Courage doesn’t arrive before the work. It arrives because of it.

So many writers believe courage is something you wait for. That one day you’ll feel ready. Confident. Certain enough to begin.

But courage isn’t a prerequisite. It’s a result. It shows up after you take action. It whispers as you open the document. It peeks its head out as you write the clumsy first sentence. It begins to step into the light more and more as you choose progress over perfection and let the page be imperfect and alive.

This is something that holds so many of our authors back. They believe there is a moment when they will know they are ready. They have a litany of thing that must come “first”, when in reality, there is only one thing that is needed.

So How Do You Avoid Doubt & Choose Courage?

If you’re staring at a blank page today, start smaller than you think you should. Write one true sentence. Then another. Don’t polish. Don’t fix. Let the words exist before you decide what comes next.

If perfectionism is loud, give yourself permission to write badly on purpose. Tell yourself this draft is allowed to be unfinished, uneven, and human. Movement is what builds courage. Stillness and isolation feed doubt.

So many writers have learned this truth the same way, inside the pages of a book they didn’t think they could finish, and inside their own lived experience of showing up anyway. Each step forward, no matter how small, teaches the body and the mind: I can do this.

You don’t need to be brave first.

You just need to begin.

Where To Go From Here

1. Save this for the days you’re waiting to feel ready.
2. Listen to the voices of some of our authors by visiting the Wildly Free YouTube channel. Over and over they talk about how and why they stepped out in courage before they were ready.
3. Check out some of our other blog posts, like 5 Truths About Why Your Story Matters More Than Perfection (+ How To Avoid “Perfect” Traps), that will help you bust through perfectionism and write anyway.

And if you’d like more steady encouragement like this in your inbox, you’re always welcome to join our email list. No noise. Just reminders to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

You’re already closer than you think.

It’s time to tell your story.

Avoid Doubt, Choose Courage