(It’s Going to Be Ugly Anyway)
Let me guess—you’ve been “planning” to start that thing for weeks now. Maybe months. You’ve got the perfect strategy mapped out in your head. You’ve researched, compared, analyzed, and convinced yourself you need just a little more time to get it right.
Here’s the truth bomb you need: You’re not preparing. You’re procrastinating.
And girl, I get it. I’ve been there. Stuck in analysis paralysis, convincing myself I needed everything to be perfect before I could start. But you know what I learned?
The ugly beginning is part of the process. And the only way through it is to actually START.
Overthinking Is Just Fear Wearing a Planning Hat
Let’s be honest about what’s really happening when you spend weeks “getting ready” to launch that business, start that blog, create that course, or whatever dream you’re sitting on.
You’re scared.
Scared it won’t be good enough. Scared people will judge you. Scared you’ll fail. Scared it’ll be messy and imperfect and not look like what you see everyone else doing.
So you overthink. You plan. You research. You tell yourself you’re being “strategic.”
But really? You’re just avoiding the scary part—putting yourself and your work out there before it’s perfect.
And here’s the kicker: It’s NEVER going to feel perfect. Never.
Permission to Be Bad at the Beginning
Can I tell you something that changed everything for me?
Everyone who’s good at something now was terrible at it once.
That blogger with the perfect aesthetic? Her first posts were probably cringe-worthy.
That business owner making six figures? Her first offer was probably messy and under-priced.
That influencer with the polished content? Her early videos probably made her want to delete her entire account.
The difference between them and you isn’t talent. It’s that they started before they were ready.
They posted the ugly first draft. They launched the imperfect offer. They put out content that made them cringe. And then they learned, adjusted, and got better.
Why Ugly Beginnings Are Actually Perfect
Here’s what nobody tells you about starting before you’re ready:
The ugly version teaches you things the perfect plan never could.
You learn:
- What your audience actually wants (not what you think they want)
- What works and what doesn’t (through real feedback, not assumptions)
- How to adjust on the fly (a skill you can’t plan your way into)
- What you’re actually capable of (which is always more than you think)
Your first attempt doesn’t need to be good. It just needs to exist.
Because version 2 can’t happen until version 1 is out in the world. And version 1 is probably going to be ugly. That’s not a bug—that’s the whole point.
What Overthinking Actually Costs You
While you’re busy perfecting your plan, here’s what you’re losing:
Time. Every day you wait is a day you’re not learning, growing, or moving forward.
Momentum. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to actually start.
Opportunities. Someone else with a “worse” idea but better execution is already winning.
Confidence. The more you overthink, the more you convince yourself you can’t do it.
Progress. You can’t iterate on something that doesn’t exist yet.
Real feedback. All your planning is based on assumptions until you put it out there and see what actually happens.
The Messy Action Plan
Forget your perfect 47-step strategy. Here’s what you actually need to do:
Step 1: Define the Absolute Minimum
What’s the simplest, most basic version of this thing you can put out into the world?
Not the version with all the bells and whistles. Not the version you’d be proud to show at a conference. The version that barely counts but technically exists.
That’s your version 1.
Step 2: Set a Ridiculously Short Deadline
Give yourself ONE WEEK to create and launch version 1.
Not one month. Not “when it’s ready.” One week.
Why? Because perfection takes forever. Good enough takes a week.
Step 3: Launch It (Even Though It’s Ugly)
Put it out there. Don’t wait for it to be pretty. Don’t wait for everything to be polished. Don’t wait until you feel ready.
Just hit publish, post, launch, whatever your “start” button is.
Step 4: Learn From What Actually Happens
Now you have real data. Real feedback. Real experience.
- What worked better than expected?
- What flopped completely?
- What surprised you?
- What do people actually want?
This information is gold. And you only get it by starting.
Step 5: Make Version 2 Better
Now you can improve. Not based on what you think might work, but based on what you know from putting v1 out there.
This is where the magic happens. But it only happens AFTER the ugly beginning.
What “Just Execute” Actually Looks Like
Let’s get specific about what this means in real life:
If you’re starting a business:
- Don’t wait for the perfect website. Use a simple landing page and your DMs.
- Don’t create 10 offers. Start with ONE service you can deliver this week.
- Don’t build complex systems. Use what you have and improve as you go.
If you’re starting content creation:
- Don’t wait for professional equipment. Use your phone.
- Don’t plan 3 months of content. Post THIS WEEK and figure out the rest later.
- Don’t obsess over branding. Pick something and adjust as you find your voice.
If you’re launching a product:
- Don’t wait for the perfect version. Launch a beta and improve based on feedback.
- Don’t create elaborate marketing. Tell people about it and see what resonates.
- Don’t build everything at once. Start with core features and add more later.
The Ugly Truth About Beautiful Things
Here’s something that’ll blow your mind:
Everything beautiful you see started ugly.
That gorgeous website? Started as a basic template someone tweaked over time.
That polished brand? Started as a random color palette and evolved.
That successful business? Started as a messy idea someone just went for.
Nobody starts at the finish line. Everyone starts at the messy, awkward, imperfect beginning.
The people you admire didn’t skip that part—they just didn’t let it stop them.
When Overthinking Is Actually Valid
Okay, real talk—there ARE times when you need to think things through:
- Life-changing decisions (marriage, major career changes, moving across the country)
- Things that cost serious money you can’t afford to lose
- Situations with major safety implications
- Legal or financial commitments you can’t undo
But starting your blog? Launching your first offer? Posting that content? Creating that thing?
Those aren’t life-or-death decisions. They’re just scary because they’re new.
The risk of starting imperfectly is way smaller than you think. The cost of never starting is way bigger.
Your Overthinking is Lying to You
Your brain is going to tell you all kinds of stories to keep you from starting:
“It’s not ready yet.” Translation: I’m scared it won’t be perfect.
“I need to do more research.” Translation: I’m scared to find out if this will work.
“I should wait until [X, Y, Z].” Translation: I’m scared to be judged.
“Other people are doing it better.” Translation: I’m scared I’m not good enough.
All of these are just fear dressed up as logic.
The truth? You’ll never feel 100% ready. You’ll never have all the answers. You’ll never eliminate all the risk.
So you might as well start now.
The Permission Slip You’re Waiting For
Here it is, in writing, from me to you:
You have permission to start before you’re ready.
You have permission to be bad at first.
You have permission to put out the ugly version.
You have permission to learn as you go.
You have permission to adjust and pivot.
You have permission to look foolish while you figure it out.
You do NOT need permission to be perfect. Because perfect isn’t real.
Start Ugly, Adjust Later
The most successful people aren’t the ones with the best plans. They’re the ones who started with messy action and figured it out along the way.
They didn’t wait for perfect conditions. They created momentum with imperfect action.
So whatever you’ve been overthinking, overplanning, over-researching—just START.
Make the ugly website. Write the imperfect post. Launch the basic offer. Create the first version.
It’s going to be messy. That’s literally the point.
Because messy action beats perfect planning every single time.
And six months from now, you’ll be so glad you started today instead of waiting for “ready” that never comes.
The Bottom Line
Stop overthinking. Start executing.
It’s going to be ugly in the beginning. Good. That means you’re actually doing something instead of just thinking about it.
Done is better than perfect. Messy action is better than perfect planning. Version 1 in the world is better than version 10 in your head.
Your ugly beginning is the price of admission for everything that comes next. And trust me—it’s worth it.
Now stop reading this blog and go START THE THING.
The distance between where you are and where you want to be is filled with imperfect action. Stop overthinking. Start executing. It’ll be ugly, and that’s exactly how it should be.
