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Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Jon Acuff (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 7,740 ratings · 971 reviews

Year after year, readers pulled me aside at events and said, “I’ve never had a problem starting. I’ve started a million things, but I never finish them. Why can’t I finish?

According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You’ve practically got a better shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina than you do at finishing your goals.

For years, I tho Year after year, readers pulled me aside at events and said, “I’ve never had a problem starting. I’ve started a million things, but I never finish them. Why can’t I finish?

According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You’ve practically got a better shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina than you do at finishing your goals.

For years, I thought my problem was that I didn’t try hard enough. So I started getting up earlier. I drank enough energy drinks to kill a horse. I hired a life coach and ate more superfoods. Nothing worked, although I did develop a pretty nice eyelid tremor from all the caffeine. It was like my eye was waving at you, very, very quickly.

Then, while leading a thirty-day online course to help people work on their goals, I learned something surprising: The most effective exercises were not those that pushed people to work harder. The ones that got people to the finish line did just the opposite— they took the pressure off.

Why? Because the sneakiest obstacle to meeting your goals is not laziness, but perfectionism. We’re our own worst critics, and if it looks like we’re not going to do something right, we prefer not to do it at all. That’s why we’re most likely to quit on day two, “the day after perfect”—when our results almost always underperform our aspirations.

The strategies in this book are counterintuitive and might feel like cheating. But they’re based on studies conducted by a university researcher with hundreds of participants. You might not guess that having more fun, eliminating your secret rules, and choosing something to bomb intentionally works. But the data says otherwise. People who have fun are 43 percent more successful! Imagine if your diet, guitar playing, or small business was 43 percent more successful just by following a few simple principles.

If you’re tired of being a chronic starter and want to become a consistent finisher, you have two options: You can continue to beat yourself up and try harder, since this time that will work. Or you can give yourself the gift of done. ...more

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Kindle Edition, 206 pages

Published September 12th 2017 by Portfolio

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· 7,740 ratings · 971 reviews

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Nov 28, 2017 LK rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fic

Well, I finished. So that's a start. ...more

flag 108 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2018 Jenny Baker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, nonfiction, psychology-self-help

Wow, this book got me thinking about how I think, and that’s always a good thing. These are some of my favorite points in the book and apologize for the length.

***Spoiler Alert*** --> Warning, I'm about to ramble.

“If you want to finish, you’ve got to do all that you can to get rid of your perfectionism right out of the gate. You’ve got to have fun, cut your goal in half, choose what things you’ll bomb, and a few other actions you won’t see coming at first.”

There are four lies that perfecti ...more

flag 66 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2017 Charmin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: habits-productivity-simple

HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Strategic incompetence - choose to suck at something that drains energy.

2. Data kills denial.

3. Perfectionism shows us a distorted view of the world.

4. Fear or victory - pick which one motivates you and add it to as many tasks as possible.

5. Perfectionism gets louder only when people get moving.

6. Expose your hiding place: if something is stealing from your reserves, eliminate it.

7. Perfectionism is a desperate attempt to live up to impossible standards.

8. Data tells us the trut ...more

flag 39 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2018 Hope Eifert rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-to-read

I love self-help books, and I usually get some good take-always, but every once in a while, I discover one that is a game-changer for me--like this one. I am a chronic starter (and daydreamer) and this book completely resonated with me. He identifies all the sneaky ways we let perfectionism sabotage our goals, and he's funny and relatable along the way.

I don't re-read books too often, but I'm already planning to read this one 2-3 more times this year. It was totally exactly what I needed. ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Bethany added it

finished it :)

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2017 Nicole Conlan rated it liked it

I thought this book was totally fine, and an easy read, but nothing particularly revelatory. Maybe it's because over the past year or so I've gotten much better at finishing what I start, so nothing here was particularly groundbreaking, but I could see how this would be useful to past-me, when I had a thousand incomplete projects. Also didn't love the trying-to-be-funny tone. You know that CoCo Chanel quote about taking one accessory off before you leave the house? I wish the author had done tha ...more

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Jan 10, 2019 Annie rated it really liked it

There are a few good tips in this book. For example, perfectionism stops most people from finishing their goals. For example, we start going to the gym regularly in January. But then after missing a few days, we quit "I blew it. I can't meet this goal." Or even before we start, we pick the "perfect" goal, like "run a marathon by the end of the year" (although we have never ran 5K).

