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The Think Media Podcast
458: You Don’t Need a New YouTube Strategy - You Need This Instead...
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Hey, before we get into today's episode, let me ask you a question. Do you want a step by step plan to start and grow on YouTube fast? Well, we're doing something brand new and it's called YouTube Jumpstart. It's a free three day online event, live and online. You're going to get the exact blueprint we use at Think Media to grow, get views and even earn money before hitting 1,000 subscribers. Now, no fancy equipment needed. We're also going to be sharing some of the latest AI tools and YouTube strategies that we've never taught publicly before. So don't miss it. You can go to tubejumpstart.com to register for free and save your spot. And that is tubejumpstart.com to get access to this three day free online event. All right, let's jump into today's episode. I've got to get some things off my chest because one of the things that I've noticed I've got to get some things off my chest because one of the things I've noticed in our community is people getting stuck in overthinking, in over consuming content in endless research. And really, if you find yourself in that spot, I don't blame you. Maybe you can relate to having that little voice in your head that says, what if nobody watches my content? Is this even worth it? What if I'm wasting my time? And then another week passes and another month passes and you're still planning, you're watching the competition, you're consuming YouTube content, you have little feelings of productivity, but you're not building real momentum. This video is different. This is the time where you're really going to lock in. This is the time where we're going to take the next 30 days to build serious momentum on your YouTube channel. So we're going to stop overthinking and we're going to dive into the five disciplines of the focused creator. Now, the first one's kind of controversial, but here's what it is. Number one, pick one platform and pick one format. The truth is, if you want to do social media at a world class level, one platform is a full time job. And most people listening to this don't have full time hours to even devote to their entire online business. So I've learned that if you want to stop overthinking and start building real momentum, you got to simplify down. Maybe you take a season where you just ignore TikTok, you ignore Instagram, you ignore other distractions, you ignore all the different things that you're reading or studying or doing and you really narrow in your focus. This is a YouTube podcast about how to start a successful YouTube channel or scale your existing channel. So take the next 30 days to go one platform and one format. And I get it. There's AI tools that can help you chop up your content into YouTube shorts and there's a time and place for that. There is different workflows where you can produce a lot more little things, but I've noticed this that when you focus on less uploads or less outputs and you raise the quality, that's how you break through on YouTube. You don't win by doing everything, you win by doing the right things consistently. And I've got a really cool resource that'll help you lock in. So I'll put these in the show notes, but this is actually part two of a series we're doing here on the Think Media podcast. In part one we talk about the one page YouTube plan. So there's actually a free Google Doc. Doesn't take an opt in or anything that'll be in the show notes as well as a link to episode one. Definitely watch that after today's episode because it's going to help you lock in and focus. The second tip of the disciplined and focused creator is protect your flow state. So what exactly is flow state? Well, it's the mental state of complete absorption in a task where a person loses self consciousness and often loses track of time. Think of a time when you've experienced this where you sat down to do something creative and you were in the zone. Things were flowing, ideas were flowing, your energy was high versus maybe another time where your phone was going off, you were distracted, all kinds of squirrel brain happening, all kinds of interruptions. It's two entirely different states. And so one of the ways you know you're in flow state is there's reduced inner noise, self doubt, distraction, background mental chatter is gone. That's one of the hallmarks when that stuff's gone and you're locked in. And here's what's crazy. There was actually a McKinsey study of flow state. They did it over 10 years and they discovered that people actually can have 500% more productivity if they know how to get and stay in flow state. I don't know if you heard that 500%. You could be five times more productive than you are right now on YouTube if you learn how to protect your flow state. And I really believe this. In a 2026 YouTube environment, distraction is public enemy number one. We are so distracted in today's world. We got phone notifications going off, text messages are coming your way. It's not even important. It's the fact that some E Commerce brand is doing a sale on jeans. Amazon hits you with a notification for Amazon Prime Day. That happens to be like a hundred days a year now. What does it even mean anymore? Your kids run into the room and. And I know that's