The fear of writing in public
Writing online comes with built-in vulnerability. You want people to read and love what you write—but once it’s out there, it’s open to scrutiny. A typo, a shaky idea, or a misunderstood point can lead to uncomfortable self-doubt.
I know the feeling well. I’ve spent years trying to build my voice as a digital writer, and fear of failure has been a constant companion.
But over time, I’ve learned to shift how I see failure—not as something to avoid, but as something to learn from.
And that shift didn’t start with writing. It started with coaching.
Coaching taught me how to reframe failure.
While earning my coaching certificate, I was introduced to the concept of reframing—seeing failure not as a sign of weakness but as a stepping stone to growth.
At first, I applied this mindset to daily work struggles: missed deadlines, challenging clients, and tough conversations.
Later, I realised the same technique helped me navigate the emotional rollercoaster of digital writing.
Now, I use reframing to stay grounded and focused while building my voice on LinkedIn and beyond.
Here are the seven mindset shifts that help me the most.
- Expect and anticipate failure—it’s part of the process
In anything worth doing—writing, leading, creating—failure isn’t a surprise. It’s a certainty.
The sooner we accept this, the more resilient we become.
When you expect failure as part of the learning curve, it doesn’t knock you off course. It becomes something you can learn from, instead of something to fear.
This is the essence of a growth mindset: believing that your skills, voice, and outcomes will improve with effort, reflection, and persistence.
- Treat failure as feedback, not a final judgment
Every piece of writing is a data point. A missed opportunity is a lesson. A lukewarm response is a signal to tweak something.
When we treat failure as feedback, it becomes a tool for creative refinement—not a threat to our identity.
Ask: What didn’t work here? What can I do differently next time?
- Don’t let one failure define your whole writing journey
One failed post doesn’t cancel out months (or years) of effort.
Think of leaders like Jeff Bezos or Brené Brown—they’ve all experienced flops. But they kept showing up.
Your worst-performing blog isn’t your whole story. It’s just a chapter.
- Focus on what you can control
You can control your writing practice, your voice, your effort.
You can’t control the algorithm, someone’s mood, or how many people hit “like.”
Anchor yourself in the process—not the performance.
- Failure is temporary (and usually forgettable)
The shelf life of online content is short. A “bad” post today will be invisible next week.
What feels like a major setback now will barely register six months from now—especially if you keep showing up consistently.
- Your self-worth ≠ your writing metrics
This one is personal.
It’s easy to tie our identity to our creative output. But your value doesn’t rise and fall with your post views or comments.
Your worth comes from your willingness to keep creating.
- Failure is how mastery is built
Every writer you admire has failed—probably more than you realize.
Failure gives you information, resilience, and direction.
It’s not the end of your story. It’s how your story gets better.
Why this matters—especially for Gen X professionals
If you’re a Gen X professional, you might be navigating new territory:
- Career pivots
- Personal brand building
- Writing publicly on LinkedIn
You’ve probably built a reputation in your field—but now you’re learning how to show up in the digital world. And that’s vulnerable.
We’re not digital natives. We’re leaders learning a new language.
Reframing failure gives us the confidence to write anyway. To take up space. To build authority in a new medium without letting fear hold us back.
Feel the fear. Write anyway.
Sorry, Susan Jeffers—I'm bastardising your book title here.
Even though I have been writing online for more than 18 years, the truth is, I still feel fear. I still second-guess my posts. I still wonder, “Will this land?”
Writing online has taught me that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s choosing to create with it. When you expect failure, reframe it and learn from it.
It stops being a weakness. It becomes your creative advantage.