The steps in the book are basic but still good advice:
* Think back to other goals you've attempted. Were they too bi ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2017 Casey rated it it was amazing

Anyone else have a book inside you? Anyone else have a dream that maybe you've started a hundred times or more...but never really quite completed? Anyone else chased by the spectre of perfection, that mean ugly voice that says if you can't do it perfectly, why bother?

This book is for you, then. Dream, yes. But DO. The world needs to hear your voice.

Now pardon me while I go write. ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Andrew Shaffer rated it liked it

Lost interest halfway through and skimmed until the end. That’s what I call “giving myself the gift of done.” 🤗

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Jul 01, 2019 BookOfCinz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-reads, books-to-read-before-30, cant-shut-up-about-this, life-changing, absolute-favorite, believe-the-hype, inspiring-and-motivating, real-life-sh-t, self-improvement, loved

Jan 8, 2021 This is my third time reading this book and I am happy I did before doing my vision board. I want 2021 to be the year I finish and I think going with the key advice in this book:
- Make the goal FUN
- Cut the goal in half
- Forget perfect!
I think these will really help in making 2021 be the year I finish and finish strong.

According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. But though 100 percent start, only 8 percent finish. Statistically you’ve got the same shot at ge Jan 8, 2021 This is my third time reading this book and I am happy I did before doing my vision board. I want 2021 to be the year I finish and I think going with the key advice in this book:
- Make the goal FUN
- Cut the goal in half
- Forget perfect!
I think these will really help in making 2021 be the year I finish and finish strong.

According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. But though 100 percent start, only 8 percent finish. Statistically you’ve got the same shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina as you do at finishing your goals. Their acceptance rate is about 8 percent, tiny dancer.

This entire book spoke to me on such a higher level. The title alone had me going Finish: Give Yourself The Gift of DONE , I mean, who doesn't want to have the gift of done? I am a serial starter, I always ready to go begin something. I have had so many firsts/day ones.... but I can hardly remember the finish or getting to the end. This book is EXACTLY what I needed to read to get the second half of 2019 started.

While there might not be anything new explored in this book, especially if you read a lot of self-improvement books, what Jon Acuff does is get to the heart of WHY we don't finish what we start. Why we don't finish can be summed up in one word Perfection . According to Jon Acuff developing tolerance for imperfection is the key factor in turning chronic starters into consistent finishers. . This blew my mind, cause I have been letting perfection get in the way of me finishing goals. If I mess up, I decide I need to quit and start over... on a Monday of course....

If you have been having problems finishing, I HiGHLY recommend you give this book a read. It offers practical ways for you to get over those finish lines.

P.S. That’s why the day after perfect is so important. This is the make-or-break day for every goal. This is the day after you skipped the jog. This is the day after you failed to get up early. This is the day after you decided the serving size for a whole box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is one. The day after perfect is what separates finishers from starters.

MUST READ! ...more

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Oct 20, 2017 Kimberly Gordon rated it it was amazing

THIS WAS SO GOOD FOR ME! I’ve read a bit about my personality type, and know enough that I’m *pretty* Type A, and do a lot of things out of a motivation of perfection. So pretty much everything Jon had to say in Finish about setting goals and finishing them-not perfectly, but finishing, was convicting for me.
He’s super funny, as usual, and that makes it enjoyable to read, but his wisdom about how to finish goals by cutting them in half somehow, intentionally choosing to bomb certain things to a ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2017 Elizabeth Bienas rated it it was amazing

Acuff's best book, by far. The research that went into the examples here is relatable. The advice is practical and can implemented right now without extra time or money. Tons of added humor and zero fluff. Loved it! ...more

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Oct 14, 2019 Erica Clou rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-male, 4-5, nonfiction, 0-borrowed, diet, 2017, self-help, business, 2010s, productivity

A short and useful book. Here's what I got from it, but it might be worth a second read.

Pick a fun goal! And fun ways to achieve the goal.
Make the goal smaller than you originally want
Make the timeline to achieve your goal longer
Don't let "noble" prerequisites get in your way.
Don't let perfectionism stop you when you're almost done. (Actually usually for me, it's the opposite-- it's pessimism that gets me before I'm done.)
And you don't need to figure out what's next before you're done.

