Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

by Jon Acuff

Perfectionism will tell you, “If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.” And when we leave the idea of “right” undefined, it tends to get complicated, usually in one of two ways. In the first kind of noble obstacle, perfectionism sneakily tells you that you cannot move toward your goal until you do something else: “I can’t do X until Y.” In the second kind, perfectionism tells you that reaching your goal could actually produce bad results or make you a bad person.

What was a one-step goal—clean garage—turned into a sixteen-step project. Is it any wonder this noble obstacle will ensure that Bill never actually does anything with the garage? His wife would have been happy if he’d gutted the garage with a flamethrower, but in the face of such a wonderfully noble obstacle, her hands are tied. Bill is not alone. We all have our noble obstacles. You have some, too.

Some noble obstacles are personal and unique. They’re tailor-made to you and would be impossible to detail in a book that millions of people will read. (Speaking that into reality.) Others are common and easily identified, such as the word “until.” I’ve used this one in my own life many times.

Until I get rid of distractions I can’t get anything done. If we believe we have to eliminate all distractions before we get work done, we will never work. There will always be one more amazing distraction. Our minds will do anything to avoid the challenge of focusing on something. The second you hear the word “until” pop into your mouth, spit it out like Brussels sprouts that have been served without bacon. You can always tell how gross a vegetable is by how much bacon has to be added to it to do all the heavy lifting.

These guys are deploying the second kind of noble obstacle. Instead of saying “until,” they say, “if . . . then.” They claim that if they pursue their goal something bad will happen.

Often, the second kind of noble obstacle shows up in finances.

Or if money isn’t a factor, you can always claim humility as a noble obstacle: “Pursuing a goal is a solitary activity and therefore a selfish use of my time.”

You know you’re employing an “if . . . then” noble obstacle if you are only offering yourself two extreme options.

Actions: Ask the three questions to identify your hiding places.

Share your hiding places with a friend. Give them the permission and power to tell you when they see you hiding. Start creating a list of “next goals” so that you have a home for any new ideas that come up. Find a hose, like Jason, our furniture builder. (Try to simplify your goal in one way.) Admit and eliminate any side goals that you’ve taken on. Ask a close friend what he or she thinks your noble obstacles are.