This post is about overcoming fear as a writer or solopreneur. This post won’t let you off the hook. It will hug you from behind and whisper into your ear, “Yes, you’re afraid, admit it, but also tell yourself it doesn’t make sense.”
Let me share an example. I used to fear writer’s block, even before I sat down to write. What if the inspirational angel doesn’t sprinkle her magic dust on my keyboard? I was afraid I wouldn’t even be able to get a solid sentence out of an hour’s worth of banging my hands on the keys.
That was irrational, I later realized. It was a fear borne out of anxiety I shouldn’t have given oxygen to in that moment.
I began to reframe how I saw fear. The emotion preventing me from achieving my goals was nothing more than a pop-up ad in my writing process. I had to click its ‘X’ and shut it down immediately. Otherwise, more pop-up fear would overwhelm the screen of my creativity and drag me into a pit of despair.
So when you feel fear invade your nervous system when you start that next book or write that next pitch, calm yourself and tell yourself what you’re experiencing: An irrational response to shipping your quality work an audience that may like it, may not.
The reactions shouldn’t be on your mind. Instead, all that matters is you showing up, applying your talent and effort to the project, and getting it out there, trembling teeth and sweaty palms be damned.