Finish by Jon Acuff
Finish by Jon Acuff is one of my favorite productivity books. In this book review I share my thoughts and favorite quotes from the book.
According to studies, 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail. That’s a lot…Jon Acuff combats this problem with his book Finish.
Jon learned while conducting the 30 Days of Hustle that the most effective exercises were not those that pushed people to work harder. The ones that got people to the finish line did just the opposite…they took the pressure off.
Why? Because the real obstacle to meeting your goal is not laziness…the real obstacle is perfectionism.
About Jon Acuff
Jon Acuff is a New York Times-bestselling author.
He’s written some great books like Start, Quitter, Do Over, and Finish.
He’s a very popular public speaker and blogger. Check out Jon’s website here.
In 2010 Jon used his influence with his tribe to build two kindergartens in Vietnam. This is what leveraging your platform for the Kingdom looks like…and I love it!
I joined him for the first 30 Days of Hustle online challenge Jon conducted and heard him speak at a 5 Club meeting in Franklin, TN…at 5 am.
He’s an avid Instagrammer @jonacuff and even his bird has an account @2ouncesofattitude.
Overview
- Finish comes in at 196 pages.
- Broken down into 8 chapters.
The Big Takeaway from Finish
If you want to finish your goals: have more fun, kill hidden rules, and embrace imperfection.
My Favorite Quotes
- “The day after perfect is what separates finishers from starters.”
- “All you have to do is win more today than you did yesterday and repeat the whole thing tomorrow.”
- “The harder you try to be perfect, the less likely you’ll accomplish your goals.”
- “Cut your goal in half. Choose what you’ll bomb. Make it fun if you want it done.”
- “Perfectionism offers us two distinct distractions: hiding places and noble obstacles.”
- “Find someone with an amazing diploma and then borrow it. Perfectionism persist unless we ask questions.”
- “Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story. We don’t ever age out of needing someone to believe in us.”
My Thoughts on Finish
The book could have been called “How Not to be Perfect.” Do you want to keep starting projects never to finish them? If not, then read this book.
Finish has some great insights on why we finish our goals. Jon is witty, engaging, and one of my favorite authors. This book is not about adding pressure to finish everything, but is, instead, about taking pressure off.
Conclusion
Yes…the strategies in this book are counterintuitive…and yes…this book might make you feel like you’re cheating. However, the strategies in Finish are based on studies conducted by a university researcher with hundreds of participants.
You might not guess that having more fun, killing your secret rules, and embracing imperfection actually works. But the research says otherwise.
I love this book and have adopted these strategies in my own life. Simply put…they work. Stop starting and start finishing. Give Yourself the Gift of Done.
Buy the book on Amazon here.
Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on Finish. I’d also love to know if there’s a book you’d like me to read and maybe review. Coffee and book recommendations are the way to my heart.
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