I Stopped Substack For This Reason
I had to pause Substack after 30 days of posting and ask myself a hard question…
Am I on this platform because I want to be, or because I feel like I have to be?
I’d been watching creators blow up on Substack, and that FOMO hit different. I realized I was about to make the same mistake I see creators make everywhere.
I caught myself thinking, “Everyone’s killing it on Substack, so eventually it’ll be my time.” This is where I had to stop because writing doesn’t come naturally to me. I had to ask myself: Am I forcing this?
When I actually sat down and asked myself three simple questions, everything became clear. Not just about Substack, but about every platform decision I’d ever made.
Let’s break down the W.A.N.T. method. A method you need to steal before joining any platform.
W - Why Am I Really Here?
Ask yourself: “Am I here because I want to be, or because I feel like I have to be?” Be honest. FOMO is not a strategy when being consistent on a platform.
A - Assess Your Natural Strengths
What comes naturally to you? For me, talking comes easy…writing doesn’t. But I have ideas to share, so I found a workflow:
Notion AI Meeting to just speak my thoughts/posts
ChatGPT for brainstorming
My framework of problem/hook, metaphor, framework, and takeaway to create the story
N - Name Your Unique Angle
What will make this platform different from the others? My other platforms cover AI and content strategies. Substack became my space for sharing the creator journey itself.
T - Test Your Commitment Level
Ask these three questions:
“Can I do this?” (Skills/capability)
“Do I want to do this?” (Genuine interest)
“What will keep me intrigued?” (Long-term sustainability)
If you can’t answer all three with confidence, don’t start.
Here’s what changed everything for me: I went from 40K YouTube subscribers in under two years and 200K+ Instagram followers by being intentional, not reactive.
While everyone else is jumping on platforms because they “have to,” you could be choosing platforms because you want to be there. Platform success isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about being intentional everywhere you choose to show up.
With that said, I’m back with intentions. I didn’t stop because I didn’t want to be here; I stopped because I wanted to make sure I could commit, and I was here for the right reasons.
Are you on the platforms you are on for the right reasons?
This is good!
I’m familiar with your work. You’re one of the very few whose video content captured my attention.
I’m glad to see you here but more importantly, I’m glad to see you’ve gained the clarity.
These are solid tips.
I knew why I came here. However, I found myself trying to follow what “looked like” it was working for others on this platform.
I had a come to Jesus meeting this week about something similarly. This was a timely post. Thank you
I love this, Nicky! I totally get it. For me, I haven't made the time yet to really focus on this platform. But I will because I see the power of using it for community building.