The Pitfalls of Perfection (and How I Almost Missed My Own Life)

I grew up in a house where failure wasn’t an option.
But perfection? Perfection was expected.

The bar was so high that even when I gave everything I had, I still came up short in the eyes of the people I wanted to impress the most—my parents.

I remember being constantly reminded of what would happen if I failed… and let me tell you, it wasn’t encouragement. It was a warning.
A constant, looming narrative:
“You’ll never get it right.”
“That’s not enough.”
“You’ll fail if you try that.”

And the worst part? I believed them.

I internalized the belief that if it’s not perfect, it’s a failure.
And if I fail, I’ll prove them right.
So, I froze. I overthought. I delayed.
I stayed stuck because nothing ever felt good enough.

From Nearly on Welfare… to Buying My Own Home

There was a time when I was this close to going on welfare.
Money was tight, my future felt uncertain, and the pressure of being a single mom only added to the weight. I felt like everything was stacked against me.

But I clawed my way out.

Eventually, I did something no one thought I could—I bought my own home. Just me. No co-signer. No bailout. No one holding my hand.

And when I called my parents—expecting maybe this time they’d be proud—I was met with, “That’s a dumb decision. You’ll foreclose within a year.”

Did I?

Absolutely not.
My son and I lived in that home for nine years.
We built memories.
We built a life.
And when I decided to sell it, it was on my terms.

But even then... I still didn’t feel like it was “enough.”

How Perfectionism Froze Me in Place

Here’s the truth:
I could’ve bought that house years earlier.
I wanted to. I dreamed about it.
But I didn’t move. I didn’t act.
Because in my mind, I had to have every box checked first.

I had to be fully ready.
I had to have the perfect income, the perfect credit score, the perfect plan.

I was trapped by Perfectionism OCD—yes, that’s a real thing. It’s a subtype of OCD where you’re frozen by the fear that nothing you do is good enough, so you don’t do anything at all.

And no, I’m not here to diagnose or dig into disorders. But I am here to tell you this:
Mindset challenges—especially perfectionism—will steal your progress.
They’ll keep you from your goals.
They’ll block your business.
And they’ll stop you from creating the life you’re meant to live.

What Changed for Me?

I made a mindset shift.
I stopped waiting to feel “100% ready.”
I stopped trying to do everything alone.
And most importantly—I got the right structure in place to support the vision I had for my life and business.

Was I perfectly prepared? No.
Did I have it all figured out? Also no.

But I had enough to move forward.
And what I didn’t know—I learned.

I leaned into support. I connected with the right help. I trusted that imperfect action was still progress.

That mindset shift changed my life.

What This Has to Do With You

You might be sitting on an idea right now that could change people’s lives.
You might have a vision for your business that excites and scares you at the same time.
You might even be freezing—thinking you need to get everything in place before you take the first step.

But the truth is, we need what you’ve got.
And we’ll never benefit from your brilliance if you don’t move on it.

That’s why I do what I do now.
I help women like you shift the perfectionist mindset, feel supported in ways you may have never experienced, and get your business backend structured so you finally feel confident taking action.

Because when you feel supported, structured, and seen—you don’t stay frozen.

Let’s Move You from Frozen to Fearless

If any of this resonated, I’d love to invite you to a free 15-minute Vision to Impact Blueprint call.

No pressure. Just real conversation.

We’ll explore how you can move past the perfectionism trap, get clarity on your next steps, and start building your business in a way that feels aligned, supported, and actionable.

You're only 15 minutes away from real momentum.

👉 Schedule your free call here

You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to be willing to start.

Let’s get you moving.

With love and purpose,
Kelly