 Amplify & Profit Coaching – Personalized support to grow and monetize your podcast.
💡 Strategize & Shine Membership – A community for podcasters who want expert guidance, accountability, and growth strategies.
👉 Explore your options at wildhomepodcasting.com and start building confidence behind the mic today!
Final Thoughts
Overthinking is the enemy of progress. Your voice, your message, and your story deserve to be heard.
So, what’s stopping you? Hit record today, and let’s get your podcast out into the world. 🚀
The Transcript for Share, Strategize, & Shine:
210: How to Stop Overthinking and Start Recording Your Podcast
[00:00:00] Let me guess, you've got a great podcast episode idea, maybe even a script or an outline sitting on your desk. You hit record and suddenly, your voice sounds weird, your thoughts feel jumbled, and you stop because clearly, you're not ready, right? Well, guess what? You're normal. Overthinking happens to every podcaster, especially when you're just starting out.
[00:00:23] But today I want to cut through that. I'm sharing the exact mindset shifts and strategies to help you stop overthinking, start recording, and actually enjoy the process, whether it's perfect or not. So if you're ready to turn down the self doubt and turn up the microphone, stick around.
[00:00:41] This one's for you.
[00:00:42]
[00:00:42] [00:01:00] Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Share, Strategize, and Shine! Today, I just wanted to say thank you so much for everyone's support over the last couple of episodes. It's been so great hearing that my message is resonating with you, and I just really appreciate the support. Helping people share their voice is my mission, my calling, it's why I do this.
[00:01:47] And so definitely let me know if you're listening, and if this is having an impact on you. It means a ton to me. Uh, so yeah, thank you. So let's talk about what's really going on when you overthink. [00:02:00] So it's not that you're not prepared. It's not that you're bad at podcasting. It's literally your brain trying to protect you from embarrassment, judgment, and failure.
[00:02:09] Basically, it's your inner critic saying, hey, maybe let's not do this scary thing, right? The problem is, is that that voice isn't always right. You know, I remember our first podcast episodes, there were some that I recorded, you know, three times. Three! Because I would think that my voice sounded too high pitched, I still do sometimes, um, the second time maybe I hated the pacing, um, or, you know, I'll record an episode and I'm like, how was that?
[00:02:41] Only ten minutes? Oh my gosh, I have to do that again. And then, you know, by the time you get to like the third, fourth time of recording something, you're just like, forget it and post it anyways. And you know what happens when you do that? Nothing. No angry emails, no one pointing out your awkward pauses or the filler [00:03:00] words that you use.
[00:03:01] Instead, you get messages that say, thank you for sharing this. It really resonated, which is exactly what happened with an episode I posted. Two episodes ago, I was afraid to post it, it was the first time I was kind of speaking out about certain things on my podcast, I really overthought it, and was hesitant.
[00:03:20] I was thinking about scrapping it totally, but I'm so glad that I posted it because the messages that I have received have been amazing, and the fact that people really resonated with it. You know, overthinking really is a defense mechanism. But it's terrible at predicting the future. As someone who has anxiety and has been through therapy, I can tell you this.
[00:03:41] Most people are actually rooting for you. They're not looking for reasons to criticize you. And honestly, even if they were, who cares? Like this podcast is for you to share your voice and your message. So whenever you hear that little voice start to creep up, dig into it a little bit and see if you can figure out why.
[00:03:59] Okay. [00:04:00] One of the biggest. Culprits behind overthinking is this idea that it has to be perfect, right? The perfection trap, if you will. So you think your podcast needs to have flawless audio, perfectly scripted sentences and zero ums or ahs, and spoiler alert, it does not. I want you to think about the podcast that you actually listen to.
[00:04:23] Are they perfect? Probably not. Are they real? Probably. Are they human? Like that's why you connect with them. So one of the things I tell my clients all the time is I am not aiming for perfect. Like when you start recording your episodes, I don't want you to think about how it needs to be perfect. I want you to aim for progress because every time you record, you're building a skillset.
[00:04:50] Every time you worked on an outline or a script, you're improving how you put the content together. You're improving your pacing. You're refining your storytelling [00:05:00] and you're getting more comfortable with actually hearing yourself, your voice, sharing it, how I speak about certain things, right? So, whenever I sit down to record, there's one thing I always tell myself.
[00:05:12] Done is better than perfect. I want you to repeat this until you absolutely believe it. Or if you need a post it note, write it down and put it on your mic. Like, Podcasting is a skill, just like any content creation is a skill. You have to work at it. I am not great at Instagram, but I'm getting better and I'm trying and I'm working hard.
[00:05:35] And you know what? The more I show up, the better my reels are, the better engagement I get, the better reviews I get. Podcasting is the same way. Your content isn't going to be amazing out of the gate. I mean, it might be. But the more you share, the more you sit down and record, the more you outline episodes, the more comfortable you get with actually showing up and recording, but also [00:06:00] how am I sharing my message?
