Why I Nearly Didn't Hit Publish Today
(And What That Teaches Us About Doubt)
This morning, I almost didn’t write this.
Not because I didn’t have the time. I always make time. But because I started second-guessing everything.
I fired up my Mac Mini with good intentions. Then I got lost tweaking my Substack tagline. Redesigning product ideas. Rethinking my entire brand positioning.
Before I knew it, I’d convinced myself something wasn’t working.
That my message wasn’t landing. That I wasn’t growing fast enough. That maybe I should blow it all up and start again.
This is the trap.
After 25 years of writing professionally—publishing millions of words across client work, my own content sites, e-commerce projects, and now here on Substack—you’d think I’d know better.
But even with all that behind me, self-doubt still shows up like an unwelcome guest. It whispers: “Change it all. You’re not getting traction. Burn it down and rebuild.”
And I nearly listened.
But here’s what stopped me:
Over two decades, I’ve learned a hard truth. Never pivot without feedback.
You don’t make sweeping changes to your message, offer, or system unless the market tells you to.
Not your mood. Not your insecurities. Not the voice in your head that loves to sabotage momentum.
Because here’s the thing…
I have built an audience before. I have driven results selling products and services. I have published consistently—on blogs, social media, Medium, X, you name it.
That didn’t come from jumping ship every time it got quiet. It came from writing anyway. Especially on the hard days.
So that’s what I did today. I closed all the tabs. I opened a blank doc. And I wrote this.
Because weekday writing isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence.
It’s about showing up in spite of the voice that says you’re not ready.
It’s about building brick by brick until the momentum is undeniable.
It’s about proving to yourself, again and again, that you’re serious.
If you’re second-guessing your path right now—pause. Not forever. Just long enough to ask: Do I have real data, or just doubt?
If it’s doubt, do what I did. Write anyway. Publish anyway. Because self-doubt is the demon—and writing is the sword.
Let’s swing it daily.
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