Why the fear of failure never really goes away… even after decades of self employment

Everyone in business has at least one task they know they should be doing but they just get stuck.

For me, it was launching my own newsletter.

C’mon, a copywriter who can’t write a newsletter? You’re kidding, right?

Don’t get me wrong – of course I can write a newsletter. I’ve been writing them for over 25 years, yet somehow writing my own was too big, too scary a prospect, too much of a commitment… so many excuses, so little time.

I came up with the idea for my Clever Copy Club at the start of 2016.

I wanted to share helpful tips people could use to improve their writing, together with practical advice to help freelancers get more enjoyment from self-employment.

Mail what now?!

I started with MailChimp. I didn’t have a clue how it worked so I sweet talked my way to some training and started pulling together a database of contacts I’d built up over – back then – 17 years as a freelance copywriter.

That in itself was a mammoth task.

Yet even having got that far, there was never a right time.

“I’m too busy. I can’t deal with all the work a newsletter will bring in.”

“I’m away for a fortnight – there’s just no time.”

Yadda yadda.

I was frozen in perfectionist angst. Nothing less than good old paralysing fear.

A copywriter with perfectionist tendencies: great for my clients – not so great for me.

Issue one: done

Long story short – and an unfeasible amount of procrastination later – I finally hit send.

Out went issue one, winging its electronic way to over 650 people. I can’t even begin to describe the fear… what if everyone hates it?

What if I become known as the copywriter with the rubbish newsletter?

What if they all unsubscribe?! How will I live with myself?!?

Within an hour of hitting send, my heart was racing, my chest was tight… and I was on a mission to buy Rescue Remedy.

But you know what? I survived. I can even say it felt good. I wasn’t expecting miracles – the miracle was just getting it done.

The results

Two days on, I had:

• a 48.6 per cent open rate
• an 8.2 per cent click rate
• six meetings booked
• two confirmed pieces of work
• twenty-four “well done – love it!” emails

After baring my soul – and my insecurities – to the world, the moral of the story is this: just do it.

(Thanks, Nike.)

Whatever you’re stuck on, remember – it doesn’t have to be perfect, or life-changing, or revolutionary. Sometimes good enough really is good enough.

Eight years later my Clever Copy Club newsletter is still going strong – now with an average 70% open rate.

Curious? Sign up for monthly updates.

And if you enjoyed this post you’ll love Survival Skills for Freelancers: 20 years of real-life freelance experience plus advice from 120 freelancers for just £11.95.