Last Thursday, I played my first golf tournament.

After months of practicing, I figured it was time to finally test what I’d learned.

But when the big moment arrived, I almost crumbled.

Standing there on the first tee, my sweaty hands were gripping the club like I was trying to strangle it. I was staring at the ball, ready to launch it—when suddenly, an inner voice crept up:

“You’re not ready for this.”

“What are you actually doing here?”

“You should have spent more time practicing.”

Apparently, all those hours on the driving range didn’t prepare me for the moment it really mattered. But when everyone was looking at me, I knew I had to play.

And I'm not gonna lie:

The first two holes were terrible. 😅

I missed the ball, spanked it, or sent it out of bounds. But at hole three, I started getting into the flow and my confidence returned.

I finished the tournament with an average score, but—more importantly—a fantastic feeling:

Pride.

Yes, I could’ve practiced more, and no, I didn’t feel ready for this experience. But I’m glad I still stepped out of my comfort zone.

And this isn’t just a golf thing.

Self-limiting beliefs always appear when you do what’s uncomfortable.

For example:

All the founders I’ve talked to recently told me they want to start their own newsletter, but don’t feel 100% ready. One person said he needs a bigger LinkedIn audience first. Another one said he still has to improve his writing skills.

And I get it.

Staying on the sidelines always feels more comfortable than stepping into the unknown. You're planning and preparing (or hitting golf balls on the driving range) because you want to gain more confidence.

But that’s a paradox.

You gain confidence by doing what’s uncomfortable.

Take building a newsletter.

You can spend forever planning it, picking the perfect name, or practicing in private.

But you’ll never feel 100% ready to hit publish for the first time. Hell…you’ll probably feel as nervous as I was on that first tee.

The key, however, is not to let comfort hold you back, because you can't win by waiting on the sidelines.

So here’s my challenge to you, Reader:

Over the next 7 days, pick one goal that’s important to you, but makes you feel uncomfortable. Then, choose one action you can take that move you closer to it.

Then do it.

And if you’re too scared?

Do it scared (and email me what you tried).

Dave

P.S.

If the uncomfortable thing for you is building a newsletter, I got your back.

I built a program to help you start and scale your list.

This includes:

Attracting 100-500 high-quality subscribers, having a repeatable writing system, and getting 1:1 support throughout the program.

It’s the first round, so I’m looking for motivated founders who are willing to provide feedback and testimonials when they get results.

If that’s you, there’s a 50% founder pricing discount. I only offer this to the first three people because I want to work closely with you and deliver results.

If you’re interested, reply with the word “newsletter”.