One of my colleagues had a saying, “Finish it first, and then tell everyone else about it.”
It goes against everything that my ego wants me to do, but in the long run it helps to avoid embarrassment.
I use the same philosophy when I hear wonderful news about a project that I’m about to work on.
When that happens I shut up, cautiously, optimistically.
I do the work.
I wait for the client’s approval.
I wait for the client’s check.
I cash the check.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
Then I talk about it, after the fact.
All bases covered, no need to backtrack on anything.
I still fall off the humble wagon sometimes, like when I hastily posted a wireframe diagram in Instagram of a project that never got completed (client flaked), and I have since removed it.
I still fall off the humble wagon. But at least I know the wagon is there.