Why Perfect Plans Hold Us Back

I’ve been reading a lot lately about branding, messaging, and how people put their ideas out into the world. Not because I’m chasing a perfect strategy, but because I care about showing up clearly for the people I’m trying to serve. If someone takes the time to read something I wrote, I want them to learn something, feel seen, or challenged to make a change. I want to offer something useful, not just another packaged process.

And the more I read, the more I see a pattern that bothers me. So many people are promising a perfect plan. Buy my roadmap. Sign up for my framework. Follow my formula. It convinces people that you need everything figured out before you can begin.

But most people don’t fail because they didn’t plan. They fail because they waited for the perfect plan before they started. And then they expect someone else’s process to work perfectly for them.

I’ve done this too. Reworking ideas, tweaking language, trying to get everything just right before taking a single step. It feels safe and smart. But it stalls momentum and blocks the kind of feedback that helps you course correct early. 

Strategy matters. Planning matters. Quality matters. But a plan without action is usually a way of avoiding fear, uncertainty, or doubt.

It’s no different in leadership. The leaders who build strong teams aren’t the ones with flawless plans. They’re the ones willing to take the first step, observe what happens, learn in the moment, and adapt. They create momentum. Momentum creates clarity. And clarity creates confidence, both for them and for their teams.

If you’re waiting to feel ready before you act, get clear on what’s actually holding you back. Most of us hesitate because we don’t want to look wrong, waste effort, or learn in public (aka look stupid in public). But leadership and growth both depend on the same thing: moving before you feel truly ready.

One imperfect step beats the perfect plan that never leaves your head. And the smallest move often teaches you more than the most thought-out strategy. If there’s something you’ve been sitting on, take the next small step that creates motion and let the clarity come from there.