The Permission Slip That Overthinkers Need
I am first :)
Clarity doesn't come from forcing answers - it comes from giving yourself permission to not know yet.
When I started writing on Substack, I wrote for myself. But I started overthinking it in the recent past and my regularity has suffered.
I need(ed) to give myself permission to be clueless.
Here’s what I told myself
Pause the pressure.
Stop pretending you need to have it all figured out. You're not behind - you're just early in the process.
Write to explore, not to impress.
Some of your best work happened when you weren't chasing metrics. That's not an accident. That's your compass.
Set a direction, not a destination.
“Anyone with a fitness habit” is a good enough starting point. You can refine it as you go.
Why
Overthinking thrives in ambiguity - but so does creativity.
When you stop demanding instant clarity, your brain can play again.
Growth requires grounding.
You can't grow an audience from a place of inner tension. Start by restoring trust with yourself.
Deadlines create focus.
Give yourself permission to figure it out - but within a container. I started being regular by writing daily. Posting daily. Even if I felt it was not “great”.
When in doubt, go back to what worked.
And the smarter thing might be to keep sticking with it.
On the 2nd point you told yourself - I still go back to read some of your old posts. You have written many beautiful pieces:)
Personally, I struggled with dealing with 'being heard' but on inspection I realized it was because of my own faulty thinking. I had to uncover what truly mattered to me: authentic self expression & a small tribe that I deeply connect with. I Guess, when we figure out & honour what we truly need the obstacles vanish.