Some people put off making video indefinitely because it is something visual and they’re more of a writer. I understand that. It’s like saying I don’t do live events or keynotes on stage because I’m an introvert. They may also make similar excuses for not starting a podcast.

This is because you want to make the visual or direct speaking to people on video or on stage the same as your writing. You can’t.

And as soon as you get that realization, you will not want your speaking to be a substitute for your writing.

You see, when we write, we modify what we say as we speak. We don’t get that chance anywhere else. Even if you edit every sentence in your video, you still have to say the entire sentence again correctly this time without any mistakes. That’s frustrating. And it makes you feel you’re pressured and tend to not speak as freely as you would if you were instead writing what you’re saying.

This means you shouldn’t try to get the same results from video or live events that you can get from writing.

It doesn’t mean that you’d intentionally make your videos worse, but you’d always understand that even the best of your videos can never be like the average quality of your writing.

I get so mad when Gary Vaynerchuck says that he doesn’t read or write. And he’s inspiring like the entire young generation of entrepreneurs, content creators, coaches, and influencers. So you won’t cover how important that is from someone like him.

Imagine yourself talking casually to a friend trying to explain your ideas to them. That is how your videos or even podcast should look like. Casual. A take it easy form of communicating information. Whenever you have something that is too heavy to be said in voice, then that should be reserved for the written realm of your content.

Do not leave a form or medium of communication untouched, just because it is not your main. Communicate heavily through written, audio, video, and even live events, as much as possible. This is how we rest.

For further clarification on this one check out the difference between the level of how I talk on social media, versus on my blog. I don’t try to make either one like the other. They are both different levels of complexity. On social media I’d tell you for example: Stay positive. And then leave. On the blog I would go for a deep dive on why you shouldn’t stay positive because that means you’re suppressing the deep unconscious thoughts that are not so positive because they are due to the fact that you’ve figured out things that are missing, that the absence of which is causing you to feel miserable on the inside. Fixing them is the better way to go instead of remaining happy anyway until you suddenly can’t take it anymore and crash. That’s why meditation might make you initially depressed.

So the point is don’t try to speak like you write. Video is not an alternative to writing. It’s a lesser form of expressing yourself. So don’t let perfectionism attack you from this front.

Perfectionism will make you procrastinate until you feel you can speak just as you write. If you do, I assure you, this means that your writing just sucks.

You know that I stutter when I speak too much because I’m used to editing every word as I write when I speak too? It doesn’t mean that I need to practice more speaking. It just means I shouldn’t aspire to make my spoken sentences vocally as eloquent as my written sentences.

Add to this the fear of speaking to the whole world while they’re staring at you and monitoring your every move on camera and that they may potentially judge you heavily and you will find it so hard not to tremble while your voice is shaking heavily.

You’ll find sometimes that words are failing to come out of your mouth.

You speak fluently with friends in real life, but this is a whole different story. I’m just psychologically preparing you for what’s to come so that you don’t panic or freak out and then quit.

Having a positive mindset, mental attitude, or perspective toward the outside world does not necessarily lead to success, happiness, or well-being, or increase your chances of succeeding at anything or making your life better in any way, shape, or form. It just leads to what it is: positivity. Which is good, but doesn’t solve anything, or make anything better. It just makes itself exist or be present, without adding anything else to your life aside from its own existence.

Yes, I get a lot of criticism whenever I mention that mindset adjustment and perspective manipulation don’t make a difference, simply because you can’t control your mind in dark circumstances. Instead your mind starts to attack you because it cannot find anyone else to attack in this case. This keeps spiraling into self-loathing and eventual depression. The only thing that makes a difference is the results. Making a difference in the real world. Making your external reality better. Fixing your environment. Solving your problems. Changing your circumstances to what works better for you. Even reading is a change in the external real world. People talk about mindset as if listening to positive, motivational, or uplifting podcasts or YouTube videos is a mindset change. No it’s an external reality change. Positivity is coming from the outside world into your mind. It’s a new habit. A distinct activity that puts you in a better mood. So this is not a mindset or perspective shift. It’s enjoying content that pumps you up and makes you more enthusiastic, energetic, and ambitious. I’m amazed at people who tell you it’s all a game of mindset when they have everything. When everything is infinitely perfect in their lives. So convincing. But when they were poor, they worked like eighteen hours a day for years just to get to where they are today. If it wasn’t that bad, and a positive mindset might make you in heaven even if you are going through the worst of circumstances, why bother torturing yourself for years just to lift yourself out of the poor class? Why bother succeeding financially if happiness was the ultimate success, and you can be happy just by fixing your mindset and perspective toward everything negative or hurtful in life? Why push yourself? Why not just chill and take it easy all the time? That is of course without mentioning the fact that money is not the only external thing that is not okay in your life. This doesn’t mean you should be pessimistic to win more in life. It just means that being positive or negative is irrelevant. It changes nothing. Except of course if you’re a fan of delusional thinking.

Listening to music that makes you be in a good mood is not a mindset shift or a change of your perspective on things or perception of reality. It’s an external event that falls under the category of being in a better environment.

Exercising that makes you feel good because of the endorphins isn’t mindset. It’s a change in the nature of what you practically do in the real world that becomes reflected upon how you feel. It’s not positivity. It’s taking action that leads to positivity. So which has led to which first?