Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

by Jon Acuff

The words might be different, but they’re all saying the redundant same thing: “When it stopped being perfect, I stopped, too.”

This is the first lie that perfectionism tells you about goals: Quit if it isn’t perfect.

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.

That’s why a lot of people won’t start a new goal. They’d rather get a zero than a fifty. They believe perfect is the only standard, and if they can’t hit it they won’t even take the first step.

Second, developing tolerance for imperfection is the key factor in turning chronic starters into consistent finishers.

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.

perfectionism dies slowly. It’s persistent and particularly dangerous because it masquerades as excellence.

The moment you create that goal, you’ve made a silent promise. When you don’t finish it, you’ve broken that promise. You’ve lied to the person you spend the most time with. You.