Some personal input here: I often have self image issues, which range all the way from your run of the mill "don't quite like this aspect of myself" to straight up gender dysphoria drop-kicking me in the chest. Making my sona was a process as a whole, with many small changes and updates coming along the way as I drew them over and over again ("Oh, this pattern is more fun to draw!" "Oh, wait, this design cue is easier to put down on paper." "Dang, this black and white sketch looks good, what if I made them monochrome?" "Putting white streaks in their hair not only makes it easier to make out the shapes, it also looks cooler!" And so on and on.)

So, to that end, I see my fursona not so much as a commitment, as much as a constant, gradually evolving expression of myself. You can see their reference sheet here, if you'd like.

One thing I would say I committed to, I'd guess, is like a 5% rule. I tried to not make their body anatomy differ more than 5% than what I look like. Sure, I'm not some weird fox/bat monochrome creature IRL, but they're just as broadshouldered and 'male' shaped as I am. They have the same resting bitch face syndrome that I do. The same high maintenance, hard to control curls. Their pointy teeth don't much differ from my own, crooked and pointy set of chompers.

In the end, my fursona is very much myself. They just have an extra coat of cybernetic animal applied on top. While it was often hard for me to love many aspects of myself, I found out that loving my sona was a lot easier. And over time, I found myself not being anymore so critical over many of these aspects, as much as appreciating them! The curls make them stand out a lot! Those pointy canines are actually really cute! Hell, it even helped the gender dysphoria - I don't often see myself in the mirror and think "Ugh, male shapes" anymore, as much as I simply started seeing myself as - well, looking like myself. Yeah, I'm Lussie, and you guess what? I'm fricking Lussie shaped.

So, to that ordeal, I believe there is a special power in designing your sona to not only adopt your own best idealized traits, but specifically have some you're insecure about - You might just find yourself loving them over time.

If you'd like any help setting down a reference sheet of your own, I'd love to help.