StevePavlina.com Podcast #001 – Intro to Personal Development
September 2nd, 2005 by Steve Pavlina
Email this article to a friend
Here is the very first StevePavlina.com “Personal Development for Smart People” podcast. It’s an introduction to personal development with a story about how I got started on this path. I hope you enjoy it:
Pavlina-001-Intro.mp3 (Time = 14:33)
I’ve also added a new category for podcasts, which you’ll find linked from the Categories section of the sidebar, and there’s an RSS feed just for the podcasts too. Any podcasts will also be included in the main blog, so if you subscribe to the main blog feed, you’ll get the podcasts too.
Given that this is my first-ever podcast, I welcome any and all feedback. If you wish to send feedback privately instead of by posting a comment, please use the contact form.
Here are some links to related to ideas in the podcast:
The Courage to Live Consciously – my first article about living more consciously and courageously.
The Meaning of Life Series – a six-part series that explores the meaning of life; the first post in this series includes a longer version of the story in the podcast.
The Self-Discipline Series – a six-part series on how to better understand the role of self-discipline in your life and to increase your level of self-discipline.
How to Become an Early Riser – a strategy I successfully used to condition myself to get up at 5am every morning, feeling wide awake and full of energy.
Personal Development Blog Archives – The complete blog archives with over 200 articles on personal development.
September 2nd, 2005 at 10:04 am
How do I set up iTunes to download your podcast automatically?
I tried to search in iTunes Music Store, Podcasts section for Pavlina, but you are not there.
Help!
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:06 am
Great introduction. Recenty found your blog and the podcast is a nice plus. Could have used something like this 40 years ago but I don’t feel like 60 is too old to start (or continue) my personal growth. Thanks.
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:14 pm
This podcast is a really nice compliment to the blog. And I think a perfect blend of your public-speaking skills and your blog writing. Looking forward to the next one…
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:26 pm
wow, it’s definetly new level, text can’t express what voice can
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:53 pm
Steve,
I thought your audio introduction was very well done. I liked the different treatment you gave your jail story, and your credit you gave your former self for the self you’ve become.
Audio was nice and clear.
I’ve never heard you speak at an event like Toastmasters, but I would imagine that you put a bit more energy into live speeches. Feel free to put that much vocal energy into your podcasts (unless you’ve already experimented with it and don’t like it).
I will look forward to podcast #2 being way better, in typical Steve Pavlina style of constant improvement.
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:51 pm
Excellent. I think that probably the most important benefit of this podcast isn’t really the message. This is a message you have speaked articulately on in many articles and blogs. But, rather, it gives your message a voice. Instead of some faceless (except for the headshot of you at the homepage
) text we can hear you talking about these things. Somehow that seems more convincing, sort of like a subconcious reminder that there are other people out there who are looking to improve themselves aswell.
Funny, but when you read what someone is written your mind seems to automatically generate a voice for that person, so I was actually a bit surprised to hear you speak…
Can’t wait until the next one.
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:17 pm
@JaSikor: To subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, just run iTunes and from the main menu, click “Advanced” then “Subscribe to Podcast…” Then enter the URL for the podcast feed (http://www.StevePavlina.com/blog/feed/) and click OK. This will subscribe you to the podcast. I’ll add these instructions to the original post as well.
I submitting the podcast to iTunes in the Health | Self-Help category, but it hasn’t been listed yet. I’m not sure how long it will take to be listed. I also submitted it to PodcastAlley.com in the Health/Fitness category, which seemed like the closest fit given the small number of categories.
@Mike: When I do public speaking I like to move around a lot, but this podcast was recorded with a stationary mic. I do put a lot more energy into a live speech, especially since there’s the energy of all the people in the room to draw from. I’ll likely experiment with the next few podcasts to see if I can improve them. I might also record some live speeches down the road and turn them into podcasts. This is something of a ready-fire-aim thing for me.
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Very enjoyable and helpful. Looking forward to all your future audio projects.
