Up to this afternoon, I’ve held the belief that “the first step is the hardest.” And many times, the first step is very hard, indeed. Anyone who has ever faced a metaphorical (or literal) blank page has felt that sense of dread. Inertia is a powerful foe.

But as I was typing up another article for your consumption, I came to a point where I was unsure of how to continue on with the article. I was trying to make a point, but as I tried to figure out how to make it, everything I had written up to that point began to seem hollower and hollower.

Losing confidence in your own work is the most devastating feeling one can have. It feels like there is nothing that can be done. At this point, the purpose is forgotten, and one can only dwell upon the general failure.

By making a point of reminding yourself why you are doing something, you can avoid the problems that result from the lack of confidence. Maintain your purpose, so when everything falls apart, you will remember that what you are doing right now is merely the means, not the end.