a real thing, but whether that's boundaries or talking to your partner, I mean, we're getting notifications, somebody uploads a new video. Oh, I need to go watch and research that. You got like, a dating app, DM comes through. Maybe they're the one. Like, there's so many different things that are pulling you away from actually being highly productive and reaching your YouTube goals. So you gotta protect your content creation time, like it's a meeting you gotta cancel, stuff on your calendar that doesn't support your vision. And the world has changed. It is no longer about time management. That's just beginner stuff. It's about energy management because so many devices and distractions are draining our creative energy. And you're going to need creative energy in order to put out the best content you're capable of so you can crack through the YouTube algorithm. Number three is prepare for resistance. But you might be thinking, but, Sean, my life is too chaotic. I have too many different responsibilities and different things coming at me. And I just don't know if in the hectic chaos of all of it, if I'm actually going to be able to lock in. Creators and entrepreneurs are not surprised by the fact that fires start, that problems happen, that stuff hits your life. You should be prepared in advance that if you're going to really lock in on YouTube for 30 days, that then your kids are going to get sick, and then that the next day you're going to have a massive blowout fight with your partner, or that some extra holiday plans are going to be scheduled and some functions you have to attend, but maybe you don't have to attend them. Something to consider. Maybe your boss adds additional demands. You should prepare Murphy's Law, that things probably won't go as planned. That's normal. So how do you actually do this? Well, some of the things I've learned is that you have to become skilled at pivoting. Like if things don't go as planned and you can't film that day, no big deal. Pivot your calendar, reorient some things, but stay on mission. I've also learned that you got to set boundaries. Just because you're invited to do something doesn't mean that you have to do it. Just because someone wants to put a demand on you, you don't have to say yes to every demand. But I think the biggest one though is actually our emotional state. You know that when it comes to actually filming the video, that when it comes to actually pressing record, even if you're a seasoned creator, there's a resistance. There is a friction to that. You're going to have days when you don't want to film or when you don't want to do the work. And that's normal. There's actually two really good books by Steven Pressfield. One is the War of Art and one is called do the Work. And they both talk about this concept called the resistance. Here's what the resistance feels like. Fear, procrastination, distraction, perfectionism, self doubt and rationalization. Making excuses. These are all disguised as reasonable excuses to put off the work you need to do to make progress towards your goals. So discipline is doing what you said you were gonna do. Regardless of how you feel. You're prepared for resistance. You're prepared that you're not gonna feel at peak energy. And you'll probably have the first night of sleep before the day that you really wanted to go perfectly. Plans rarely go perfectly, but the disciplined creator presses record even when they don't feel like it. But the fourth discipline is huge. In fact, this will make or break your momentum on YouTube and it's create a plan and get support. Most creators aren't stuck because they don't have goals. They're stuck because they don't have systems and a simple plan, something that's written down, something that's simplified, something that's visible. Because if your plan just lives in your head, just some ideas, then the resistance will win every time. And so the action item here is take advantage of the one page YouTube plan. Again, Google Doc link in the description. Don't have to opt in or anything. Use that tool, get your goals and plan written down and then commit to it. You don't need a 45 page strategy document yet. There's a time and place for taking things to an advanced level, but you just need a simple plan that you violently execute. But the other piece of having a plan is also having support. The truth is it is very difficult to stay consistent on YouTube in isolation. And that's the biggest problem with YouTube. I mean, we're sitting in our cars and in our home offices and we're out vlogging by ourself looking awkward in public. And it feels isolating, it feels lonely. And you don't really have anyone to give you a kick in the pants to keep the momentum going on your YouTube channel. That's why elite athletes have coaches and they have teams. YouTube is no different. Having a friend, having a community, having a Think Media podcast that you can listen to every week. I hope this content is valuable. And what's fascinating is the research actually supports this. So did you know that studies show people are way more consistent when they don't try to do something alone? And we do better when we've got people around us who believe in what we're doing. And so there's two action items here. The first is build a community, get some support. If you're outgoing, you can jump online, look for groups, look for