StevePavlina.com Podcast #003 - Consulting Your Intuition
September 23rd, 2005 by Steve Pavlina
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StevePavlina.com Personal Development for Smart People podcast #3
This podcast will teach you two different methods for accessing your intuition and communicating with your subconscious mind. You’ll also learn how you can apply these skills to help you achieve your goals and overcome resistance.
Pavlina-003-Consulting-Your-Intuition.mp3
(Time = 21:23, Size = 9.8MB)
I’ve been experimenting with different methods of creating these podcasts in terms of content and delivery styles. The first two podcasts were more scripted because they were based on speeches and other written content. This third podcast was recorded extemporaneously from a short list of ideas I wanted to cover. So this podcast may sound less polished, but it also took me much less time to produce.
On one hand I want to avoid the radio DJ style of podcasting that’s big on personality (and duration) and short on actionable content. But on the other hand, I don’t want to turn each podcast into a polished audio program such that it takes me too much time to produce each one.
One thing I’m working on is my pacing, especially after receiving feedback from non-native English speakers. My normal speaking rate is 180 words per minute. Podcast #1 averaged 145 wpm, and podcast #2 averaged 175 wpm. I received feedback that #1 was a little slow, and #2 was too fast (especially in the first few minutes where I was probably doing over 200 wpm). So I tried to aim for somewhere in the middle with this podcast.
Keep the feedback coming — both on content and delivery. Hopefully after 10 or 20 of these, I’ll get the right balance between content, organization, delivery style, pacing, and the time it takes to create these programs. The ultimate measure is of course how effective you find these podcasts to be for you.
I’d especially love to see feedback from those of you who try one of the two methods in this podcast. Which one did you use? What kinds of answers did you get, and how did you interpret them? Did you find the answers valuable?
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:48 pm
Steve, this is the first time I’m listening to the podcast, and I like it very much.
The podcast feels like you are really trying to explain something in front of people. This is great. Most audiobooks sound very artificial compared to your podcast.
I also like the fast pace of your explanations, it keeps me interested.
Please keep up the good work!
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:54 pm
I found this latest podcast well paced. I honestly couldn’t tell that large a difference between your first two and the latest cast in terms of quality, so I would continue with this lower level of production. If anything I actually enjoyed a more conversational tone. As Dan says, “like you are really trying to explain something in front of people.” The others may have been so well planned and polished that they might have lost some of the enthusiasm that comes with fresh material.
One suggestion I think may be of benefit. Instead of writing out your podcast verbatim, which would probably be a large hassel for you timewise, would you consider leaving an outline of the main points, like a set of accompying notes? This podcast for example had two methods, broken down into steps. I got out a pad of paper and took down these steps, but I had to pause and rewind to catch them all. It wasn’t any sort of a hassel, but it may be of use to someone who is too lazy to rewind or take notes and needs complicated information. Just an idea.
September 23rd, 2005 at 10:03 pm
I definately like these podcasts, but I want to point out something that jumped out at me: if you call it personal development for smart people, it’s strange to here a definition of what the unconscious mind is. Presumably smart people would already have a rough idea what it is. It’d be okay if the definition was something new and insightful, but if it’s just the same definition you hear everywhere else it could probably have been left as understood. I realize this one was extemporaneous, but still!
September 24th, 2005 at 2:36 am
I haven’t had a chance to listen to all the podcasts yet, though I had a quick listen of the first one. I felt the recording was very quiet, and I had to turn the volume all the way up to hear it comfortably. (In fact, I think I had to apply some extra effects as well.)
Can I suggest you try out audio “compressor/limiter” effects? I can highly recommend the DirectX audio plugins from PSP Audioware (http://www.psp-audioware.com). The VintageWarmer and the MasterComp are the plugins you want to look at - VintageWarmer is the easier one to use. While they might seem expensive, the quality is excellent and will help control the volume fluctuations in the program. Just don’t get carried away and overcompress it! Your audio editor might have similar effects already too.
