The other day I had one of those moments that I am pretty sure most of us have had at some point.
I was getting ready for an event, and for whatever reason, my brain decided it was time to go into full overthinking mode. Not a little thinking. I am talking about the kind where you start questioning everything. I found myself worrying about an email I had sent. Was it too long? Too short? Did it sound right? Did I say something that could be taken the wrong way?
Then, of course, came the next big decision. What I was going to wear.
Now I am standing there looking at my clothes like they have personally offended me. Does this look right? Is this too much? Not enough? Is this the shirt that says I have it together or the one that says I just grabbed something and hoped for the best?
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized I was completely stuck. Not because anything was actually wrong, but because I was spending way too much time worrying about what other people might think.
That is when my wife stepped in. She looked at me and said something that, at first, hit a little harder than I expected.
She said, “I’m going to tell you something and I hope you take this in the right way. People do not think about you as much as you think they think about you.”
Now I will be honest. My first reaction was, “Well that is humbling.” But then it started to sink in. And the more I thought about it, the more freeing it became. It means most people are not sitting around analyzing my email or judging my outfit. They are dealing with their own stuff. Their own thoughts. Their own worries. Just like me.
And here was the real takeaway for me. As long as I am being myself, acting appropriately, and coming from a place of good intentions, I am going to be just fine in most situations. And if I do happen to say something wrong or miss the mark, it is not the end of the world. I can apologize. I can explain. I can clarify what I meant.
Most things are fixable. But the time I spend worrying about them before they even happen, that is time I do not get back. And if I am being honest, I have lost more time to overthinking than I would ever like to admit.
I put together a short video breaking this down because I realized how often this shows up in real life. If this is something you deal with too, this will probably hit home. See it HERE.
So, what does this have to do with running an online business? Well, I’m glad you asked!
If there is one thing that will quietly stall your progress faster than almost anything else, it is worrying too much about what other people might think. You hesitate to post. You hesitate to send the email. You hesitate to launch the product. Not because it is not ready, but because you are running ten different “what if” scenarios in your head about how it might be perceived.
Here is the truth. Most people are not sitting around waiting to critique you. They are trying to solve their own problems. They are looking for something that helps them, saves them time, or makes their life easier. When you focus on serving instead of second guessing, everything changes. Your energy shifts from fear to value.
Confidence in business is not about being perfect. It is about moving forward with the best information you have, doing your best work, and trusting that your intent matters. If you are creating something that genuinely helps people, you are already ahead of the game. And if something is not quite right, you adjust, improve and you keep going.
Mistakes are not the end of your credibility. In many cases, they are the beginning of your growth. A quick acknowledgment, a correction, and a willingness to improve will earn more respect than trying to pretend everything is flawless. People connect with real. They trust real.
At the end of the day, the goal is not to impress everyone. The goal is to help people. When you keep your focus there, the noise starts to fade and the progress starts to show.
Here Are Five Things To Keep In Mind
- Most people are too focused on themselves to overanalyze you.
- Progress beats perfection every single time.
- Good intentions and ethical actions build long term trust.
- Mistakes can be fixed faster than you think.
- Confidence grows by doing, not by waiting.
Now here is something to think about. How many opportunities have you delayed because you were worried about how it might look instead of what it could do? What if the thing you have been sitting on is exactly what someone else needs right now?
That is the shift. Less worrying about perception. More focus on contribution.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever held back because you were overthinking it? Or have you had a moment where you pushed through and realized it was not nearly as scary as you thought? Drop a comment and let’s talk about it.
And if you are looking for a place where you can build your online business with the right guidance, support, and structure, take a look at the Internet Profits Academy. It is designed to help you move forward with clarity instead of confusion and confidence instead of hesitation.
Because sometimes the biggest thing standing between you and progress is just getting out of your own head.
And of course, I told my wife about all of this and how I am working on not worrying so much about what people think. She looked at me, smiled, and said, “That’s great. Now if you could stop worrying about what the dog thinks every time she ignores you, we’d really be making progress.” Fair point.
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” — Corrie ten Boom
And of course, a few VERY BAD Dad jokes:
I told myself I would stop worrying so much. Now I’m worried I’m not worrying enough.
I tried to stop overanalyzing everything. Then I spent 20 minutes analyzing how I would stop.
Until next time, STAY FRESH, Friends!
**If you are curious about building and maintaining a healthy online business, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter here and continue following my blog. My hope is not only to create the freedom I have long desired, but also to share what I am learning with others who are working toward the same dream.