Before the World Says No, Don’t Say It to Yourself

“It’s not my job to tell myself no. The world will offer plenty of obstacles. I don’t need to add to them. My mind is my friend. I am my own biggest believer.”
— James Clear

If you run a notary business long enough, you’ll hear the word “no” in a hundred different forms.

“No thanks, we already have a notary.”

“We’re good for now.”

“That fee is too high.”

“We found someone cheaper.”

“We need someone available sooner.”

Sometimes the “no” isn’t spoken directly. It shows up as silence after an email, an unanswered phone call, or a social media post that barely gets noticed.

For many notaries, especially newer ones, these moments begin to chip away at confidence. The temptation becomes shrinking back before anyone else has the chance to reject us. We stop introducing ourselves to businesses. We hesitate to post online. We decide in advance that someone probably won’t hire us anyway.

That is where James Clear’s quote becomes powerfu...