Until It's Done Tell None

That electric buzz you get when a brilliant idea strikes. It’s a new business plan, a career move, a side project that’s going to change everything. The excitement is pure fuel. It’s almost unbearable. So, what’s the first thing you do? You pick up the phone. You call your best friend. You gather the family. “Hey, everyone, listen to this! I’ve figured it out!”

The validation feels good. The pats on the back, the “wow, that’s amazing!” comments. It’s a reward. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: that reward, that instant social validation, might be the very thing that kills your dream before it even learns to walk. You’ve cashed in the emotional cheque before doing the work. The motivation to actually do the hard part often evaporates with the praise.

It’s a psychological pattern, a trap so many of us fall into. 

The Psychology of Premature Celebration

Why does sharing our goals often backfire? It feels so counterintuitive. Shouldn’t sharing create accountability?

Well, the science suggests otherwise. Researchers have dug into this for years. One study, conducted by Peter Gollwitzer and his team, laid it out clearly. They divided participants into two groups. Both groups announced a personal goal. One group’s announcement was met with silence and a nod, the other was met with praise and support,“Wow, that’s a fantastic goal!”

Then, they were given time to work on their goal.

The results were telling. Those who received the praise and social recognition were significantly less likely to put in the sustained effort needed to achieve their goal. Why? Because talking about the goal created a “social reality.” The brain, in its tricky way, partially experiences the satisfaction of completing the goal through the act of being praised for having the goal. It’s a cognitive shortcut. You feel like you’re already part of the way there, so the urgency to grind diminishes.

Think about a cousin who constantly talks about starting a bakery. Every family gathering is a new update on the dream, the name, the perfect location they’ve spotted, the secret recipe for puff-puff. Everyone cheers them on. Years later, the bakery remains a well-discussed dream. The energy was spent in the telling, not the doing.

This is the core of the problem. Announcement replaces action. The dopamine hit we crave, and get from positive feedback, is meant to be the reward for completion, not for intention.

Building Your Moat of Focus

On top of that, talking invites noise. The moment you share an unfinished idea, you open the gates to a flood of unsolicited opinions, doubts, and “friendly” advice.

“Are you sure that’s a good market?”
“I knew someone who tried that and failed.”
“Maybe you should consider this instead…”

Most people aren’t trying to sabotage you. They’re trying to help, operating from their own fears and experiences. But this noise becomes a mental burden. It creates doubt where there was once certainty. It forces you to defend an idea that’s still fragile, still incubating, instead of nurturing it in the quiet of your own mind.

It's about building a moat around your focus. It’s a declaration that the most important opinions on your project are your own and that of the market you’re building for, not your uncle’s, not your group chats. This silence isn’t about secrecy in a paranoid way; it’s about protection. You’re protecting the seedling of your idea from the harsh winds of other people’s expectations and biases until its roots are strong enough to withstand them.

Intrinsic Motivation

So, if you’re not getting motivation from external praise, where does it come from? The answer is the most powerful fuel source for any long-term endeavour: intrinsic motivation.

This is the drive that comes from within. It’s the personal satisfaction of solving a complex problem, the joy of creating something from nothing, the deep-seated belief in the mission itself. When you stop seeking external validation, you are forced to turn inward. You have to ask yourself the hard questions: “Do I really believe in this? Is this important enough to me to keep going when it gets difficult?”

The work itself becomes the reward. Every small win, a line of code that finally works, a first draft that’s finished, a first customer who organically finds you, feels massive because you did it for you. You weren’t working for the next round of applause at a party; you were working to satisfy your own standards of excellence.

This self-contained engine is what powers you through the inevitable tough times. The market shifts. A product launch stumbles. A global pandemic hits. If your motivation was tied to the cheers of others, you’ll stall the moment the cheers stop. But if your motivation is intrinsic, the silence and the struggle just make the internal fire burn brighter.

The Practical Power of Stealth Mode

How does this philosophy translate into action? Let’s break it down.

• The Silent Build: This is the phase of execution where your only conversation is with the work. It’s you, your plan, and the daily grind. No social media teases. No “just wait until you see what I’m building” hints. The energy that would have gone into talking is channeled directly into building. You become a ghost, silently assembling the pieces of your masterpiece.

• The Element of Surprise: There’s a strategic advantage to launching something complete. Imagine a competitor who’s been talking about a new feature for months. They’ve built up expectations and given everyone time to react. Now, imagine you launch that same feature, fully formed and polished, without any prior announcement. The impact is far greater. You shift from reacting to market noise to defining the market conversation. You announce with proof, not just promise.

• Mastering Your Own Narrative: When you finally reveal what you’ve built, the story is no longer about your potential. It’s about your accomplishment. The conversation instantly shifts from “Can they do it?” to “They’ve done it! How can I be a part of it?” You control the narrative completely, backed by the irrefutable evidence of a finished product or a achieved goal.

You May Ask

Isn’t this a lonely way to operate?

It can feel isolating, but it’s not about total solitude. It’s about being strategic with your communication. You might have one or two trusted mentors or partners who are deeply involved in the work itself, people who are in the trenches with you, providing critical feedback, not just empty praise. The rule isn’t “never talk to anyone”; it’s “don’t seek validation from an audience that isn’t invested in the hard work.”

What about accountability? If I tell no one, what’s to stop me from quitting?

This is where systems beat goals. Instead of telling a friend “I’m going to save X amount,” you set up an automatic transfer that happens the day after you get paid. The system holds you accountable. Instead of announcing “I’m building ... ,” you set a project management system with deadlines and milestones. You hold yourself accountable to the process, not to the opinions of others. The satisfaction of checking off those milestones becomes your new dopamine hit.

How do I know when it’s truly “done” enough to tell?

“Done” is rarely perfect. It doesn’t mean a flawless, final product. It means a completed viable version. A business with its first paying customers. A saved amount that has reached its target. A published first article. It’s the point where you have tangible results to show, not just an idea to pitch. It’s the transition from theory to evidence.

The Reward is in the Doing

The mantra Until It’s Done Tell None is more than a tactic; it’s a profound shift in mindset. It’s a move away from being a performer who seeks applause and towards being a craftsman who finds joy in the work itself. It’s understanding that the approval that matters most is your own, measured by the quality of what you create.

The world is loud. It’s filled with voices eager to comment, critique, and divert your path.

Your power lies in choosing to cultivate a purposeful silence. To marinate in your own vision without dilution. To build, sweat, and iterate in the shadows. Then, and only then, when the work is standing solidly on its own two feet, you step back and let it speak for itself. And trust me, a finished product makes a much louder and more respected statement than any promise ever could.