[00:06:01] How am I sharing the things that are important to me? How am I talking about them? I really love it because it really helps you refine your messaging, your branding, all of those things. Okay, so I want this to be super actionable for you though today because I think I can talk about this for hours. So if you're an over thinker like me, I have a little step by step plan I want to take you through.
[00:06:24] So the first one is I want you to lower the stakes. I want you to stop acting like this episode is your TED Talk debut. It's not. The other thing I want you to do is to treat it like a conversation and not a performance. When I work with clients and they come in and the first thing that I try to knock out of the gate is that they're trying to sit down and record something that would, you know, like, like I said, be a TED talk or a workshop, a masterclass, a summit.
[00:06:54] No, like podcasts, what's so great about podcasting is it does feel like you've been [00:07:00] invited to sit at someone's table and listen to them and have this conversation. And honestly, that improves the connection that your listeners have with you anyways. So really treat it like a conversation, not a performance.
[00:07:13] The second thing is I want you to create a safe practice space. You don't record a private episode, like just record for yourself. No one has to ever hear it. Give yourself permission to mess up and keep going. Editing now has gotten a lot easier. So like, you can just keep going. You don't have to stop, start over, re record.
[00:07:34] Just hit record, go through your outline, see what happens. And in that same vase, in that same vein, number three, I want you to embrace the bloopers. Did you say the wrong word? Laugh and keep rolling. That's what editing is for. Or better yet, leave some of it in to show your human side. Um, I did an episode, I think it was last week's episode, where I mispronounced a word.
[00:07:59] Oh, I [00:08:00] don't know. About 10 times or so. And I just made it part of the episode. I just made it part of the charm that is me, right? And even though it was a little embarrassing because I felt like it was a word I should be able to say, um, it felt good to just be like, this is what it is. This is me. This is like hanging out with me.
[00:08:19] This is how I would talk. So I'm not going to over edit it. So you know, embrace those bloopers. Embrace those moments. They show your audience who you really are. And I think this is one of the most important ones I'm going to say. Number four, anchor yourself in purpose. When nerves creep in, remind yourself why you're doing this.
[00:08:40] Are you here to serve, inspire, or teach? Perhaps you're like me and you have a mission statement for yourself. I mean, I have a mission statement. I keep it on my notion board where I plan my episodes. And whenever I'm feeling stuck or like what should I talk about, I focus on that mission, on that why. [00:09:00] Why am I doing this?
[00:09:01] What is my purpose? Why do I even have this podcast in the first place? If you focus on that, it really does make the rest of it feel so much easier and feels like a lot less work. Like if I know that I am recording this because my mission is to help people feel confident and sharing their voices.
[00:09:21] That's exactly what this episode is about, right? So it's helping serve my purpose. It's helping me fulfill what I was put on this earth to do. And that makes it so much easier to record. Is this episode perfect? No, it's actually a little bit far from it. And I'm actually rolling through the content a lot faster than I thought I would.
[00:09:41] So, you know, it's not perfect. But I'm gonna go with it. And that's exactly, I'm gonna practice what I'm telling you. I'm gonna do exactly what I'm telling you to do in this episode today. So as you listen to this episode, I want you to listen for these things that I've been talking about. And if you're still stuck after trying these four mindset [00:10:00] shifts, I want you to think about just hitting record, speaking for 60 seconds, just getting something out, whatever it is.
[00:10:12] End with, thanks for listening, and then I want you to celebrate because you just recorded something. Give yourself a break, step away from the mic, and come back. But the point is, is that you sat down in front of the microphone, you recorded something, you did the thing. And that's what's so, so important.
[00:10:29] So here's what I need you to know and what I need you to understand. Nobody starts off perfect. Nobody. I have worked with hundreds of podcasters over the years, and I can tell you that none of them started out perfect. The more they did it, the better they got. Your voice gets stronger, your delivery gets smoother, your confidence grows every time you show up.
[00:10:53] And if you want support around this, if you want some help. In working on your competence, working on your messaging, that [00:11:00] is exactly what I do. I do wild home podcasting.com to check out the different ways you can work with me. I'm actually booking one-on-one clients right now for my Amplify and Profit Foxer coaching experience.
[00:11:12] I also have a membership, which I would love to have you join, and there's a lot of ways that I help podcasters do just this. Feel confident, record podcasts that make a difference for themselves and their businesses. And because that's my mission, that's my purpose, that's my why. So thank you so much for hanging out with me today.
[00:11:32] Don't forget to follow my podcast so you never miss an episode. I'll see you next time and let's keep building that confidence behind the mic. You've got this.
