My self-doubt was never about me.

Self‑Doubt Quote

“If you and I aren’t feeling self‑doubt, we ain’t working.” That line is from Steven Pressfield’s recent newsletter.

My Own Doubt

I’ve been reading my self‑doubt as a verdict. I feel a lot of it, and I even wonder if I have imposter syndrome, though I’m not sure. When the doubt gets loud, I interpret it as “I’m not good enough, I’m not professional enough, I’m not competent enough.”

Pressfield’s Insight

Pressfield wrote two newsletters, part one and part two, about self‑doubt. He says the more important a project is to the evolution of our soul, the more resistance we feel. In other words, the size of the doubt is a measure of the project’s significance, not a measure of my worth.

Resistance as Scale

That idea clicked for me. When I feel strong self‑doubt, it means the project matters. The biggest doubts have corresponded to my biggest projects. Looking back, I was able to get through each one and learn a lot, proving I was capable enough to handle them.

Working Alone

I work on my own, so I don’t have anyone to validate my opinions. That makes it essential for me to keep improving independently.

Doubt as Signal

Now I see doubt as a signal, not a verdict. It tells me the work counts, that it’s important for my progress and improvement.

Finding the Newsletters

If the newsletters are public, I’ll put the links in the description.

English Video Journey

When I started recording these videos in English, I was scared that nobody would understand me, my ideas, my opinions, my English. I live in Brazil, and my family speaks only Portuguese, so these videos are the only English I speak all day. It’s day 98 now, and I still feel self‑doubt, but it’s much quieter. Daily practice has made it easier. On day one the resistance was intense, but this has become one of the best projects I’ve started this year, and I don’t regret beginning it or keeping the recordings going.

That’s it for today. I’ll see you in tomorrow’s video.