September 2nd, 2005 at 5:16 pm
Fantastic Steve! I’ve been waiting for your audio content ever since you started hinting that it was coming. I’m looking forward to listening to many of these and benefitting from your inspirations.
September 2nd, 2005 at 5:20 pm
Way to go, Steve! I’m so excited about this podcast, and I know you’ll continually find way to improve it. That’s one of your greatest strengths.
Once you feel comfortable, you should ask Pohaku to mention you on the JediTrainer podcast. I’m sure he’d be happy to spread the word.
Thanks again!
September 2nd, 2005 at 6:35 pm
Nicely done. That was a competent, above-average debut. And it takes courage to share such intensely personal experiences.
Two observations: 1) It sounded like you were sitting. 2) Your elocution differs from that of the archetypal “professional speaker.”
I’m not saying either of those things are good or bad. Those happened to be the two things foremost in my mind after listening to the much-anticipated first podcast. Keep up the good work!
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:44 pm
Wow, nice… Totally uplifting and motivating!
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:04 am
Nice podcast! Thanks for sharing your story.
Keep up the good work and… grow!
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:45 am
Excellent first podcast, thank you very much, especially for this:
“I may die rich, or I may die broke. But I won’t die with my music still in me.”
Greetings from Italy!
September 3rd, 2005 at 4:02 am
Hi Steve, thanks for the podcast
I agree that the sound quality is crisp and clear; sound quality is very important.
I noticed that you varied your rate (speed) of speech. I had no trouble following you, but there were bursts of very fast speech. It’s a point to consider: be mindful of your maximum rate of speech.
September 3rd, 2005 at 6:30 am
Your podcast is a very worthwhile addition to your blog, Steve. Thank you for that. You have a clear and pleasant voice. The audio quality was excellent.
The only small gripe I have, is that you pause a lot, mostly between sentences and sometimes in mid-sentence, too. That took a bit of the flow away for me.
Otherwise, you delivered the quality we’ve come to expect from you. Well done.
September 3rd, 2005 at 6:37 am
Wow steve! Your first podcast was great. I can’t wait for the next one. This is the perfect thing to listen to when I go running, mowing the lawn, driving to the office, etc – anytime my ears have “downtime”. I would think this would be a paid service you will be providing in the future? If so, you have me ready and waiting to buy. As others have said, all your personal stories and no B.S. way of getting the message across really reaches to me deeply. I could write for pages how your ideas have helped me by leaps and bounds, flushing my fears away, pushing to become more of a person than I was yesterday. I have never been more in control of my life. Thank you.
September 3rd, 2005 at 1:47 pm
Excellent start Steve, I really enjoyed listening to it. I agree with what others have said, having a voice to put to the words really moves it onto a new level.
I’d certainly be happy to pay for a subscription if it became a regular thing. Also it might be a nice idea to go back over some of your ‘classic’ articles from previous months and give them the audio treatment, the meaning of life series for example.
Anyway good luck with it all, definitely a very good start.
September 4th, 2005 at 1:32 am
Very professional and motivating,
good luck Steve!
@Luca: vedo che non sono l’unico italiano che legge il blog di Steve allora! (= it’s nice to see another Italian reading Steve’s Blog!)
September 4th, 2005 at 2:22 am
This is an excellent podcast. Love the story. I was a bit surprised by your voice too, I didn’t imagine it that way. But it’s great to hear it.
You are a total inspiration.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us
September 4th, 2005 at 4:51 am
Steve,
Thanks so much for your testimonial via podcast. I have been perusing your site and reading the articles for the past 2 weeks, and have gotten a lot out of them.
At 42 years of age, I finally woke up to the fact that I was completely miserable, and that ultimately, it was ME that had put myself in this predicament, and it would only be ME that could change it for the better.
Like you, I would consider myself to be extremely lazy, undisciplined, with very low self-esteem and confidence, as well as being very dependent with little to no self-reliance. I have been a human doormat most of my life, and have suffered through false friendships, a bad marriage (which I’m still in), and have no clue what I want to do with my life.