discord groups. Or maybe locally, meetup.com, find a way to even just get one person in your life that's keeping you inspired, that believes in you, that's holding you accountable. And the second action item is if you want help from Think Media, we actually have a free event coming up which is going to be incredible. It's called YouTube Jumpstart. It's three days long, but already people are in the free search circle group. They're being supported by each other. They're being supported by our coaches and our faculty at Think Media. And this is the real time to lock in. You want to get some real support and accountability. Sign up for YouTube jumpstart. I'll put a link to it in the show notes and the YouTube description. Or you can just go to tubejumpstart. Com. Over three days, we're going to be doing tactical sessions with really good information of what's working on YouTube right now to get views, how to grow your channel, how to stand out amongst the competition, how to find your uncopyable content ideas and really tap into the power of your personal brand. AI tools, a bunch of cool stuff. Plus, there's over a thousand dollars worth of tech giveaways and software. So again, it's gonna be super cool. If that interests you, we're here for you. Tubejumpstart. Com. But number five is my favorite one. And here's the thing. At the time of uploading this podcast, it's actually the end of the year now. You might be watching this sometime in the future. It's always a good time to make your next 30 days your best 30 days on YouTube. But right now, it's the final couple months of the year. But here's the thing. Too many people are waiting for the perfect conditions to start. What they don't realize is that starting is the perfect condition. What we say in our mindset is, you know what, it's been a hard year. I'm going to start January 1st. I'm going to start next quarter. I'm going to start next year. Disciplined creators don't wait for the perfect season to get serious. They simply make a decision. And so here's my invitation for you. I want to invite you to join me for what's called winter arc. Now, this is more of a broad concept for the season. Here's the definition. The winter arc is the season of intentional discipline and quiet focus. Before the new year, when most people slow down, you speed up. And so think about it. What do most people do during the winter season? As the days get shorter and the sun sets early, so do they. But you could have a mentality of, not me. This is my time to lean in. And there's three big things people do. Most people during this season over consume. Here's the shift you decide I'm going to over create. Most people during this season overspend their money. You're going to decide I'm going to over earn. This is going to be the season of plentiful profits. Number three, most people get lazy with their habits. You decide to get disciplined and lock in. And this is what's wild. The moment you decide to get disciplined and to show up daily, you instantly separate yourself from 90% of people. This is a leadership mindset. This is an entrepreneur mindset. Real entrepreneurs don't live in the present tense. They see more and they see before everyone else and they take massive action. The business owners that win are already running their January plays in October. They're already planning for February in November. December is a ramp up. Time to hit the new year with momentum. Where the majority of entrepreneurs and creators start thinking about their future plans and their strategy. Not even on January 1st. They're recovering on January 1st, around January 6th, kind of ramp up a little bit. Second week in January, getting a little bit of momentum. You know, I'm kind of thinking about getting it going. It's not until the third week of January that I'm going to lock in, you know, and what I'm not promoting here is extreme hustle culture at the sacrifice of your family. But I think you and I could both agree we would benefit from more discipline, more planning, more strategy, and better habits. When most people compromise on their values and their disciplines. So let's recap. It's about to be the best 30 days on your YouTube channel. If you decide to stop overthinking and to lock into these five disciplines. We're going to pick one platform and one format. We're going to protect our flow state, we're going to prepare for resistance and we're going to get a plan. We got the one page YouTube plan for you in the show notes and get support, lock in, get a community around you and then number five is lock in. This is the time to cast off complacency, cast off apathy and make a decision that you're really gonna lock in for the next 30 days. I've got your back. I'm here to support you. The entire Think Media team has got your back. And that's one reason why we're also doing YouTube jumpstart. If you really want some jet fuel for the next 30 days. And by the way, whenever you're watching this, check out the link. It'll probably redirect to another resource we have for you. But if you're hearing this right now, go to tubejumpstart.com register for our free three day event because it's absolutely going to help you build momentum on your channel. My name is Sean Cannell, your guide to building a profitable YouTube channel. This is the Think Media podcast and I can't wait to connect with you in a future episode.