One of the biggest differences between talking and writing is the element of spontaneity.

When you speak, once the words are out, you can’t take them back. The closest thing you can do is amend your words, by saying, “I take back what I said,” or, “I misspoke.”

By contrast, when you write, it is all too easy to take them back. One stroke of a pen or a key, and bang, it’s all gone. 

The privilege—and pressure—of writing every day forces this observation to come true. It’s not that you didn’t write.

You did write—you just didn’t like what you wrote. If you’re mindless about this, the typing-deleting cycle can go on for hours.

The solution here is the obvious, scary, and risky one: publish it anyway.

Don’t let self-doubt get the best of you; rally your audacity. Don’t define yourself by your latest work; remember that it’s just one piece in your overarching body of work. Don’t let preciousness get in the way of you actually sharing the idea.

Sometimes, you just need to stop pressing delete.