Creative Chaos #34

The Day I Learned to Stop Explaining

Early on, I thought every decision needed defending.
Pricing. Delays. Hiring choices. Even saying no to a client.

I’d write long emails explaining my reasoning — paragraphs of logic no one asked for. And still, people pushed back. Harder, even.

Then I noticed something: the leaders I admired never explained much. They just spoke clearly, made the call, and moved on.

1) Over-explaining is a symptom of doubt

When you trust your direction, you don’t need a paragraph to justify it. The moment you start convincing, you’ve already lost your footing.

2) Confidence is clarity, not noise

Now I say what needs to be said — and stop talking. It’s not arrogance. It’s trust in my preparation. Every extra word is usually self-defense in disguise.

3) Let silence do the heavy lifting

I once told a client, “That’s not how we work.” Then I stayed quiet.
The pause did what another 300 words couldn’t — it made the line real.

4) Explanation kills momentum

Every time you pause to justify, you slow the machine. Not everyone needs to “get it.” The right ones will.

One Move for Today

Think about one thing you’ve been over-explaining — to your team, your partner, or your clients.

Cut it in half. Then cut it again. The point will get sharper.

Closing Thought

You don’t owe the world an essay every time you make a call.
You just owe it your conviction.

– Tom