Why Do We Abandon Ship Just When Things Start Going Well?

I'm sitting here writing this post while simultaneously researching domain names for three different project ideas I just had. The irony isn't lost on me.

You see, Humanhood is starting to gain a teeny tiny bit of traction. A few posts/notes have resonated with readers. I'm getting some encouraging comments. People are actually subscribing to read more.

And right on cue, my brain starts whispering: "Hey, what if we tried something completely different instead?"

This is my pattern. As soon as something shows promise, as soon as there's a glimmer of success, I feel an almost irresistible urge to abandon it and start something new. It's like my brain is playing a twisted game of "The Floor is Success."

It's not that I get bored (though my ADHD brain certainly craves novelty). No, this feels different. This feels like fear dressed up as creativity.

Because success, even small success, means expectations. It means people might actually be watching, waiting for what comes next.

And that's terrifying.

Starting something new is safe. Nobody expects anything from your brand new project. There's no pressure, no expectations, no chance of disappointing anyone. It's like constantly remaining in the honeymoon phase of a relationship because you're too scared to do the deeper work of true intimacy.

I see this pattern in so many creative people. We're masters at disguising our fear as innovation. "Oh, I've got this brilliant new idea!" we say, while quietly backing away from the thing that's actually working.

But here's what I'm slowly learning: The urge to abandon ship might actually be a compass pointing toward what we should keep doing. The very thing making us uncomfortable might be the thing we need to lean into.

Maybe the anxiety we feel when something starts working isn't a warning sign — it's growing pains. Like a muscle being stressed just enough to get stronger.

So this time, I'm going to try something different. Instead of jumping ship at the first sign of success, I'm going to sit with the discomfort. I'm going to acknowledge the fear without letting it drive the boat.

Those other project ideas? I'll write them down (because they'll keep pestering me if I don't), but I'm not going to act on them. Not now. Right now, I'm committed to seeing where this journey with Humanhood takes us.

Because maybe the real success isn't in starting things — it's in seeing them through.