Episode 155

How To Overcome the Fear of Imperfection

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This message is one I’ve had to live through before I could truly speak to it. If you’ve ever hesitated to hit publish, delayed a launch, or talked yourself out of sharing something because it “wasn’t ready,” you are not alone.

For a long time, I was stuck in that space. Everything had to be perfect before I could show up. That’s why it took me so long to do Facebook Lives. Why it took even longer to launch this podcast. But now, I’m in season four, and if I hadn’t let myself be imperfect, none of this would exist.

EPISODE 155: Listen using the player below, or click the links to your fave platform to subscribe and listen over there:

Letting Go of the Pressure to Be Polished

Perfectionism can sneak in quietly. It tells you to wait until your website looks better, until your branding is tighter, until your message is clearer. But those delays? They stack up. And often, they’re just fear in disguise.

I’ve put content out there that wasn’t perfect. Spelling mistakes. Unedited videos. Things I thought I’d fix later, but I shared them anyway. Because if I had waited, I would’ve stayed stuck. I would’ve stayed small. And that’s not what I’m here for.  Sometimes we need to ask: is this actually about quality? Or is it about safety?

Because people don’t connect with polish. They connect with presence. Your people are looking for honesty, energy, and truth, not perfect formatting.

Releasing the Fear of Getting It Wrong

One of the biggest shifts for me was realising that the people I admire most don’t wait to be perfect either. They test. They try. They launch before it’s ready. And they figure it out as they go.

I’ve seen so many offers and products that looked, honestly, basic. And they still sold out. They still worked. The people behind them didn’t waste energy trying to make it flawless. They just knew it would help someone, and they released it.

Perfection isn’t what creates momentum. Trust does. Willingness does. And a lot of the time, we don’t realise we’re capable of something until we give ourselves permission to show up imperfectly.

Owning the Imperfect Version

I’ve created a lot of things that weren’t polished, landing pages, posts, emails, and I’ve loved them. They’ve worked. They’ve helped people. And they’ve grown with me over time.

It’s okay if your first version feels clunky. If your intro music isn’t quite right. If you change the name of your offer mid-launch. That doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable or aligned. You’re allowed to evolve things as you go. And the truth is, the only way we get better is by letting ourselves begin with what we have.

Progress isn’t always visible to others. But it’s happening. Every time you show up anyway, every time you keep going even when it feels messy, that’s what builds something lasting.

Focus on Who You’re Serving

Perfectionism has a way of turning all the focus inward. It becomes about how we’re being seen, how we’re being judged, how we’re measuring up. But when we shift our attention outward, toward who we’re here to serve, that fear begins to lose its grip.

When I reconnect to the people I’m here for, the self-consciousness softens. I stop getting stuck in the details and start remembering the purpose. What are they going through right now? What would support them today? What do I know in my bones that might meet them where they are?

And then I check in with myself too. What do I need to feel grounded and present as I share? Can I create from a place of clarity and kindness? These small check-ins make all the difference. They bring me back to why I started in the first place.

Celebrate the Courage

One of the most powerful things I’ve done in my business is keeping a record of the messy wins, the moments that weren’t perfect but still carried meaning, movement, and momentum.

  • I celebrate the email I sent even though I was second-guessing every line, because I honoured the message more than my fear.
  • I celebrate the offer I launched with an unfinished sales page, because people still joined, and it still served.
  • I celebrate the blog I published without rereading it ten times first, because I trusted that the energy behind it would land.

These moments matter. They’re proof that courage is more important than polish. They show us what’s possible when we act anyway, even when the inner perfectionist is still whispering.

Perfection might look impressive, but it’s presence that changes lives. The more I honour imperfect action, the more sustainable and fulfilling my work becomes.

Final Reflections

The fear of imperfection doesn’t disappear overnight. But every time you choose to act in spite of it, you take away some of its power. Every time you speak, write, share, or show up without waiting for perfection, you create momentum. And momentum creates confidence.

You don’t need to be polished. You don’t need to be ready. You just need to keep choosing to show up with your whole heart, and trust that your people will feel it.

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