You have to remember to stop getting in your own way. We all have done it. We all do it. One of the hardest parts about creating is the silence that happens after you hit publish. You check your phone, You refresh your feed. Nothing. Or not what you maybe wanted. And if you're like most people, you start making it mean something. Each refresh starts reinforcing that meaning. Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe nobody actually cares. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Maybe this was a huge waste of time. Maybe other people are far better at this than me. Maybe I should pick up something else. Maybe I shouldn't do this again. But that early feedback, because that is feedback even if there's no feedback, isn't a verdict even though we treat it like one. It's just a lag. Creation and recognition happen on two different clocks. Most people quit because they misread the silence that they're getting. They think it's the end of the story when really it's just the first page. And it's interesting. To me, people will say, hey, Dylan. I am gonna create content about this. I've only published three videos. No. You are creating content about that thing. You've successfully published three videos. Having a bunch of subscribers doesn't mean you magically get access to something special. And I found that the healthiest creators give time between when they share their ideas with the world and don't hear anything back and don't assign a destructive meaning to this natural silence that happens. They don't stop right when they're starting to build momentum. They get out of their own way. They might still get in their own way occasionally. I think we all do that naturally, but they remember from time to time to just get out of their own way. Keep hitting publish. Keep owning your output. Keep trusting that bigger things are unfolding, things you can't predict yet. I was just thinking this right before I pressed record on this episode. Creators assign certain meanings. We wanna assign a certain meaning to what we're doing or else we wouldn't be doing it. Right? That might look like when you're starting creating content on a basic level, you might think, I'm publishing this video, so it gets maybe some views. And it would be cool if it leads to some money. But imagine with me, dream with me for a second that it could be so much better than you could possibly imagine. It could maybe lead to views and money, but it could maybe lead to relationships with people that improve your life in ways beyond your possible comprehension right now. It leads you to discussions that unlock a new discovery about yourself. It leads you to places that you never knew existed that make your overall life better. Now imagine with me for a second that none of that ever happens because you assign a destructive meaning to that pause. Your timeline is almost always gonna be different than the overall bigger timeline of when things are happening. Doesn't mean you can't get better. Doesn't mean you can't strive for greatness. But just because you want something to happen faster doesn't always mean that it will. And if you can assign the meaning that greater things are coming, the story isn't over, it's just getting started, well, then I know you're gonna be just fine. For a long time, I thought my weekly email newsletter needed to prove something, that I was on top of trends, that I had all these fresh tools, that I was paying attention. So I packed it with links, quotes, updates, things that I thought were valuable, but it never felt quite right. And, honestly, there were times where I didn't even wanna write it. So that's when it hit me. The emails I love getting, they don't try so hard. They don't lecture or overwhelm. They just simply connect. One clear idea, one short story, something that I can actually feel, and I can carry it with me into the day. So that's the new rule for me. Not everything needs to be a buffet. Sometimes the best thing you can offer is a single bite that sticks. And if you're interested in getting my free weekly email newsletter, which is just one clear idea, one short story, something that you can actually feel and carry with you into your day, you can sign up for free at DylanSchmidt.com.