Do you work a lot without motivation? Do you set a lot of goals without achieving any of them? Perhaps you are also one of those who stumble in the middle of the road; If so, then Jon Acuff’s ‘Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done’ book is for you.
However, before we refer to the point of view from which the Finish book is often dealt with, we have to say that the great value of this book is that it says that challenging and hard work is motivating in itself.
Perhaps you work a lot, and you do not find an incentive that motivates you to work, or drives you to it. However, the great glory, as we may notice by reading the book, is when you will realize that the achievement itself is an incentive.
Not everyone is indeed able to reach this feeling, and this is normal; As one will not reach the consideration of hard work stimulating and enjoyable, only after a long journey of misery and fatigue; But remember, nothing brings you more happiness than hard work.
The book intersects, from a certain perspective, with another book with the same idea, which is Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Perfection is deadly
We are on starting a new year, and most people are making big and ambitious plans for this new year, But the unfortunate truth is that most of these goals go unheeded.
So where is the problem? It is striving for perfection, and setting high goals and ambitions – there is no objection to this, and the author will tell you a way to deal with these ambitious goals – which people set and they exceed their capabilities and energies. Then they fail to achieve them, and after failing to achieve these goals, they fall prey to failure and remorse.
The author of the book says:
“You’ve probably spent most of your life choosing to do more than is possible and then, in the end, punishing yourself for not being able to do.”
Forget perfection; Perfection is not achievable, but instead, be realistic, just get involved in the work, and you will reach the greatest efficiency, and remember that most of those who do not think about perfection are more productive than others who seek complete perfection.
The next day to perfection
Well, perhaps, for example, if you want to follow a diet or practice a certain sport, then the common behavior is to drown yourself, all at once, in this diet, or exhaust yourself in the practice of this or that sport.
Then, what happens next? You will continue on this system for a few days, then one day you will lag behind this practice, and from here you will not return to the system again; I’ve had enough, man.
Look at the author of the book as he clarifies the matter, saying:
“A perfectionist will do their best to bring you down when you are working towards a goal.”
People often use language that reflects these feelings; To explain why they stopped pursuing a goal: “I fell behind, I couldn’t get back on track,” or “Life got in the way, and my plans derailed.” These excuses disguise perfectionism.
Many people don’t even bother to try, and they think that if they can’t be perfect, why should they make the effort? To finish your goals, just start and keep going; Even if you make mistakes, keep going.
Starting towards your goal on day one is not the most important step. This is the setting of the second day, the day after perfection.
Divide goals
If you have a big goal, you must not lag behind it. The brave and hardworking do not lag behind, but they work smartly; So what should you do?
The author of the book advises you to divide this big goal into two small goals, and to focus, in the first place, on accomplishing only 50% of it, and then go to the other 50%.
It is a logical and easy method that does not look at the greatness of the goal, nor the hardship of work. But you hint at the thrill of achievement that you will get when you finish it.
Realistic goals
Research says that setting realistic goals leads to much better performance than setting excessively perfect goals.
It took one company, says the book’s author, 20 years to generate $5 million in revenue on a product, and when the CEO suggested a target of $5 million in the next five years on a new, untested product, employees weren’t happy.
After a year of frustration, the company changed the goal several times, and then finally discarded it. An unrealistic goal, out of tune with existing capabilities and resources, will only frustrate you; Not to mention the great exhaustion that you will suffer from; Because you’re trying in the wrong place already.
Philosophy of voluntary failure and abandonment
The hardworking, who have already experienced the joy of achieving great goals, choose what they will give up, what they will fail at, or rather what they will not try. One cannot accomplish the most important things and succeed in them without abandoning what is useless.
Milan Kundera said in “Laughable Loves”:
“There are moments in life when a man retreats defensively when he must give ground when he must surrender less important positions in order to protect the more important ones.”
Well, you want to accomplish a lot of things, but this may be beyond human capacity, so what is the solution? Choose only what you will give up, give up what is less important to you, and focus, on the opposite side, on what is important and more useful.
So these are some of the book’s ideas, and there are many more in the book. You may also have many of your angles of view if you read it, as it is a book worth reading and contemplating; Especially with the beginning of a new year; So that you can accomplish and finish whatever goals you set for yourself.
