Start Ugly. Doing It Badly is the First Step to Doing It Well

The first version will be awkward. That email, that video, that pitch—it won’t be sleek. But here’s the truth: excellence doesn’t start excellent. It starts honest. Ugly, even.

Here’s how to stop waiting and start building:

• Choose momentum over mastery – Delay feels responsible, but it’s often just fear in a nice outfit. Go before you’re “great.”
  
  

• Create in low-stakes spaces – Practice in places where failure feels less fatal. A quiet corner of the internet. A test run with safe people.
  
  

• Make “cringe” a checkpoint, not a stop sign – That wince when you watch yourself back? That’s evidence you’re growing.
  
  

• Track reps, not praise – Build confidence by counting the attempts, not the applause.
  
  

• Stay where the learning lives – Don’t rush to polish too soon. The messy middle is where your voice sharpens.
  
  

Ugly beginnings aren’t a sign you’re off track. They’re proof you’re in motion. Keep going.