September 25th, 2005 at 6:03 am
I have immediately tried this out, because I have this problem that I’m stuck with. But my first time I have to say was a failure. I tried the writing method, asked the question, and once I answered it like I always do with my conscious mind, I got stuck with no other ideas, voices, images, nothing. I hope I’ll get better with practice, because this seems like a good idea of solving problems.
And one thing I’m not sure of. Since I failed, should I ask the same questions day after day until I get the answer, or try to mix it with other questions, or try to ask it in a different way or something.
thanks for this
September 25th, 2005 at 6:41 am
@SuzyQ: As I mentioned in the podcast, it normally takes me a good 15-20 minutes to enter the right state of mind for this to work. It takes that long for me to stop trying to answer the questions with my conscious mind and to relax and let go so I can begin listening to my subconscious. The subconscious voice is much quieter and more subtle than normal conscious chatter, so I have to get my conscious mind to quiet itself first. It rarely works when I just ask a single question — I have to ask a series of questions, like conducting an interview. If I think the answers aren’t clear, I try a different angle until I get a good connection going. But once I’m in the right state and that connection is strong, I may ask 20 or 30 questions and get great answers to all of them.
So my recommendation is to think of this like an interview, not just asking a single question. If you’re interviewing someone and they give you a bad answer (or no answer at all) to a question, you wouldn’t repeat the same question in the same way. You’d try a different angle, or you’d switch to a different line of questions and come back to the original question later.
So you first have to establish rapport and get a good dialog going. Once the rapport is strong, you can ask anything you want.
September 25th, 2005 at 8:12 am
I’ve probably listened to your first two podcasts a dozen each. I don’t know if I am unique in this respect. I did find this one less rehearsed, but I enjoyed the feel of the first two podcasts more. It felt harder for me to really focus on the ideas the way it was presented. I also enjoy the Steve life stories, that might be more difficult to deliver in an impromptu setting.
Since I listen to these often, while driving or doing housework, I do enjoy the more polished versions of the podcasts. In fact, I find them more useful to me than the articles, because I don’t have to dedicate time in front of a computer to gain access to this information. I’d love if some of your sites articles were read (though I suppose I could do this myself
) and this would probably be a service I’d be willing to pay for.
September 25th, 2005 at 11:12 am
Thank you so much for answering me so fast. I tried it now, for a half an hour, asking tones of questions, about the same issue but from every possible angle I could think of, and I wrote really a lot. I think there was my subconscious mind speaking at some point. I feel a lot better now, a little exhausted but peaceful. I have noticed that I write the most when I’m not thinking about it , as soon as I concentrate and start thinking, there is a blockage. This is absolutely a great way to get to the inner corners of your mind.
Now I got to try your wife’s method as well. Thanks again, so very much.
September 25th, 2005 at 11:35 am
@SuzyQ: You got it. It is a very peaceful process once you get past the conscious chatter. With practice you will recognize when you’re in the right state of mind and getting clear communication.
September 27th, 2005 at 5:21 am
Seems like a summary of Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
September 28th, 2005 at 9:07 am
Hi Steve,
I’m making a site in Russian with podcasts that are not entertaining, but useful (http://www.businessaudio.ru/). Though the site is in Russian, and my podcasts are in Russian, there is a section with reviews of podcasts in English. I’ve made a short review of your first podcast and would like to go on with that. Could you please have a look at it and tell me if it’s OK with you?
http://www.businessaudio.ru/2005/09/28/intro-to-personal-development/
Here is a sample. Please note that I explicitly denote that you are author of this podcast and give link to original.
September 29th, 2005 at 7:15 am
Steve,
Love your podcasts, just wanted to give a little feedback on this one.
I found the material you are presenting sound, but I found this Podcast lack what I believe Toastmasters call vocal variety. Second, I understand the material presented was a bit hard to present, but maby a more of a point form on the the two suggested methods might have worked better.
Just some food for thought.
But I still enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one.
Cheers
Johann