The subtle art of not trying.

You ever get that tingle in your stomach when something scary approaches?

Maybe you’re on a podcast interview.

Or you’ve been asked to speak to a school.

Or you’ve got a deadline approaching, and you have to crank it.

I get this all the time.

I got it today before a live interview, in fact.

But now, instead of trying to fight it, I see it as an indicator.

An indicator of what, Alex?

That I’m trying too hard.

What? But surely these are the situations in which you must try extra hard?

I hate to tell you, bud, but you’ve been had.

It’s not true.

This is the time to NOT try.

When we try things, we end up forcing smiles and looking like we’re hiding a basement murder.

We get sweaty.

The veins on our necks pop.

Our minds fill with voluminous questioning. Critical and doubtful thoughts.

I’m never fully without nerves these days. I see it as good because it means I’m leaning out into the hard stuff.

Hard stuff brings more rewards.

But I also view nerves as an opportunity to let go. That’s what they are telling me.

Really.

Your nerves say:

Alex, we’re overheating here. It’s time to stop trying. It’s time to go with the flow, bud.

So now, when I face a nerve-wracking task, I don’t force myself to try to do anything in particular.

I just be.

I just show up.

And that’s when my most effective self arrives.

What if you had the complete blueprint for the psychology you need to succeed on your own journey as a creator, entrepreneur, or writer?

This is precisely what I’ve been working on for you guys in my latest mini-course for Ember subscribers:

The Creator’s Mindset Blueprint: My Proven Framework for Thriving in Your Craft

(Even if you’re doubtful, scared and uncertain)

Many want the freedom of running their own business or online brand. But most don’t last long. They quit.

And over decades of creating products and writing content online, I see them quit because they struggled with the foundational stuff: the psychology of resilience and lasting creativity.

The way they thought gave them a disadvantage from day 1.

This course gives you everything you need to know and internalise quickly, so you never quit but thrive as a creator.

Releasing tomorrow, Friday 21st for one day only, this course is only available for Ember subscribers. Then it’s gone.

Upgrade to Ember here today so you don’t miss the window to receive the course.

Alex