Another woman I know from elsewhere once wrote a beautiful statement about "baby steps" and to just keep moving forward, no matter how small the step or how slow the progress, because it's still progress and eventually you reach milestones and finally you reach that goal.
At home I dress female casual - jeans, t-shiirt, women's sweater when it' colder outside and the house is a bit chillier. But no one who came to my door would think "woman" because of my extensive male pattern baldness and because I'm still getting rid of facial hair. Yet I'm a full A cup moving towards B cup. And my face shape has changed subtly. If I go out with makeup and a wig, I get gendered female 99% of the time. If I go out without a wig and without makeup, but wearing one of my more feminine caps, I get gendered female about 33% of the time when solo, and about 80% of the time when with other women.
And for me, right now, this is fine. I'm further along than I was six months or a year or sixteen months ago when I started HRT. So progress is progress.
My point is that taking baby steps is completely feasible.
In fact, here is a list of "possible" activities you might consider as milestones. Some are incredibly tiny. Others are large and the list is not in any particular order. But you could take this list and use it to create a list of your own, by which you can confirm that you've accomplished some particular goal. You can add time objectives to the list (I did but I also allow myself to change them as circumstances have changed). This is exactly what my therapist mailed me and contains her comments at the top of the quote unedited. This is how I created my own personal milestone list. And you can add things. I've added voice feminization surgery to mine, for example.
Quote
This is an exercise that will help you start to conceptualize the possible steps of your transition. Not everyone does all of these activities, as each person's transition is unique. However these represent many of the common things that individuals do as a part of transitioning from male to female. These items are in no particular order. For each item, please indicate if you are currently engaging in the activity, and if not would you like to? If so, please indicate if you would like to engage in this activity during the next 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24+ months so that we can work together on your initial timeline.
- Purchase makeup
- Practice applying makeup
- Purchase nail polish and polish nails
- Get a manicure/pedicure
- Acrylic nails
- Purchase shoes with heels
- Purchase women's underwear/bra
- Practice walking in shoes
- Select a new name
- Try out different styles of clothes and accessories
- What colors do you like?
- What do you see yourself wearing to feel your best?
- What is your personal style?
- How long do you want to spend getting ready in the morning?
- Introduce self by female name
- Practice dressing up at home
- Use feminine pronouns when referring to yourself
- Request others use feminine pronouns when referring to you
- Attend TransHouston group
- Wax/Shave/electrolysis
- Face
- Arms
- Legs
- Chest
- Eyebrows
- Hormone therapy
- Estrogen
- Testosterone blockers
- Surgery
- Orchiectomy
- Breast augmentation
- Facial feminization
- Gender reassignment
- Legally Change Name
- Learn how to "tuck"
- Voice training
- Use women's restroom