After being in an abusive “friendship” that ended (thankfully) August 9th, I realized that I had to change myself so I would no longer attract these types of people into my life. After pondering my options for about a week, I realized I needed to set some goals in order to make changes in my life. I KNEW that I needed to develop self-discipline, and self-esteem. So, I started surfing the net to find the info I was looking for. Lo and behold I stumbled onto your site and found the article on self-discipline. I printed out several articles from your site and started to put the principles into practice, set some goals, and have been working on them.
I can honestly say that in just 2 short weeks my self-esteem has improved quite a bit, as has my self-discipline. I am accomplishing goals I never thought I would have the discipline to do. I credit you for part of that as you have provided a great resource here, as well as some fantastic self-hypnosis CD’s I’ve been listening to. I know it will only get better as I continue to grow.
Props to you Steve! Keep up the great work!
September 5th, 2005 at 12:22 am
Outstanding!!
I’m looking forward for the next podcast!
September 5th, 2005 at 12:45 am
By the way, my brother thinks you should state that the self-development process should be fun, as it doesn’t have any achievable concrete goal anyway.
September 5th, 2005 at 7:34 am
Steve,
I second all the thoughts about the delivery, the sound quality and professionalism. This was very well done. I’m a subscriber.
And I think beginning this way, discussing your history, and how you began thinking about personal development was a great way to start. I think the appeal of Podcasting is the relationship we feel to the speaker, and putting us all inside your personal history makes this very accessible and meaningful for us.
Thanks a lot.
September 5th, 2005 at 8:21 am
@Lisa: That’s a very encouraging story; I too have been struggling with self-esteem and confidence. Would you mind sharing some of the other resources that have helped you? (websites, audio tapes, etc) If you haven’t come across it yet, this site has some fun games designed to boost self-esteem: http://www.selfesteemgames.mcgill.ca/ Good luck on your journey!
@Steve: I enjoyed listening to this podcast. One of the things I really like about Pohaku’s podcasts is that his speaking style seems very natural, and more “off the cusp” but still very professional; this first podcast was also very professional but sounded a bit more practiced. I have to say, though, that I’m totally stoked by the thought of having a number of your podcasts that I can burn to a CD and listen to when I’m driving to and from work.
September 5th, 2005 at 10:14 am
Steve,
thank you for the nice intro!
I’m your reader since the last November. Your articles and their messages are outstanding. It’s great to have an opportunity to hear it.
Looking forward for the next podcasts!
Warm greetings from Russia
September 5th, 2005 at 2:03 pm
Thanks, Steve!
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, so the subject-matter was not new to me. It was nice to hear your voice, though! I think you did very well.
I especially liked that you don’t sound like the settled professional speaker. I mean e.g., I could hear you making pauses for the effect of making it. It worked! It showed that you took extra care of preparing this podcast. Thanks for that.
I’m looking forward for the next podcasts. Thanks again.
– Dirk from Germany
September 5th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
A very nice podcast indeed. Looking forward to the next ones.
September 5th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
Thanks Steve. I’ve been enjoying your blog for a couple months now. The podcast was a good mental/emotional uplift this evening as I sorted through my business’s tangled receipts.
September 5th, 2005 at 8:26 pm
Just to let you know that, being a more “emotionally challenged”
, the podcast touches me much more directly than the
person
articles. The blog entries are great (still catching up), but for me
they work more at an intellectual level; the podcast is a very nice
complement .
September 5th, 2005 at 9:48 pm
Nice work Steve. A great start to what should be a very fruitful series. No fluff and you got the message across clearly. Thanks again.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:13 am
@Randy, thanks for the link to the self-esteem games
I’ve been using HPP (HypnoPeripheral Processing) CDs for self hypnosis. I have noticed quite a difference since listening to the CDs every day, as well as following through on my goals. I think each is supportive of the other and seems to amplify the effect.
You can find these CDs on several websites, but the one I’ve been buying from is the cheapest, and they are very quick to deliver (in the US). I would recommend getting the one titled Personal Ecology. It’s a complete self esteem program on 2 CDs. You can get them here: http://www.elixa.com/mental/tapes.htm
I thought it was so good that I purchased a couple of other titles from them as well. Good luck to you too Randy!
