When a change scares you, shrink it until it doesn’t. A semester, not a degree. A month, not forever.

Fear tracks size and permanence far more than difficulty. A whole degree is terrifying and a single term is just a term, even though the first few months of both are identical, which means you can usually keep the ambition and shrink only the commitment. The thing your head is refusing is almost never the work. It is the length of the sentence.

So write down the smallest version that still counts, with an end date attached. One term, four weeks, three sessions, one shift. Agree with yourself that you will decide again at the end.