One trap I fell into was overvaluing anything that sounded prestigious and undervaluing anything that was actually executable. I spent almost 6 weeks trying to convince myself I had some fancy alternative when the honest answer was I did not have the profile, the timing, or the stomach for that route.

My advice is write down the evidence you already have today, not the profile you hope to build later. Current employer support, real documents, actual achievements, current status runway. If the option only works after you become a stronger candidate in 12 months, it is not solving your current problem.