What are ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Oct 06, 2017 Lora rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned

I enjoy Jon Acuff's books, especially his injection of humor. Sometimes the humor becomes a bit overpowering as he gets too caught up in anecdotes or humorous asides. In his latest book, Finish, he tipped the scale. Instead of humorous interjections scattered throughout the book to keep it lively, it was distracting to the extent that I would derail from the point he was trying to make, following him down a rabbit hole. I was hoping for guided wisdom and thoughtful approaches with some humor wov ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 29, 2019 Tunkabean rated it it was amazing

I loveddd this book! I'll post a longer review later & some quotes. But this was definitely a 10/10 for me ...more

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Jun 18, 2019 Jane Maloy rated it it was amazing

Such a great book about facing your fears of perfection. Perfection is the enemy for the entirety of the book and he shows you how you can shine light on your sense of shame and get those projects done once and for all! Perfection is says you couldn’t possibly bring yourself to finish your goals, but acuff says you make adjustments, cut yourself some slack and cross that almighty finish line.

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Oct 22, 2018 Martti rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you want to finish, you’ve got to do all that you can to get rid of your perfectionism right out of the gate. You’ve got to have fun, cut your goal in half, choose what things you’ll bomb, and a few other actions you won’t see coming at first.
We intentionally make things harder on ourselves. People who reach their goals find ways to make things easier on themselves.
Strategic incompetence - choose to suck at something that drains energy.
Perfectionism is a desperate attempt to live up to impos ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2019 Adriane Devries rated it it was amazing

Shelves: business, eunoia

As queen of starting new things, I create a lot of personal angst for myself by leaving a trail of dismembered, unfinished projects lying about, both physically in my space and metaphorically in the landscape of my imagination. For months (let's be honest, years. OK, almost a decade), the bare skeleton of an armchair awaits reupholstering. Large canvasses fester with only a background and no subject painted. Several beginnings of books brood in my laptop. Guitars and other stringed instruments c As queen of starting new things, I create a lot of personal angst for myself by leaving a trail of dismembered, unfinished projects lying about, both physically in my space and metaphorically in the landscape of my imagination. For months (let's be honest, years. OK, almost a decade), the bare skeleton of an armchair awaits reupholstering. Large canvasses fester with only a background and no subject painted. Several beginnings of books brood in my laptop. Guitars and other stringed instruments collect dust, along with the determination to serenade ones of people in pubs. Bulbs remain burned out, unchanged. At some point, though, I get fed up and say, "Sh*t needs to get done!" That's when I pick up a book like Finish by Job Acuff, and borrow his wisdom and practical courage, some of which I will now share with you.

Working hard for something we don't care about causes stress and burnout. On the other hand, working hard for something we do care about is called passion. Choose goals you--NOT everyone else--actually care about. Then,

Decide:
1. How important is this goal?
2. Are you motivated by reward or punishment?
3. What is actually fun for you?

Ignore "noble" goals--oh, like get a degree in British literature--and toxic/fake reasons not to finish, like, "I don't want to neglect my family responsibilities by writing this groundbreaking novel," when all I'm really doing is sitting on a beach avoiding writing.

Then:
1. Cut your goal in half
It may sound inelegant, but statistically it works. Narrow that ambition! Example: maybe you don't need to write a whole novel. Maybe just a short story? Song? Book review?
2. Choose what you're going to bomb. Example: playing badly at open mic night is still a victory--IF--you actually do it, amiright?
3. Make it fun if you want it done
Find the reward and/or consequence that speaks just to you. Don't want to wear a Trump t-shirt to a democrat rally? Get the most petition signatures or whatever. That kind of thing. Bets, badges, followers, likes. Whatever works, do YOU!!

"Fun is often weird," says Acuff.
Finish the sentence: "This is weird, but I find ______ fun." Then, add 3 small points to make it even more fun, more challenging. For example, I think Pokemon Go is fun. If I finish paying the bills, I will go Pokemonning, guilt-free. Added point: if I finish the bills by a certain time today, I will have extra time to go to a different city nearby to to hit some new pokestops. See how I magically turned boring bills into the best thing ever?!

"Perfectionism has no room for weird," Jon implores. Be weird. Be uniquely you. Motivate yourself with something you actually love and consider fun, not some imaginary standard others flock around. I don't have to be a Farmhouse Girl and get shiplap, praise God, and neither do you! Find your fun and get it done.

To prove this book actually works, here is what I accomplished after finishing this book. One: I finished this book. Two: I wrote this review. Three: I had fun doing it. ...more

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Jan 13, 2020 Andrew Scholes rated it really liked it

Enjoyed the read. It was a excellent example of things I did not do. Part of my problem was having so many balls in the air at the same time.

