Mindchange: From Fear to Builder

For a long time, I was scared of life.
Scared to lose my job.
Scared to run out of money.
Scared to try.

Then my employer could not pay. There were big lay-offs. It felt bad. It felt unfair. But that moment was also my wake-up call. It pushed the first domino. After that, things started to change.

Today, I look at the same world and I see opportunity. I build my own things. I sell my skills. I trust myself. I’m not waiting for a company to “allow” me to live. I choose.

This is the story of that mindchange and how you can do it too.

What changed in my head

Old thoughts

• “I need this job to be safe.”
• “If I fail, I’m done.”
• “I’m not ready to sell my skills.”

New thoughts

• “No one is coming to save me. I can save myself.”
• “Small wins stack. They compound.”
• “My skills are a product. I can package and sell them.”
• “Trust is earned by showing my work, not by titles.”

This was not instant. It happened step by step, after the lay-offs. That hard moment was the first domino. When it fell, it knocked over the next one: action.

Fear is loud. Action is louder.

Fear sits in your head and tells stories.

Action gives you facts.

When I shipped a tiny feature, I learned.

When I posted my work, people answered.

When I asked for a small paid project, someone said “yes.”

Each action turned fear into data. Data beats fear.

My simple system (you can copy it)

1) Make a tiny money base

Fear gets loud when your rent is at risk. Lower that risk.

• Cut a few costs for 1–3 months.
• Do one simple paid service you can deliver fast (landing page, UI cleanup, bug fixes).
• Goal: cover basics while you build your own thing.

This is not “give up your dream.” It’s fuel for your dream.

2) Ship one small thing every day

Keep it small enough that it can’t fail.

• Fix one bug.
• Improve one screen.
• Write one short post.
• DM one potential user.

Rule: end the day with proof-of-work you can show.

3) Build in public

Post screenshots, decisions, mistakes, and numbers.

• “I cut 2 buttons today. Here’s why.”
• “User couldn’t find Save. I moved it. Better?”
• “Launched a test. 27 visits, 3 signups.”

Trust grows when people see your process, not your perfection.

4) Sell your skills directly

Don’t wait for an employer to “allow” you to create value.

• Make 3 clear offers with fixed prices and scope.
• Example: “UX audit (10 issues + fixes) — €300”
• “Landing page design (+ copy) — €500”
• “Gamification plan for your app — €400”
• Share them with founders, indie makers, and friends.
• Deliver fast, ask for a testimonial, and show the work.

5) Keep a “Trust Ledger”

Write down signals that you can trust yourself.

• “Shipped daily for 14 days.”
• “Client paid and re-booked.”
• “User said the flow feels easier.”

When fear talks, open the ledger.

The domino effect (how hard moments help)

When my employer stopped paying, it felt like a door closing. In reality, it pushed me to open ten new ones. Here’s how hard moments can help:

• They force clarity. You see what matters right now.
• They break comfort. You stop waiting and start building.
• They reset identity. You stop being “employee at X” and become “builder of Y.”

You don’t need drama to change. But if you got hit by it, use it. Let that first domino fall. Line up the next ones yourself.

A quick map: Fear → Opportunity

Fear: “If I leave my job, I’ll have no money.”

Opportunity: “I can offer a 1-week paid sprint and cover my basics.”

Fear: “I can’t do big projects alone.”

Opportunity: “I will do small, fixed-scope projects and raise scope later.”

Fear: “No one will pay me.”

Opportunity: “I will show proof-of-work daily and ask 10 people. I only need 1 yes.”

Fear: “I don’t know what to build.”

Opportunity: “I will solve one pain I had this week and ship a tiny version.”

7-Day Mindchange Sprint

Day 1 — Fear audit (30 min).

Write your 3 loudest fears. For each, write one action that gives you data.

Day 2 — Offers (60 min).

Write 3 fixed offers with price and scope. Make a one-page PDF or Notion page.

Day 3 — Proof-of-work post (30 min).

Share one small thing you built or fixed today. Add one lesson.

Day 4 — Outreach (45 min).

Send 10 simple messages: “I help with X. Here’s my work. Want a quick call?”

Day 5 — Tiny product step (60 min).

Ship one feature or page for your own tool. Show it.

Day 6 — Deliver value (2–4 hrs).

Do a free or low-cost mini-audit for someone. Ask to share results.

Day 7 — Review + raise (30 min).

List wins, lessons, one change for next week. Raise one price by 10%.

Repeat next week.

How I work now (simple rules)

• One main thing per day. Everything else is extra.
• No zero days. Even 20 minutes counts.
• Ask > guess. Talk to users before I build big.
• Show the messy middle. People trust process.
• Stack skills. UX + engineering + gamification = my edge.
• Stay kind to myself. Discipline is steady effort, not self-hate.

If you’re where I was

You might feel stuck. You might think, “Easy for you to say.” I get it. I was there. I was scared. Here’s what I can tell you now:

• You don’t need to be fearless. You need to act with fear.
• You don’t need permission. You need proof-of-work.
• You don’t need the perfect plan. You need today’s step.

The door is open. Take one small step through it.

TL;DR (for the skimmers)

• A hard moment (lay-offs) pushed my first domino.
• I replaced fear with daily action and proof-of-work.
• I made small offers, shipped small things, and shared them.
• Trust grew. Skills turned into income.
• You can copy the 7-day sprint and start today.

If this helped you, tell me what fear is loudest for you right now. I’ll reply with one small action you can take today.