This bears repeating because I continue to forget about it.
Your first draft doesn’t have to be good.
It’s allowed to just be bad. It’s allowed to just be the intermediate step of getting the words from your brain into the world in some tangible way that you can build from. It’s allowed to have notes that say “fix this” or “idk man come up with something” or “needs transition” or “put in better order”.
Your first draft is allowed to be a first draft.
I spend too much time thinking my first attempt at anything needs to be perfect when that is completely not the case and the entire thing holding me back.
I need to go easier on myself, on my writing. I need to get over it not being perfect the first time and just be happy that it’s out there in the first place.
I’m writing, that should be what matters. Not how good quality it is or how little needs to be fixed later on. That’s a problem for future me. Present me just needs to worry about getting the words down.
Your first draft can suck and it’s not the end of the world.