About this episode
In America in the 1970s, they would test the Emergency Broadcast System on TV, with a long “BEEEEEEEEEEP”. At the end, an announcer would say, “This is a test. This is only a test.”
That phrase is burned into my brain. “This is a test. This is only a test.” It’s very useful to remember when pursuing your career.
Everything usually feels so serious — like if you make one mistake, it’ll all end in disaster. But really everything you do is just a test: an experiment to see what happens.
My favorite times in life started with a “see what happens” approach.
Let’s see what happens if I run my vocals through my guitar pedals.
Let’s see what happens if I invite that famous producer out to lunch.
Let’s see what happens if I call that radio station to ask their advice.
It’s actually impossible to fail if your only mission was to see what happens!
“This is a test. This is only a test.” There is no downside. Try everything!
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