The Catch Up

The Rundown

The 5 Minute Summary

Week three is a guide on objective assessment for the sake of motivation. While Acuff ascribes a hefty weighting to data analysis he implies its efficacy is far worth the effort. The implied issue is that often we fail to make objective assessments of our progress. Evaluation of clear and simple data provides perspective and encouragement. Acuff suggests we “pick one to three things [to] measure” then provides ten questions to help us evaluate a recent past project for insights. After analysis it allows us to adequately adjust the goal, the timeline, or our actions appropriately so we can finish.

Once finishing is near inevitable it is often disrupted by fear and uncertainty. This is counterintuitive to the final boost of energy one would expect when approaching the finish. We often harbor fear of what will happen next, that the outcome will not be perfect, or the lack of identity apart from the goal. These three final fears of perfection as defined by Acuff are driven by internal motivations. Understanding the misguided search for control of the outcome, lowered expectations of a failure, or abject martyrdom is common in the final stretch.

Acuff concludes where he began with “the worst thing that perfectionism does. It keeps you home. It traps you on the couch. It makes sure you never try.” This highlights that the start is important but what we rarely realize is a goal is a promise to oneself at conception. Once the idea has been put forth without properly structuring the project we have quit and continued the cycle of not finishing. We should allow ourselves to ponder and pursue these goals to fruition.

The Refinery

The Practical Takeaways

Data provides perspective but often in an organization data is routine rather than impactful.

• What data can you standardize across your team members? How can buy-in be led by the metrics? 

• What is the simplest and most easily derived metric from your personal goal? What is the MVP (minimum viable product) in data terms you can track immediately?

The fear of finishing can derail progress in the final hours.

• When working with your team, are patterns of self sabotage evident in some team members? How disruptive can a single individual be to a group?

• As a leader in what capacity do you have the next set of goals in place to provide a vision for the future post finishing?

Acuff drives home that unrealized and unpursued goals can become “ghosts that haunt you.”

• What projects have you “started” unofficially without fully committing?

• Can confronting your ghosts allow for closure with unrealized potential?

• In what ways does personal accountability inform self-esteem?

• How do you overcome missed opportunities with fresh innovation? What would it take for great new ideas to be the norm in your organization?

The Round Up

The Detailed Report

Chapter 7

“Progress, on the other hand, is quiet. It whispers. Perfectionism screams failure and hides progress.”

A little data can make a big difference. Acuff’s thesis for the chapter is best observed as such: “We want our goals to have compounding interest, not diminishing returns. We hope that with each passing accomplishment, the progress will grow and momentum will build, but that’s rarely how things go.”

In reality the perception of previous successes and failures develops an internal yard stick. Unfortunately, because of the limitations of human memory this measurement tool is heavily distorted by perfectionism. This issue is further compounded by ignorance fostered by denial of true sustained progress. Acuff provides many examples of simple points of data and encourages the adoption of no more than three to begin. Using this new data allows for a controlled adjustment of goal, timeline, and activity horizons. This becomes a principle of particular concern with entrepreneurs who often struggle with over focusing on the finish line. This malleable vision can make some “move their horizon, never actually hitting their goal because they keep changing the definition of success.”

Chapter 8

“Because the day before done is terrifying.”  

Three fears that constitute the final hurdle to finishing are addressed by Acuff.

1. The fear of what happens next.

2. The fear that it won’t be perfect.

3. The fear of “what now?”

All of these fears stem from the understanding that the goal will truly be realized. All doubt over completion leaves and it is replaced by a panic often tied to identity. Acuff boldly asks what we are getting out of not finishing. There are misguided internal motives that drive this behavior. He clearly lays out that this myopic turmoil can be alleviated with outside accountability from a trusted friend.

Conclusion

“Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers.”

There is no end without a beginning. By providing the tools to finish, finally Acuff can ask us to start with confidence. He vividly describes unrealized dreams as a missed performance. He says perfectionism will make sure we never try if allowed to bias us. “Goals [we] refuse to chase don’t disappear—they become the ghosts that haunt [us].” Now we can move forward in a new paradigm where there is excitement for the start and consistency in the finish.

RSVP for the interview with Jon Acuff today, September 28th at 2:30pm Est.