Platform University exists because we believe it is possible to build your own platform and earn a living online. We’ve seen it happen time and time again! But this doesn’t mean building a platform is easy. For every up, you may experience two downs.
How do you remain focused on your platforms when setbacks threaten to shut you down?
The Curse of the Bambino
At the start of the 20th Century, baseball was at the center of America’s fascination with sports. The Boston Red Sox were at the center of baseball. The team won five World Series titles between 1903 and 1918, establishing the club as a true powerhouse with their star player, Babe Ruth, at the helm.
Then came 1919 when the club sold Ruth to the New York Yankees. Suddenly, one of the most successful franchises in the sport set a new record for one of the longest championship dry streaks in the history of the sport. “The Curse of the Bambino,” as it would come to be known, defined the team’s struggles for much of the 20th century.
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Want to give Platform University (your one-stop shop for building an online audience) a spin? Get your first week of Platform University for just $1. Cancel anytime. Try Platform University for Just $1Finally, in 2004, the curse was broken, and the Red Sox again won the World Series, the first of four championships in the 21st century. Were the Red Sox just unlucky? Or did rumors of a curse get in their head?
The Truth About Ups and Downs
Something similar can happen to us as we build our platforms. We will enjoy successes and wins, only to be struck down by a failure, and left wondering why we even bother. Michael Hyatt describes the process like this:
In the early days, when I was just starting to build my online platform, my emotions pretty much tracked with my results. If I had a big hit, I was excited and motivated. If I struck out, I wanted to throw in the towel and quit.
You will have ups and downs, but we have found these truths to weather every step along the journey. Take these three truths to heart as you take inventory of your failures:
- A post or episode does not make your platform. One post will not make you or break you. Sure, you’ll enjoy the traffic, attention, and engagement when something really works. But true growth happens when you learn not to get too discouraged when something doesn’t.
- Amateurs quit, but pros keep swinging. Professionals aren’t smarter than you. They probably don’t have secrets you don’t have—or can’t get. Instead, they are just persistent. When they whiff, they adjust their grip, straighten their shoulders, and take another swing. Because they stay at it, they eventually see results.
- You have a better chance of winning if you stay in the game. So many people walk off the field before the clock runs out. They haven’t lost; they are just behind. But, the future is wide open. Anything is possible. The key is to keep stepping up to the plate. When we do this, good things happen—not always immediately, but eventually.
And the great thing about being a blogger, a podcaster, or any other kind of creative, is that nothing is wasted. Every setback becomes the raw material you need to create better, more nuanced art.
So next time you create something of value and don’t get the response you want, remember, even the pros only hit the ball 30 percent of the time they step up to bat. That’s just part of the game. Whether you win or lose, there’s always something to learn.