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Dec 27, 2017 Leah rated it liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, advice

This book was longer than necessary. In fact, I picked it up because of the lovely Grant Snider drawing based on the book (which I love! And bought the print of!) The book has these ideas, but they are peppered between bizarre pop cultural references I did not enjoy. I fear I just don't share Acuff's humor. It's rather juvenile and from a strong male gaze.

In addition, he mostly focused on procrastination as the barrier to finishing. I think this is a barrier for many people. But it's not my barr ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: chronic starters who struggle with finishing projects. Procrastinating perfectionists!

Recommended to Lauren by: Michelle

Where are my fellow recovering perfectionists at? This one's for us!

First of all, Jon Acuff's writing is a breeze to read because of how gosh darned funny he is. My margins are littered with the words "ha ha" and deranged smiley faces from all the moments that had me snickering. (I had to read the bit about Taco Bell aloud to my husband. It had us rolling and could have been delivered as stand-up.)

But amidst all of his laugh-out-loud humor is real practical, actionable advice for how go from bei ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Julia rated it did not like it

I like Jon and his perspective, but I did not find value in this book. I preordered the book and really wanted to love it, but I feel like it missed out on depth.

It would have been helpful to hear more from the participants in the study and how their life has been impacted by the techniques in this book. From what I remember, I believe there were less than 5 stories from participants. What was the ratio of projects started and finished before the study? What was the ratio after? Did the partici ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 Kati Davis rated it it was amazing

I was a little extra proud to click the "I'm finished" button for this one. ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Erin rated it it was amazing

I am a starter. So many projects half done, so many books half read... This book is perfect for people like me who have NO trouble getting started, but get tripped up or slowed down on the way to the finish. I want to get things done in 2018 and Jon Acuff gives the tools and motivation (and laughs) I need to get there! A lot of the exercises and questions really messed with me in a good way because they forced me to deal with fears and excuses I hadn’t fully realized were there. I’ll be referrin ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 Catherine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

3.5/4? In an ironic twist of fate I almost didn't finish this book because it got returned to library before I was done with it. But figured it would be a sorry state of affairs to not finish a book about finishing, haha.

It was an interesting enough read. Short and to the point. It had some good thoughts that I haven't heard before, such as "half your goal or double your timeline." It seems counterintuitive, but it's all about fighting off the perfectionism that ruins so many goals. I was a lit ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Daniel rated it it was amazing

Overall a great read and very motivating. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes starting new projects but doesn't get past the first "ooh look, something shiny" moment.

I took notes for each chapter, take a browse to see if this is a book you want to spend some time with:

1. The day after perfect
* Lots of people can be motivated to start and can do ok for a while, but the day they miss doing their goal, they give the whole thing up instead of getting back on track.
* Perfectionism is the nu ...more

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Jan 02, 2018 Elizabeth Harrod rated it it was amazing

What a funny, inspiring, and practical read! This was a great book to start off the new year with, and I feel *much* more equipped to tackle some goals for the semester. I admire Acuff's authenticity as well as the amount of research he included. I would absolutely recommend this book, especially to those with perfectionist tendencies. ...more

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Apr 25, 2018 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I found this book to be so helpful! It details practical steps you can take to increase your productivity. It talks of self awareness and self evaluation a lot. I loved it. I’m considering buying a copy for everyone on my team.

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Apr 07, 2018 Zen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: change

It actually felt great to finish this book. The best thing about this book is it has helped me to understand where the "mental blocks" I kept running into were coming from and how to circumvent them. I've already incorporated many things from the book into my daily life and I've been more productive recently than I have in months. It's nice to actually have actually completed some of the things I'd started and never got around to. Definitely worth the read, and I will most likely reread this aga ...more

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Jun 14, 2019 Karin Garcia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I really like the tone of this author. I have read his book "Stuff Christians Like", and I found it quite funny. This one was just so practical. It wasn't as over the top as so many inspirational books are. This made finishing your goals seem manageable. I also enjoy the jokes that he peppers throughout. I'm giving it 5 stars because it's one of the first non fiction reads that has prompted me to immediately put into action the things that I had read. ...more

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About Jon Acuff

Jon Acuff

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Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of six books, including his most recent Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller, "Finish: Give yourself the gift of done."

Published in more than a dozen languages, his work is both critically acclaimed and adored by readers. After reading "Do Over," marketing legend Seth Godin wrote in his endorsement, "This is the best career book ever written. I'm not ...more