Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

by Jon Acuff

This is the first lie that perfectionism tells you about goals: Quit if it isn’t perfect. The genius in this first lie is subtle. It’s not “when” it isn’t perfect, because that hints at the reality that it won’t be. No, perfectionism tells you “if” it isn’t perfect, as if you have the chance to run the whole rack and go to the grave with a 100 percent on your tombstone.

The cocreator of the show Billions and cowriter of the movie Rounders, Brian Koppelman, once had a movie script he just couldn’t get financed. People in the business told him it would be impossible because of the dark subject matter. The financiers would never go along with his plan and it was a hopeless situation. Finally, after a few frustrating months, he went to Nike.com and designed an incredibly ugly pair of sneakers. Written across them in bright pink was the name of the movie he was working on. He had to wear the hideous shoes until he finished. That day he dedicated himself to taking at least one concrete action each day.

A hiding place is an activity you focus on instead of your goal. A noble obstacle is a virtuous-sounding reason for not working toward a finish. Both are toxic to your ability to finish.

Some hiding places are easily spotted as the unproductive traps they are. If you’re watching Netflix every time it’s time for you to do X, that’s a hiding place. You’re afraid to face the fear of imperfection that comes along with every endeavor, so you’re hiding from it by doing something that requires no skill. You might write a bad sentence on your blog, but no one’s going to critique the way you watch TV. “I just feel like he could be doing a better job of fast-forwarding through the opening credits of each show.”

Denial is neon in others and invisible in you.

I’ve never seen someone quit at mile 25 of a marathon. I’ve never seen someone say, “You know what? I’m almost done. I can see the finish line, but I don’t like free bananas. It’s time to call it a day.” I’ve never seen a runner who is afraid to finish.

When asked what he would have done if he never became a writer, Stephen King said, “I probably would have died of alcoholism around age 50. And I’m not sure my marriage would have lasted. I think people are extremely hard to live with when they have a talent they aren’t able to use.”