Starting Anyway: Fear, Perfectionism, and Rebuilding Trust Through Daily Habits

Hello and welcome to my first blog post (Finally!)

This blog has been in the works for over a decade. I have started and stopped so many times, getting caught up in perfectionism, self-doubt, fear of failure, fear of success, and all the things…

After letting my inner critic (I call him Fitz) take the wheel for far too long, I’m finally making him take the back seat and get this rolling. I’m sure Fitz will always be there, but he’s no longer allowed in the driver’s seat.

It’s been a journey. Perfectionism is a slippery slope, and after feeling stuck and unsure of how to move forward, I started looking for answers and trying different things. I did a book swap with a friend, and he gave me “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers. Truth be told, I haven’t read it yet, but the title alone feels empowering and helped spark the inspiration for this post.

Along the way, I realized many of you reading might be able to relate to this feeling. So I’ve gathered some tools and techniques to share with you that I’ve been trying that have really helped me break down the overwhelm, feel the fear, and start anyway.

Perhaps in sharing what has been working for me, it can help you save some tears, self-doubt spirals, and a decade of waiting to start it “right.”

Here’s what’s been helping me lately, feel free to take what works for you and see what resonates.

Mindset, Vision & Energy

(Getting into the right headspace)

1) Abundance Mindset – Allow a pocket of time (even just a few minutes) to tap into feeling light, joyful, and abundant before starting. Maybe that’s walking by the ocean, a quiet meditation, listening to an inspiring podcast, or singing along to your favourite song. I find this helps me switch from a stuck/ scarcity mindset to feeling worthy and open to receiving.

2) Movement – Use movement to help you get out of your head and into your body. Yoga, stretching, a few jumping jacks, maybe jogging, or dancing… I find this helps ground my thoughts, and turning my spinning mind into physical action.

3) Connect with your Vision & Purpose – Allow yourself the freedom to dream through creating a vision board, flipping through magazines and choosing words and images that light up for you and feel aligned in some way. Once you create one, put it somewhere you will see it daily, especially when you feel stuck or losing motivation, and I like to write “Or Something Greater” on the back to allow space for magic.

A writing exercise that I have also found super helpful is grabbing your journal or paper and pen, choosing a time frame like 1 to 3 years, and setting a timer if I want to write out in detail what my ideal day looks like. I tap into all my senses and fully imagine the details from the moment I wake up to when I go to bed.

4) Find your Deeper “Why” – For every reason you answer Why? Ask yourself why 3 more times and dig deeper into the real reason behind what you’re doing. You may be surprised at what you uncover, and feel a secret, deeper reason for why you ACTUALLY want to do this.

Starting (Breaking Through the Overwhelm)

(Getting yourself to actually begin)

1) Set Your Focus in Advance (Decide your focus ahead of time) – Before you sit down to work, ideally the day before or earlier in the day, decide what area or task you want to focus on in that time block. This helps avoid decision fatigue. If other ideas or tasks pop into your head, quickly note them down and set them aside so you can stay focused on this session.

2) Clear the Clutter, Prep Your Space (remove distractions) – If you know you want to write in the morning, lay out your notebook and pen and clear away any other clutter. You can also prep your yoga mat or lay out workout clothes the night before. If you’re easily distracted by your phone or computer, put your phone on Do Not Disturb and close tabs you won’t be using. Creating a tidy, ready-to-go space helps you feel calmer, more focused, and ready to dive in.

3) Break Up Tasks Into Small Bite-Sized Steps – If a task still feels overwhelming, it’s likely that your “bite-size” is still too big. Try breaking it down even smaller. It helps make it easier to show up again next time.

4) Set Time- or Habit-Based Goals Rather Than Outcome Goals – This one has been a huge one for me. Since my struggle has been the actually starting, and also feeling like I get almost there but not quite finished, I decided to focus on building the habits so I can trust myself again to do what I say I’m going to do. That way, rather than focusing on that I didn’t finish the task, I can focus on that I stayed for the whole session and building the habit and that I will improve and get quicker over time.

5) Connect it with something you enjoy – Make starting a task easier by combining it with something you enjoy. For me, that’s a yummy coffee at a cafe when I work on harder tasks. I associate it with the treat and excitement of a cup of coffee, which makes getting started feel more enjoyable.

When You Feel Stuck in Fear

(Working with fear instead of avoiding it)

1) Be Gentle with Yourself – Be kind and gentle with yourself in the same way you would support a friend. Fear often shows up when you are stretching out of your comfort zone. That’s when my inner critic, Fitz, pipes in, telling me I shouldn’t do it, and you might notice your own inner critic doing the same. Try naming your inner critic, thank it for trying to keep you safe, and then choose to act anyway. Feeling the fear doesn’t mean you need to stop. This is a key moment for rebuilding trust with yourself, and you can take action anyway, even if it’s small.

