How to Overcome the Block of Sharing Your Voice
There’s a moment before every meaningful beginning that feels like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff. You know you want to jump, or maybe you’re feeling called to, but something keeps you frozen.
Why? Because starting something new automatically means stepping into uncertainty and risking imperfection. It means making yourself visible. It’s vulnerable, and it forces you to be open to both rejection and reward. With the overwhelming mix of emotions in play, it’s no wonder so many people never make it past the starting line.
But here’s the truth: action is the only antidote.
No amount of thinking, planning, or waiting for the “right time” will replace the clarity that comes from just doing.
Let’s explore why starting feels so hard, and how you can move forward anyway, with grace and confidence.
Why We Struggle to Start
At the root of inaction lies fear. It wears many disguises: fear of failure, fear of being judged, fear of wasting time, and surprisingly, even fear of success. What happens if people do notice? What if it does work? What if you can’t keep up?
Then there's perfectionism, the voice in your head that insists your first try must be flawless. It convinces you to overthink, procrastinate, and avoid. It tells you to wait until your message is “clearer,” your voice is “stronger,” or your website is “better.” But often, those improvements only come after we’ve begun.
Perfectionism tricks you into believing that starting small is somehow not good enough. But in reality, starting small is the smartest way to begin.
The Power of Starting Small
There’s a concept in the startup world called the Minimum Viable Product: the simplest version of a product that can still deliver value. We can borrow that idea for creative work too.
I like to think in terms of the Minimum Viable Action: the smallest, most doable step you can take today that moves you forward.
Here’s how you can apply this mindset to your own work:
1. Define the Minimum Viable Action
Ask yourself: What’s the tiniest step I can take right now that still counts?
Maybe it’s writing the first sentence of your blog. Recording the intro of your video. Posting a rough draft of your offer in a private group. Even something as small as opening your laptop, creating a document titled “First Draft,” and jotting down a few bullet points is progress. Small steps compound quickly, so you don’t need to do the whole thing… you just need to begin.
2. Set a Timer
Often, the hardest part isn’t the task itself, it’s the starting. Try setting a timer for just 10 minutes and commit to working on your project until it goes off. More often than not, you’ll find that once you’re in motion, you’ll keep going. But even if you don’t, those 10 minutes are still a win. You’ve broken the inertia.
3. Focus on Output, Not Outcome
Forget perfect. Forget polished. Your first version doesn’t need to be your final one, it just needs to exist. When you release the pressure to “get it right,” you create space to experiment, learn, and improve. The goal isn’t to create a masterpiece on your first try. The goal is to simply create something, because once you have something, then you have something to work with.
Tips to Get Unstuck
Let’s make this even more practical. If you’re feeling stuck, try one of these strategies that I often give clients to help them unlock your momentum
1. Lower the Stakes
Remember that it’s just one blog. One video. One email. It’s not a career-defining moment, so let go of the pressure to make it epic. Instead, treat it as a practice run. A sketch. A draft. You’ll get better with each repetition.
Remind yourself: “This is just a step, not the whole staircase.”
2. Create Accountability
Tell someone what you’re working on. Share your goal, even if it feels vulnerable. Whether it’s a friend, a coach, or a community group, having someone else know about your intention makes it more real.
Even better, ask them to check in with you. Accountability creates gentle pressure to follow through.
3. Celebrate Progress
Did you write a paragraph? Draft a headline? Record a 30-second clip? Celebrate that.
Momentum is built by acknowledging the small wins, not just the big outcomes. Every action you take is evidence that you’re moving forward. Let yourself feel good about it.
You don’t need to wait until something is finished to feel proud. Pride can, and should, come from showing up.
Take the tiniest step possible
If you’re struggling to start, know this: you are not broken, lazy, or unmotivated. You’re human. You care about your work. You want it to matter. And because it matters, you’re scared to mess it up. That’s normal. But it’s not a reason to stay stuck.
You don’t need to be fearless, you just need to be brave enough to take one step. One sentence, one recording, or one post… that’s all it takes to build momentum. And once you have momentum, everything gets easier. Because when you act, even in a tiny way, you shift your energy ever so slightly. You move from thinking to doing, from dreaming to creating. And with each small step, your confidence grows.
So if you’re staring at a blank page or holding back from sharing your offer, here’s your gentle nudge: Take the tiniest step you can.
Start messy, sure. Start small, fine. But make sure you start, because the world doesn’t need your perfection—it needs your presence. Your voice. Your work. And your willingness to begin.
You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.