Hey — It’s Toffer.
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?
Estimated read time: 5 minutes
Busting ghosts is untying tangled knots. It requires patience, persistence, and a delicate touch to unravel.
Here are my three ghosts to bust:
Ghost of Judgement
Ghost of an Amateur
Ghost of a Hack
Ghost of Judgement
I stood there with a prepared speech, shaking. I kept telling myself that I shouldn’t care what they think, how I look, or how I speak. But I did. I cared. Too much.
The Ghost of Judgement is the loudest voice within me, often stemming from self-doubt. It’s not just the fear of being judged by others, often it’s the fear of being judged by myself. It’s a dangerous ghost because if I let it, it hinders creativity. Then it leads to failure.
To bust this ghost, I need to understand true judgement — that it’s actually a crucial skill in life — an ability to understand the long-term consequences of my actions and decisions. Shaking on stage, it seems, is simply my fear of the short-term consequences, and the perceived opinions surrounding them.
If the goal is to avoid failure, ironically, embracing failure as learning is key — that mistakes are opportunities for learning rather than reflections of self-worth.
Ghost of an Amateur
I write because I can, because it helps me think, because it makes me feel good. I am an amateur writer because I write for myself.
The Ghost of an Amateur thrives in the comfort of self-expression. Busting this ghost is optional because it’s acceptable (and even admirable) to be an amateur. I am simply passionate about writing, untrained but with something to say.
If there are bystanders, that’s fine, but as an amateur, writing is only for myself. A privilege, a chance to find joy in creation, alone — and there lies the rub.
If I want others to be involved in my work, there needs to be an exchange of value. This means I need to understand the market, the customer, and the price to be paid for work that’s worth paying for. I need to show up even when I don’t feel like it. If I want my words to matter, I need to bust the ghost of an amateur to reveal a professional.
A professional isn’t just a paid amateur. It’s the transition from a hobby to a commitment. It’s not just about skill. It’s about crafting a consistent point of view that resonates with a market.
Ghost of a Hack
“I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”
That’s not the Seven Dwarfs. That’s me. I begin with curiosity, then develop a skill, then get paid for it. But then I get bored. So I buy stuff to not be bored. Still bored but I need to keep going because I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.
The Ghost of a Hack is doing average work, for average pay, and then looking for happiness elsewhere. It’s a sneaky ghost because there’s nothing wrong with minimal effort, if I get minimal pay. I still do the work anyway. Plus, I have bills to pay.
Sure, work can be better than no work, but the posture of giving up my standards to get that work can quickly become toxic. It’s reverse-engineering all the work, barely getting by. It’s simply “what do you need?” or “how much can I get away with?”
No wonder I’m bored.
To bust this ghost is to bust boredom from within. It can be as simple as creating a more inspiring workspace environment or seeking collaborations that spark creativity. Or cultivating a craftsmanship mindset where instead of staying the same to protect the formula that gave me initial success, I change and risk being crucified for changing.
Ghost busting requires self-awareness, courage, and a willingness to evolve. It’s a continuous process, but one that’s worth the effort.
I ain't 'fraid of no ghost.
Your Friend in Time,
Toffer