I used to keep a Post-It note on my computer screen that read “LAND THE PLANE”. It was a simple yet powerful reminder to finish what I start. I love new ideas. I allow them to take off from my mental airport on a daily basis only to get stuck in a holding pattern circling the airport because I am already thinking about the next big idea to allow them to land.
I am a better starter than finisher. Anyone else have piles around the house of unfinished projects? My home is a gallery of them. I have purchased all the materials I need to complete the remodel of our kitchen. They are in our garage but our cabinets still do not have knobs. ???
After seeing many favorable reviews of Jon Acuff’s new book “Finish“, I thought it might be able to help. It is written in his fast conversational style with plenty of stories and asides designed to reinforce his point.
In Finish, he casts perfectionism as the great enemy of completing the goals we set. Based on research he conducted with a Ph.D. student who studied a series of students that participated in one of Acuff’s learning communities, he determined that over 80% of the people who set goals end up bailing on them before they reach the finish line.
To be honest, I read a lot of books like this and other than thinking it would be entertaining I did not have very high expectations. And, while there isn’t a lot of revolutionary ideas here, Finish did help me rethink some of the issues that prevent me from completing my goals.
Favorite Quotes
“The harder you try to be perfect, the less likely you’ll accomplish your goals.”
“But more than just analysis, perfectionism offers us two distinct distractions: Hiding places Noble obstacles 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.”
“This is the first lie that perfectionism tells you about goals: Quit if it isn’t perfect.”
“The tricky thing is that “until” often wears a cloak of responsibility. It pretends that it’s not about being lazy but rather about making sure everything is in order before you start. It would be foolish to come up with a great invoice system until I really know what my business is about. Once I have a core mission, the rest of the pieces will fall into place, but until then, it would be wasted effort.”
My Three Take-Aways – Finish
I Make Perfect the Enemy of Good
The number one reason I don’t finish what I start is that I have this thought in my head that if it isn’t done perfectly why even bother. By perfect, I don’t actually mean perfect- without flaw or blemish. What I mean is that if whatever project I have started doesn’t ultimately match the vision I had in my head, I end up bailing out.
Cognitively I understand that I can’t be perfect. This blog is a great example of this struggle. I have delayed attempting to write consistently on here for several years. Mostly because when I sit down to create a post, it almost never ends up being what I thought it would be. I’ve had to let go of this form of perfectionism and learn that “good” is better than “not done”.
I Bite Off More Than I Can Chew
One of the suggestions that Acuff gives is to “cut your goal in half”. Want to run a marathon? Maybe try a half marathon first. Want to generate a million dollars in revenue this year? Perhaps it makes more sense to shoot for 250k in the first quarter. Doing so might provide you with some early wins and help build momentum that would propel you on to reach a larger goal.
Because I am an idea guy, I always overestimate what I can accomplish. I am very motivated by lofty goals. I am equally flattened when I fail to finish those goals. I’ve tried to take this advice to heart. I have set about 10 goals for myself this year across several different areas of my life. After reading Finish, I went back to that list and moved several of the benchmarks from 100% completion (perfect) to 75% completion (good). If I complete my exercise routine 75% of the time this year, that will still be really good for my health and enable me to stay encouraged if I flake out on it one day (like yesterday?).
The Most Important Day
Which brings me to what I most needed to learn from Finish. Acuff asks the question, “What is the most important day in terms of finishing our goals?” He argues that it isn’t the first day or really even the last day. The most important day of your goals is the day after imperfect. It is the day after you blow your diet, or a ton of money at the mall. How will you respond? Is all lost now because your project won’t be perfect? Or will you use today to get back on track?
Completion streaks are powerful motivators. They can also be deflating when they end. But, we can’t allow that to completely derail us from attaining our goal. I didn’t close my activity rings yesterday. I’ll survive and can try again today.
I am energized by accomplishment. Learning to finish more of what I start will only help me become a better husband, father, and leader. So, I am trying to take the pressure off my performance and not get discouraged when my image of perfect isn’t quite met.
How about you? How do you handle the day after perfect?
