Writing Was a Mistake

A story about trading perfection for progress—and how making the 'wrong' decision on paper helped me find the path that actually felt right.

We can make mistakes by doing something, and just as easily by doing nothing at all.

Clearly, mistakes are something every one of us will inevitably make throughout our short human lives.

Then why are most of us so bent on avoiding mistakes?

This is the story of how committing to making countless mistakes got me here.

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I was the kid who was always at the top of my class from 3rd grade all the way through high school graduation. I got into arguably the best university in the country, with no tuition fee.

Additionally, I received a government scholarship that provided a monthly allowance, almost equivalent to someone else's full monthly salary here in my country.

During those years, I was always someone who wanted to do things right.

And to be right as much as possible, I had to follow the traditional path that someone doing well academically was expected to take.

I thought I’d make fewer mistakes if I just followed the blueprint—what everyone before me was doing, what everyone around me was doing.

It felt safe walking with everyone else.

But it also always felt empty.

So decided to make a mistake.

While I was reviewing for my certification as a Registered Microbiologist, I knew I wasn’t giving it my all because I’d spend about three hours a day writing on Substack (yes, daily—because I used to publish every single day for two months, the Three hours was spent on ideation, writing, and editing each draft).

Writing things that nobody was even reading.

I published my first mistake on September 9, 2024.

Open rate was 100%—but only because it was just me and the two friends I forced to subscribe.

I published more mistakes every day after that.

About two months in—and almost 50 articles later—nothing had changed.
No audience. No growth.
If anything, my views had gotten even worse.

By this point, a part of me was convinced that clearly, what I was doing was a mistake
and maybe I should just focus on preparing for the exams.

Aside from those three hours a day, there was another hour—maybe more—just lounging, reading, learning.

Time I could’ve spent studying.

Then came the results of my exam and with it, the consequences of my mistakes.

I missed the top 10 spot in the country by just an average of TWOpoints.

Imagine the regret “if I had just put in a little more effort,
my career as a microbiologist might’ve been a bit easier”.
Applying for jobs with the Top 10 in the country right next to my name would’ve made things so much easier.

I know things could’ve still turned out the same, even if I had studied as hard as I wished I did. But that’s not really how regret works.

It feeds on the what-ifs.

But that was fine by me

Because that was the mistake I was willing to commit.

And really, it was only a mistake to my old self or to the people who still carried the goals of the OLD me.

The ones who wanted to keep being the best in academics, to chase traditional success, especially in an Asian society where that path is everything.

If I didn’t write, that would’ve been a mistake for the current me.
And if I stopped, that would’ve been one too.

Admittedly, the way I spent my first few months here on Substack was full of mistakes.
My first articles were full of flaws.
The way I approached the whole Substack thing? Also full of flaws.

Still is, honestly.

and that’s okay.

Because the moment I committed that first mistake of hitting “publish,”
I knew that from then on if I truly wanted to pursue the thing I wanted,
it wouldn’t be about avoiding mistakes anymore.

It would be about making the mistakes worth it.

Mistakes don’t always mean regrets sometimes they mean I’m glad I did it.

At the beginning of this article, I asked: Why are most of us so bent on avoiding mistakes?
Now, I’ll leave you with a better question one that doesn’t come from fear, but from strength:

What’s something you’re willing to commit mistakes for?

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Up Next: What titles are working on the current Substack readers

Why are most of us so bent on avoiding mistakes?

When we can make mistakes by doing something, and just as easily by doing nothing at all.

Clearly, mistakes are something every one of us will inevitably make over the course of our short human lives.

This is gonna be a story of how committing to make countless mistakes got me here writing this exact article you are reading.

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Before you leave!

I’ve been tracking my time for four years now. It wasn’t an easy habit to build at first I used to forget to turn the timer on or off all the time. But after years of practice, it’s become more seamless. Almost automatic.

I know some of you might think this is a bit overboard, but honestly, it’s one of the best ways I’ve found to be intentional with how I spend my time.

It’s also helped me become more disciplined and more efficient with it.

Time is the most valuable resource we have, and I think it’s only right to put more effort and invest more into how we use it.

We take it for granted far too often.

Here’s a look at my week from June 2 to June 8:

• 💛 Yellow – Life stuff

• 💙 Blue-Green – Side projects (like Substack)

• 💚 Green – Day job

• ⚫ Dark Grey – Sleep

Let me know if you want a breakdown of how I track it, or what tools I use!

If you want to try Toggl, the one who has been with me for 4 years, please feel free to use MY LINK, it will also be a very big help in maintaining the newsletter free as it is right now.

This is how I manage working a full-time job with 11-hour shifts, going to the gym a few times a week, writing two articles here every week, running our subscriber chat daily, posting Notes, reading about four books a month (plus a few audiobooks), and recently finishing my master’s application in microbiology—
while still having a social life and making time for the things I genuinely enjoy.

That’s all for today! I appreciate you so much for reading up until here! 😊 If you think this article could help someone, feel free to share it or like it, it helps expand its reach to help others as well. 💌

Frey.

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