Big Picture Vision, Tiny Picture Doubts

The Paradox of Vision

I’ve always been able to see the big picture.

That’s my gift. My ADHD brain doesn’t just zoom in; it zooms out, way out. I can see connections others miss. I can see where a story is headed before it’s told. I can sketch a vision for a brand, a strategy, even a life.

But here’s the paradox: while my head was in the stars, my feet were glued to the ground.

Big picture vision came easily. Tiny picture doubts came louder. Every time I thought about making the leap, my brain screamed: You’ll fail. You’ll embarrass yourself. You’re not ready.

Vision is exhilarating. Fear is paralyzing. And for years, I was stuck between the two.

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The Problem: Fear as Default

Fear is universal. But for ADHD minds, fear can feel amplified.

We struggle with rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), making fear of failure feel like fear of annihilation. We catastrophize. One small mistake becomes the end of the story. Our time-blindness exaggerates uncertainty: the future feels overwhelming, not incremental.

The research backs it:

• Susan Jeffers, in Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, wrote that fear never goes away. Courage isn’t about eliminating fear, it’s about moving forward despite it.
• A 2020 APA study found that fear of failure was the #1 barrier to entrepreneurship across demographics.
• Research in Journal of Anxiety Disorders shows that ADHD adults report higher anticipatory anxiety than neurotypical peers.

The result? Grand visions. Tiny doubts. Constant paralysis.

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Personal Anecdote: Petrified but Moving

When I first thought about leaving corporate life to pursue creative work, I was petrified.

What if I failed? What if I couldn’t pay rent? What if people laughed?

I remember staring at my resignation letter, frozen. My big picture vision said: You’re meant for storytelling. My tiny picture doubts said: You’ll ruin everything.

I didn’t leap. I shuffled. I started with micro-steps. One freelance project. One late-night design sketch. One conversation with someone outside my corporate bubble.

Each micro-step was like a chisel against the block of fear. The doubts never disappeared, but they got quieter. And the vision got louder.

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Framework: Fear + Action = Courage

Here’s what I learned from Susan Jeffers:

Fear never leaves. Waiting for fear to go away is a trap.

Action shrinks fear. Each small step builds evidence you can survive.

Courage isn’t a trait. It’s a habit, built micro-step by micro-step.

David Laroche’s concept of micro-steps reinforced this. Not baby steps, micro-steps. So small they sneak past fear.

And science confirms it:

• Stanford’s BJ Fogg (Tiny Habits) proved that ridiculously small actions build momentum.
• A study in Journal of Applied Psychology showed that incremental exposure to feared actions reduces anxiety faster than avoidance.

Fear doesn’t die in theory. It dies in motion.

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Data: Why Vision Needs Fear

Here’s the twist: fear isn’t just an obstacle. It’s proof you’re onto something important.

• Neuroscience shows that the amygdala, the brain’s fear center, is activated not just by threats, but by opportunities outside our comfort zone.
• A 2019 Frontiers in Psychology study found that moderate fear correlates with higher motivation and performance in creative tasks.
• Jeffers said it best: “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Fear is fuel, not a stop sign.

So the presence of fear isn’t a warning that vision is wrong. It’s confirmation that it matters.

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ADHD and Fear Management

For ADHD creatives, managing fear isn’t optional. It’s survival.

Hyperfocus helps: once we start, fear disappears into the flow. The trick is starting.

Externalization helps: I write doubts on paper. Once they’re outside my head, they lose their grip.

Body-first action helps: sending the email, sketching the idea, making the first slide, physical action precedes mental permission.

Fear + ADHD is a storm. But when harnessed, it’s also lightning.

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Actionable Takeaways

If you’re caught between vision and doubts, here’s what works:

Shrink the Step.

If fear blocks you, make the step laughably small.

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Reframe Fear.

‍Instead of asking “What if I fail?” ask “What if I learn?”

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Document Bravery.

Keep a record of fears faced and survived. ADHD brains forget wins fast.

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Anchor in Vision.

Write down your north star. When doubts scream, return to it.

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Build a Fear Routine.

Expect fear. Plan for it. Move anyway.

Conclusion: Tiny Doubts, Big Courage

I still have doubts. Every big project, every leap, every vision comes with that whisper: What if you fail?

But I don’t wait for fear to disappear anymore. I expect it. I invite it. Because fear means I’m pushing. Fear means I’m alive.

And with every micro-step, I prove the doubts wrong.

Vision without fear is fantasy. Vision with fear, faced step by step, becomes destiny.

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