Something to think about
“It doesn’t have to be perfect” is a reminder that I need to hear more often. A newsletter that came to my own inbox last week talked about the difference between motion and action. “Motion feels like progress. Action is progress.” The author illustrates this by comparing talking to a personal trainer and brainstorming book ideas (motion) to doing a set of squats or writing a sentence (action). I like the distinction that he makes here, particularly because he emphasizes starting small. What I think gets lost in this distinction is the importance of moving from motion to action, and the consequences of failing to do so.
Personally, I can get so lost in the motion phase that I create an irreconcilably large rift between motion and action. I plan, brainstorm, and imagine so meticulously that converting my motion to action at my desired standard is nearly impossible. Left unchecked, the inability to meet my own expectations of action results in paralysis. I don’t make progress, because it’s easier to do something else (or nothing at all) than it is to try and convert grand plans into equally grand results. This is why I need to be reminded that action doesn’t always have to be perfect, and that small goals and wins compound.
Life happens, and inevitably will get in the way of plans that you make in the motion phase. Learning to pivot around these interruptions will allow you to keep moving forward. Maybe your perfect day involves a 1-hour workout in the morning. The snooze button puts you 15 minutes behind. Will you pivot to an abbreviated, at-home variant? Or scrap the workout entirely and try again tomorrow? If a “perfect” day means nailing the 1-hour workout, maybe a “good” day looks like improvising a 35-minute at-home variant that keeps you on track. Plus, when is the last time you heard someone say that they had a perfect day?
Like I said before, I need this reminder on a regular basis. Biting off more than you can chew when planning only leads to disappointment, which won’t help you get where you want to go. Many a well-intentioned weekend of reading, writing, and cleaning has devolved into ordering takeout, watching too many episodes of a new show and going to bed too late. But pivoting towards small goals and little wins can rectify the weekend by making some progress rather than losing hope and repeating the same cycle.
Have someone remind you that your life doesn’t have to be a masterpiece every day. Be realistic. Yes, I do believe that you are infinitely more capable than you think you are, but work slowly towards that potential by building a habit of turning motion into action, even if it means pivoting towards improvised plans. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Cheers,
Book News
I’ve started taking some of my own advice and have been cutting down my measurements of progress into small pieces. It’s a lot easier getting started when you tell yourself you want to write a page or two rather than trying to sit down and write 3,000 words. It’s also letting me explore single scenes a little more intensely than before. Rather than trying to write a lot to advance the plot, I’ve set smaller goals and it’s allowing progress to come a little more slowly, but also more consistently.
Extras
What I’m Reading
Atomic Habits by James Clear - If it wasn’t clear in the last letter where I mentioned him by name, I finally got around to picking up the bestseller and wasn’t disappointed. I think its success comes from its simplicity. The explanations of habit-forming and the applications of lessons are laid out in chapters, summary bullet points, and graphs. No matter your learning style, you should be able to pick this up and find some practical value.
A Course Called Ireland by Tom Coyne - I was supposed to spend 10 days of this month in Ireland playing golf, but life got in the way and those plans have been delayed a year. I picked up this book after listening to Tom Coyne on a podcast, and it was an enjoyable escape to the Emerald Isle—albeit vicarious. Coyne decided to walk the perimeter of the country playing every course that crossed his path. I would recommend it to the golf fan more so than to anyone else, but I delighted in reading about the hard road and pints of Guinness from my warm and dry apartment.
The Last Child by John Hart - Ten years ago I was bound for my first year at Woodberry Forest School, an all-boys boarding school in Virginia. This book, written by an alumnus, was chosen by the headmaster as the required summer reading. A young boy in Carolina tirelessly searches for his missing twin sister in what turns out to be quite a thriller. Returning to the story a decade later, it was even more compelling than I had remembered. Hart has since written a sequel, which I just recently picked up and will be opening soon.
What I’m Watching
A friend of mine told me to watch HBO’s “Succession,” which is precisely the show I spent my weekend watching with takeout. I’ve always been good about turning off episodes after cliffhangers, but I appreciate that Succession has a number of very natural break points between episodes that don’t mandate binge-watching.
Thank you for reading, I sincerely appreciate it. I would love to hear from you, whether it be your thoughts on anything above, or any recommendations on food, wine, movies, books, etc. that could find their way into a future issue. Or simply drop a note to say hello! Reach me at writejohnduffy@protonmail.com - I look forward to hearing from you.
A particular shout-out goes to any of you who thought of the Friends episode when reading the word “pivot” so many times in my above piece.
If you enjoyed this letter, and think someone else you know might enjoy it, too…