Jump Before You’re Ready: How to Crush the Fear of Getting Started
Stop thinking. Stop planning. Stop over-researching. The only thing standing between you and starting is the fear in your head—and it’s lying. Here’s how to kick fear in the teeth and actually start doing the thing you keep talking about.
- Pretend You’re Already Late
Nothing motivates like fake urgency. Treat your project like the world is ending tomorrow. Set a ridiculous deadline—one day, one hour, one espresso-fueled sprint. Pressure forces action. Procrastination has no room in panic mode.
- Give Yourself Permission to Suck
Perfectionism is a trap. Remind yourself: your first attempt is supposed to be terrible. Celebrate the suckiness. Every master was once a beginner who threw spaghetti at the wall and called it “research.”
- Borrow Momentum from Other People
Find someone who’s already doing what you want to do and copy one thing they do—not everything, just one. Momentum is contagious. Swipe an idea, a process, a posting schedule – whatever gets you moving.
- Start Smaller Than Tiny
If the thought of starting your dream project terrifies you, shrink it down. Make it microscopic. Can you do it in five minutes? Great. Can you do one tiny piece today? Even better. Small wins crush fear faster than motivation ever could.
- Make the Audience Imaginary
Talking to strangers is scary. Talking to imaginary friends isn’t. Pretend your audience is a single, enthusiastic friend. Write that first blog, record that first video, or draft that first email as if it’s just for them. Less pressure, more flow.
- Commit Publicly in Weird Ways
Announce your project in a weird, semi-ridiculous way. Tweet about it. Put a sticky note on your fridge. Tell your dog. Public commitment—even absurd—creates accountability and jolts you into action.
- Use the “Five-Minute Lie”
Tell yourself: “I’ll just work for five minutes.” Then—spoiler—you’ll usually keep going. Five minutes is a loophole your brain accepts. Fear melts when you realize starting isn’t permanent.
- Embrace the Chaos
Stop waiting for the perfect time, perfect space, perfect mindset. Chaos is the fertile ground of creativity. Your desk might be messy, the cat might attack your keyboard, the Wi-Fi might crash—so what? Start anyway.
- Reward the Action, Not the Result
Focus on motion, not outcome. Finished your first step? Celebrate. Sent your first email? Party. Progress is addictive. Fear fades when you start associating action with joy instead of risk.
- Pretend You’re Someone Else
If you were a braver version of yourself—your “just-started superhero alter ego”—what would you do first? Sometimes, borrowing courage from your fictional self is easier than trying to convince your real one.
Fear Isn’t a Wall…
…it’s a trampoline. Use it to bounce forward. Small, ridiculous, imperfect actions compound. You don’t need a perfect plan, perfect timing, or perfect courage. You just need to start. Right now.
