Issue 82 | The Ugly Truth About Getting Better

Welcome, to issue 82 of You Are The Media | Extra. Here for you on LinkedIn.

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It’s ok to be a beginner.

If you want to be good at something, you have to be willing to have a place where you’re raw and not the best.

This is not about failure, it’s about recognising that becoming competent takes time. It’s filled with many twists and turns and moments of uncertainty.

The beauty of starting as a novice lies in the small improvements you make over time. These tweaks, however subtle, help you look back and see how far you’ve come, not just in terms of skill but in terms of discipline, growth, and perseverance.

We often want to look great at something but refuse to acknowledge that when we start we’re not going to be not as proficient or clear.

When we strive to be perfect at the outset, we deny ourselves the joy of figuring things out along the way. That’s where growth happens, in the trial, the error, and the small victories.

There is a part in us all that we have that unnecessary urge to be best in the minimum possible time.

We want to accelerate the whole process without recognising the learning it takes to get to a more defined place in the future.

We Can Get To The End Point Quicker Today??

Rory Sutherland shared this video, that highlights our increasing dependence on Ai to help us get to the end point quicker. We can now create work better than ourselves.?

Rory highlights that the value lies in the process and the effort you have to go through. To get to the end point is more valuable than the end point itself. It’s about discovery, your own self belief (read more here) and developing your thought process, reasoning and ideas. Ai can help us skip that part.

Rory continues that with Ai we can congratulate ourselves for the fantastic work we have done. Ai written essays will be much better than human essays but they are completely worthless as you’ve bypassed the time-consuming process which is what the whole intention was, figuring it all out for yourself, doing the work and delivering to a deadline.?

Learning and skill development are processes, not instant gratification.?

The learners’ mindset comes with patience but with Ai we can be the league champion with a weekend’s worth of effort, not a continued pursuit. We can now become experts from our very first attempt by outsourcing our brain.

From Not The Best To Getting Better?

When I started YATM in 2013, I had no idea what it would become. Like most of us, I wanted to create something impactful, something that would resonate with people and help them grow.?

But to be honest, I had to wrestle with being a novice at it before I could get anywhere close to being good. This journey—much like life and business—wasn’t linear. It was full of missteps, wrong turns, and moments of uncertainty. In 2022, I was at a crossroads on whether to stop or continue.

We all have to start somewhere – and that will usually be a “beginner”, compared to where we want to be.?

That’s fine we only get better over time by having the opportunity to come back to the table.

You have to have the opportunity to practice. If everything isn’t riding on your next piece of work and if you have a willingness to continue, time starts to become your friend.?

Let me explain in some of the media platforms I use from where I was to where I am today.?

1) Events:?

Novice – I started with my own agenda and see who would turn up, without knowing who would turn up.

Getting better at it – I learned that when people show up, we can co-create. The shared input from attendees made each event stronger.

2) Newsletter:

Novice – My early newsletters took over a day to write and structure.

Getting better at it – By establishing a weekly routine, I became more efficient. Knowing when to focus and be creative saved me time and improved my output.

3) Writing:

Novice – I mimiced what everyone else was saying, without offering a unique perspective.

Getting better at it – Over time, I found my voice and started writing for my audience. I gained confidence in sharing my beliefs, which made my writing stronger.

4) Videos:

Novice – I always looked at a prompt (or screen) and without them, the video was littered with long sentences and ummmms.

Getting better at it - With practice and understanding the subject matter to deliver with belief and conviction??

When I started writing the YATM newsletter, I never thought I was laying the foundation for the community it became.?

In the early days of YATM, it felt like shouting into a void, no one was there. There were moments when my voice felt lost, so I copied what other people were like, the response was underwhelming. But if there’s one thing that 11 years of building YATM has taught me, it’s that the path to proficiency begins with being willing to be raw at something.?

That’s not a comfortable space to occupy. We like to present polished versions of ourselves.

We’re afraid to reveal the unrefined drafts of our work or stepping forward when you know there will be flaws in our ideas. But that’s the very space where growth happens. Without the courage to be a novice, you never get to become proficient.?

What I’ve learned from YATM is that without having a place to continually come back to, you never get better over time. It’s built on countless attempts, most of which won’t hit the mark right away. But with each attempt, you get a little bit closer.

With YATM, we’ve created a space where people aren’t afraid to try new things, even if they don’t get it right the first time. They know that the path is paved with messy experiments.

That’s why YATM has become a respected place—not because we’re perfect, but because we’re all learning, growing, and supporting each other along the way.

What You Can Do

If you have an idea you want to pursue, jump in now. Here’s what you need to take on board to deliver when you live in the moment and accept that it’s ok to have a start, or just a willingness to get better, over time.??

Spec out what you need to make a start.?

Identify who you’re creating for and choose the medium that feels right for you. Don’t try to be everywhere at once,focus on movement, even if it’s slow.

Be vocal about what you stand for.??

Share your beliefs openly, even if you’re still refining them. You don’t need to have all the answers to start. Curiosity and openness fuel growth.

Embrace the ‘good enough’ and roll with it.?

Accept the imperfections and recognise that it’s your message that matters. Perfection is a trap. Let go of the need to be flawless and focus on getting your message out.

Create and distribute.?

You also have to know when your work is ready and good to go. If you’re willing to stick it out, to show up even when you’re not sure you’re ready, that’s where real progress is made.?

Promotion is important.

Sharing your work is as important as creating it in the first place, and essential if you’re looking to build an audience. Distribute, promote and get others on board to shout about it.??

Repeat.??

Once you’ve said what you needed to say, let it go and move on to the next topic. Build momentum by constantly returning to the table and refining your craft. Get people coming to you, because the space you are building is a great place to be.?

Let’s Round-Up??

We can cut corners, or sound like everyone else, the best place is to start even if you’re not perfect. It’s important to accept the uncomfortable feeling of being a beginner and know that the person who is now 50 episodes into their podcast or newsletter in it’s second year, was once a beginner too.?

The slow, sometimes haphazard progress shapes your skills and how you see things. Being ready to start small, make mistakes, and keep trying is what lets you create something important in the end. Whether you’re writing your first article, or hosting an event, what matters most is being there and to keep going.?

Be brave enough to be a beginner, and remember that every small step forward is progress. True expertise comes from experimenting, being patient and knowing that you have work to continually look back on and see how far you’ve progressed.

The pic above, is from our February YATM Lunch Club, in Poole.

You should join in with us.

1)?Join in for the?Friday AM swims (7.15am).?If you live near to YATM HQ in Poole, DM and will add you to the WhatsApp Group.

2) YATM Lunch Club London is 3rd April (Personal Branding), book here

3) YATM Lunch Club Poole is 10th April (Reinvention), book here

4) YATM Creator Day is Thursday 15th May '25, come to the seaside and book here

5) The space where people come together around other talented peers is YATM Club, check it out and join us here (on Circle). Imagine having your own team who are there to cheer you on. It's a turn up and work on this together approach.

Book time with me this week and I'll show you how the Club looks and works.

I send the weekly YATM email newsletter every Thursday. There is so much more in the email newsletter. It's a collective effort. Join us.

Leave your email here. I'll see you on the paper round this Thursday ....Mark