In life, things can get messy. It could be something physical, like your room, or something more intangible, like your relationships, notes, or a sense of direction.

Maybe you’re lost. You have so many thoughts and ideas that you can’t focus on one.

Maybe you decided to write in public, to discover yourself. But who you are is more confusing by day.

That’s how I feel after a few short essays. I’m concerned that what I write won’t resonate with people, that it’s too shallow or too boring. That is paralyzing. What was fun is now dreadful.

And it hasn’t been a month yet.

But the only way forward is to keep going. Face the fear and consistently produce. I’m not writing to win a Pulitzer. I’m writing to get better at writing. To discover myself, my strengths, and my passion.

Beginnings are always messy. It’s like building a new house. First, you bring in raw materials and start building it up. It will be a mess for a long time. It won’t look like a house at the beginning. What’s important is that you hold the picture of the completed home in your head, show up every day, build it up bit by bit.

Sometimes, people will show up and help you build it too. Sharing tips and recommendations. This is why “building in public” is so powerful.

Be in the long game.

If it looks messy now, that’s normal. Don’t lose sight of your goal, and trust yourself to keep going.