You would, of course, be wrong.
Hitting “publish” still makes me nervous.
This post originally appeared onZen Habits.
Writing in public is like speaking in public, if you’re doing it right.
You’re baring your soul for all to judge, and there are few things as scary as that.
I’ve had several people write to me recently asking me about their fears about writing their blog.
One person said they deleted their blog because they thought what they’d written was too lame.
It’s scary as hell.
And yet I manage to do it nearly daily.
Write for One Person
You may haveheard this advice before from more than one author.
Who are you addressing?
What tone do you use?
What do they care about?
This has the added benefit of not being as scaryyou’re just talking to one person.
It wasn’t too scary to write for them.
I’m telling you now: there’s no such thing as perfect.
Not everyone will think your writing is the greatest.
And that’s okay.
Be Motivated by Learning
Why should you even attempt to write when it’s so scary?
Because if you don’t do the things that you’re afraid of, you never learn anything.
If you want safe, you give up on learning.
Be Motivated by Helping
I write because people have said it’s helpful.
It changes you, and the reader.
You get feedback from the reader and learn from them.
You get accountability and you have to reflect on what you’re learning.
You become greater from the attempt to overcome the fear.
How to Put Your Writing in Public| Zen Habits
Leo Babauta is the creator and writer of Zen Habits.
Read more about him:My Story.
Image byMicha Klootwijk(Shutterstock).
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