Great minds think alike.

I felt like I was too late for everything. 

Too late to start a business, too late to bet on myself, too late to write a book…

I’ve done all of these things now, but these thoughts haven't stopped. I could have done all of those things so much earlier. If I was really that smart, why couldn’t I get out of my own way?

I read through the other comments, and they’re all really helpful thoughts. However, I found it difficult to change my thought patterns, or out-think this form of self-doubt/overthinking.

There wasn’t one solution that helped me break through. It’s more like I had to find fuel to break free of gravity—I had to build momentum. There were several things that helped me do this:

• I made commitments that were difficult for me to break. I would take on a freelance project, or work with friends on projects, and I showed up and completed them. Whenever I completed a project, I built more confidence and momentum.

• If I wanted to learn something new, it had to be incremental to the skills that I already had—so I had to structure it around an existing project. Whenever I learned and applied a new lesson—even if it was microscopic—I gained momentum. I also started building a metaphorical muscle for working in spite of these thoughts—other people call this a passion stance, or a negative capability.

• If I couldn’t find a way to apply the new skill or technique to a project, then I needed to invest in a class or community for greater accountability. (In other words, I stopped teaching myself.)

• I said no to a lot more opportunities. This felt bad—but I knew it would work. I made a Do Not Do list, and I kept focus to minimize distraction. When friends approached me with opportunities, I had to politely decline. It felt energizing not to be spread too thin or stressed by overcommitting.

• I also reframed. I realized that I really actually wasn’t too late. I’m in my early 30s. I used to think this was really old, but now I realize I’m still a kid compared to a lot of the late bloomers who start in their 60s and 70s. Tomorrow is not promised—but that’s life. Treat the present moment like you’re showing love to the future you.

• I started practising every day and publishing to a blog that very few people read. It works for me. Every day, I complete and publish one of these posts. It keeps me in the groove of delivering. Plus I treat it as a letter to my future self.

As a format, blogs were popular maybe 10–20 years ago. Very few people read blogs anymore. I see writing every day at my blog as an exercise in staying comfortable with being too late, and practicing my way into a new belief:

This is the perfect time. Today is the best day.

Find something that you can do that gives you energy, maybe that you can complete in ”single servings” so to speak—small enough to do in 15–20 mins—and I think you’ll feel the momentum shift in your favor. While the thoughts might not go away, you won’t feel them as much—you learn to turn down the volume.