Your fear of posting is holding you back. Let's fix it.

I only started trying to take "posting" online seriously 4 months ago.

And when I say seriously, I mean challenging myself to make at least 5 short form videos a week – don’t ask about the writing. I haven’t started the writing ok.

And it’s been… a myriad of different things. Exhilarating, exhausting, inspiring, uninspiring, the list goes on.

But the one thing it hasn’t been, is scary.

And that is the one reason it’s taken me this long to start. All of these years I thought of how daunting it would be. To post myself, heart bleeding in my hands, shaking, petrified of how others might perceive me.

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But it's honestly… not that deep.

I used to be that person, with a folder full of content. Beautifully crafted captions, notes app brimming with ideas. A Pinterest board full of aesthetics and inspiration, categorised.

All collecting metaphorical dust while you quiver at the thought of being seen and spiral into a vortex of overthinking.

If you’re a shy creator, and overthinker, paralysed by perfectionism or a member of the “fear of posting” club, you’re not alone, and this is for you.

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Plenty of would-be, SHOULD-BE superstars are stuck in that exact same cycle of: I’ll post tomorrow. Only, tomorrow never comes.

So I’m going to hold your hand while I say this: it’s time to rip the Band-Aid off, baby.

The internet isn’t waiting for your perfect post. It’s waiting for you, and all of your imperfect, messy glory.

So here’s how to stop thinking, start posting, and finally get out of your own damn way.

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1. Lower your standards (seriously)

The content sitting in your drafts folder isn't better than the content you could be posting right now. It's just older. That's it. Your perfectly crafted caption is rotting while someone else with half your talent is posting their rough draft and getting engagement.

This is the one and only time we’re going to lower our standards… but we have to, just enough to actually hit publish. Your first hundred posts don't need to be good - they need to simply exist.

You're not going to figure out what works until you have data, and you can't get data without what? Without posting.

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2. Nobody’s watching (as closely as you think)

Here's the thing that genuinely changed my perspective: most people are too busy worrying about their own content to scrutinise yours. You think everyone's going to judge that video where your lighting was off? Babe, they scrolled past it in 2 seconds to worry about their own stuff.

The fear of perception is way scarier than the actual perception. And people who do judge harshly aren't your audience anyway. They're just noise.

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3. Your taste will catch up

Right now, your taste is better than your output. And, trust me, I know that gap feels un-f*cking-bearable. You know what good content looks like, and yours isn't there yet. And it makes you want to scream (speaking from my CURRENT experience).

But the only way to close that gap is by making things. A lot of things. Bad things that teach you how to make better things. And remember: everyone you admire online went through this exact phase.

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4. Start messy – or don’t start at all

The internet genuinely doesn't need another perfectly polished piece of content. It needs your perspective, your voice, your specific way of seeing things. And you can't share any of that if you're paralysed by the idea of doing it wrong.

Post the thing that scares you. Post the rough draft. Post the video where you stumbled over your words. Post before you're ready because you'll never feel ready and that's completely fine.

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The way I like to think about it is this: if the only thing stopping you from posting is fear of what other people might say, let them.

Are they going to say it to your face? Probably not. Are you ever going to know every single little thing that being said about you? Probably not. So it doesn’t actually affect your life in any way. Let them talk.

Set yourself free from the boundaries your mind is creating – not anyone else.

The Band-Aid is already half off, baby. Just rip it the rest of the way and see what happens.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

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