What I’m about to say is so important that I’m going to make a big deal about it through the magic of typographic emphasis:

The best way to convince people that you are capable of helping them is to demonstrate that you understand their pain.

If you truly want to help your right people (and of course you do), they need to trust that you understand what they’re going through.

All their hurt. All their fear. All their resistance.

Actually, my guess is that even the people whose questions are — on the surface — just about the making money thing, also have some residual worries that “maybe this is gross”.

Because otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking me — someone who writes about changing your patterns and habits so you can biggify the cool thing you do.

I’ll let you in on a secret. People don’t come to you for expertise.

Like, if you really just wanted to know about blogging, you would not be reading this right now.

Because you know what? I’ve only been blogging for six months.

Today we’re talking about what to do when perfectionism strikes. The whole how can I write when nothing I say is good enough? problem.

This actually hadn’t been planned as part of the original series but last week a friend had a blogging emergency — Ahem, We interrupt this blogging series for a blogging emergency — so I decided we’d sneak it in.

Good thing too because it’s a pretty big deal. Perfectionism being, of course, an old friend here at The Fluent Self. Hello, I’m the one who took a year and a half just to get ready to start blogging.

Scenario 1: What if I the stuff I have to say isn’t interesting?

This is familiar stuff. Mostly fear of being judged and fear of being “found out”.

Because what if people figure out that you’re really not that great? Or — and maybe this is even worse — what if you discover that you’re really not that great?

I know. This feeling is awful. I’m sorry. Hug.

If you’re laughing at me, it’s you and the gods, baby. Because hahahahaha, I should have known I’d never be able to get out of writing some sort of FAQ.

When the fates demand a sacrifice (a FAQrifice?), you have to pony up.

Number three in a series on how to take some of the scary out of blogging.

This time we’re talking about why even bother when there are already other people doing it better?

And again, this is also for you even if you’ve never had a blog and never plan to — or if you’re a blogging superstar.

Because guess what? Feeling like you’re not good enough and dealing with all the other what’s-the-point-isms is human. It’s normal. It’s your “stuff” talking.

And working through it is important and vital because — like it or not — the world needs you. At the very least, someone in the world needs you!

Number two in a series about taking the scary out of blogging.

Last week we talked about what if people are mean to me, otherwise known as trollophobia.

This time we’re talking about ohmygod what if I throw a party and nobody comes?

Conferences are 98%+ the opportunity to meet people you think are cool.

If the content rocks then yay. But that’s icing.

Let’s talk about this.

The sincere and scary worry that your blog will be trolled by some snarky, insulting jerk (or worse, a whole bunch of people like that) is pretty darn normal. It’s actually something that keeps a ton of people from even starting a blog.

And I know this to be true because they all email me about it. And because I too worried it to death before I started.