September 6th, 2005 at 3:34 am
That was a wonderful podcast, Steve. You have been helping me tremendously over the past few months in improving my life in a lot of ways. In fact, my effort at self-development led me to start writing my own blog, mainly as a record of my efforts. (Do check out http://www.bigindianzara.blogspot.com )…(It’s been quite some time since I’ve updated it though, mainly due to a very tight schedule, exams, etc.)
I’m looking forward to more of ur podcasts…They’re definitely elevating & inspiring. I do have one suggestion; Maybe you could add a bit more of energy into the podcasts. Thanks a million again ! n Keep up the good work !
Zara Hayek, India
September 6th, 2005 at 4:03 pm
There were a couple of moments that had me laughing at loud and that was nice. It’s nice to finally hear the voice behind the words. I agree with some of the other comments–your voice was unexpected. I had expected more energy, but then again, it was very soothing and suits your message that things will take time–rather than a wham, bam, instant change!
Being in Japan, it’s been hard to find ways to “improve myself”–these self-help/self-improvement resources (not to mention counseling!) are hard to find! I stumbled across your site a few weeks ago when looking up self-discipline. In fact, I was at work when I did that. There were things that I read that resonated so deeply, I’ve come back time and time again, and couldn’t wait to hear the podcast.
I’ve been thinking for awhile that although I may be somewhat “intelligent”, my emotional intelligence leaves much to be desired. I get in my own way all the time and I’ve become sick and tired of it. I know that I need to find tools to help me out of this dangerous road to mediocrity. When I read the line in your “Meaning of Life” series–I felt nauseous. For wasn’t I that rebellious teenager that swore my life would be anything but?
You are already making a difference and all through your own quest for personal development. Thank you!
September 6th, 2005 at 11:19 pm
Great podcast! Good reminder, like Brian Tracy once said, there should be a “Statue of REsponsibility” alongside the Statue of Liberty. I’ve heard it said that, learning that no one else is going to satisfy our needs (or in this case, “come rescue us”) once we are not children any longer, is called “growing up.”
And some of us, at least me anyway, took way longer to figure that out than others. Getting it at 19 years old, Steve, means you got it about 31 years before I did!
Like the others, I look forward to the next edition. Also, liked the references at the bottom, as I am relatively new and now can go back and review the core of your program so far.
As always, “Thanks, Coach!” Anton
September 7th, 2005 at 4:19 am
Steve,
That was a very enjoyable listen, and a very inspiring story. Also, speaking as a brit, you have a very pleasant speaking voice.
Can’t wait until the next one.
Mark
September 7th, 2005 at 9:25 pm
At first I did not like how you were referring to yourself in the third person. Then, I realized you were not really referring to yourself, but to the person who helped you become who you are today. Also, I think your voice is more effective than your writings. I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast. I look forward to more.
September 8th, 2005 at 4:51 am
Great start! Great content!
Technically, I can hear you popping your P’s. I do narration work and sometimes have the same problem. Suggestion: Get what’s called a “pop screen” or “popper stopper”, which you can pick up for 20 bucks or so at your local musical instrument store. Or make your own with a piece of nylons stretched over a 6 inch sewing hoop. Or the super-simple version, which is a tissue stretched over a wire coat hanger. It is usually placed mid-way between your mouth and the mic, which should be about 6-12 inches apart.
Personally, I like your vocal delivery style and the fact that you don’t have background music or one of those cheesy movie trailer voices saying “You are about to enter the world of Personal Development”. You sound like a normal guy who just found some things that work and wants to share them. Good for you and thanks!
September 8th, 2005 at 6:37 am
@Japanned: I was originally going to buy a pop filter, but I decided to try it with just the foam screen on the mic to see if that would be enough. I agree that I could use a pop filter and plan to add one soon. I already know what they are since my brother is a musician — in Tottori, Japan actually.
September 9th, 2005 at 1:38 am
Wow!
You have got a nice friendly voice!
Manish