2) Journaling – I find writing is a great way to acknowledge your feelings and really allow yourself to feel them without judgment, getting them out of your head and onto the page. Something I started doing years ago, inspired by Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, is the Morning Pages—three pages of free-flow writing while I’m having my morning coffee—a space to dream, vent, and share what’s on my heart. This also helps keep that clear open dialogue with yourself and prevents things from piling up.

3) EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) – EFT Tapping is a practice where you gently tap on specific points on your body while focusing on an emotion or thought, helping you acknowledge the emotion and calm the feelings.

I first heard about it from my sister (this is one of her main go-to’s) and later crossed paths with Jess Smith at a weekend blogging summit. She’s a professional tapping coach who guided me through some one-on-one sessions, which was incredibly valuable. If you’re curious to learn more and see what it’s all about, you can check her out here. (link her site)

4) Take a Break – If you find that your mind is on the verge of spiraling or you are starting to feel a bit stuck or overwhelmed, it can help to step away for a quick reset. Maybe water your plants, have a snack, or go for a walk. Shifting modes can help you reconnect with abundance and joy and return with fresh energy.

5) Find a Coach or Mentor – Connect with someone who has moved through similar challenges for guidance, perspective, and support. If you are having trouble finding someone, even searching on YouTube can help. You can see how others navigated similar challenges, the habits they use, and how they got to the other side. This was super helpful for me when I was searching for proof that it was actually possible.

Showing Up (Building Trust & Consistency)

(Building habits and self-trust over time)

1) Align with your higher self – Tune into the version of yourself you want to become. Ask yourself, “What would my future self do?” How would she act? What habits does she have? Use this as a guide for making decisions and how you choose to show up. This often motivates me to do something my future self would thank me for, like taking a few minutes to wash the dishes so I can wake up to a clear counter, or to dress a bit nicer, which naturally helps me move through my day with more confidence, feeling more intentional and put together.

2) Different Steps for Different Energy Levels – It’s easy to work on things when you feel motivated, but what about days with low energy or when you’re more emotional or sensitive? I find it helpful to have three levels of options: high-energy, medium-energy, and low-energy days. This way, you can continue moving forward while honouring where you are that day.

3) Balancing Work and Play – Try doing something light or fun after tackling a harder task. Sometimes that’s meeting up with friends, watching a cheesy show, or diving into a hobby you’re already in the flow with. I find this really helps me refill my cup and stay balanced.

4) Community & Accountability – It’s always nice to have someone in your corner helping you stay on track. Maybe it’s a weekly group working on projects, chatting with a friend or family member, or finding like-minded people who get what you’re trying to do. Connecting with others who have similar goals can be inspiring and help you keep building momentum. Having someone cheer you on and gently nudge you when your enthusiasm starts to fade can help you stay motivated.

5) If You Miss a Day, Reflect with Curiosity – Building habits takes time, and it’s not realistic to expect perfection every single day. I find it helps to reflect with curiosity: what’s been working, and why might you not have been showing up consistently? I’m still working on this one myself…

Maybe you’re trying to tackle your project at a low-energy time, or your to-do list is packed with tasks pulling focus from what matters most. Or perhaps the daily goals you set are too big, making it harder to stay consistent. Starting small and building gradually can make consistency feel more achievable and
less overwhelming.

6) Write Down Your Wins – This one has been SUPER helpful in rewiring how I think about progress and getting things done. I used to hold a belief that I never finished things, but recently I started carrying a “win journal” with me. Right after each time block I work on my projects, I take a few minutes to jot down all the little and big ways I made progress. Even on days when it feels like I didn’t accomplish much, the win might be that I showed up anyway.

(Conclusion)

This list ended up a bit longer than I expected, but I really wanted to share these tips and tools because they have all helped me rebuild trust and confidence, and maybe one of them will light up for you. The journey is more of a marathon than a sprint, and I keep coming back to these practices to stay focused and keep moving forward. I even have a sticky note above my desk that says, “Progress over perfection.”

This isn’t exactly what I planned for my first post, but it felt important to share, as it’s part of my journey to finally starting this blog. I hope it gives you the gentle nudge you needed to embrace the fear (even if your inner critic is whispering not to) and take a step anyway. You never know where the journey might lead when you’re brave enough to step out of your comfort zone.

If you made it to the end of this post, I’m so grateful you chose to be here and share a bit of your time and energy with me. Thanks for joining me on this journey!