--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s the Very Good Reason you cannot…" description: "\"“It’s the Very Good Reason you cannot pursue your goal. Perfectionism will tell you, “If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.” And whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/jon-acuff-8706_bad-person_it-s-the-very-good-reason-you-cannot-pur_1187015.jpg" --- # It’s the Very Good Reason you cannot pursue your goal… ![“It’s the Very Good Reason you cannot pursue your goal. Perfectionism will tell you, “If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.” And when we leave the idea of “right” undefined, it tends to get complicated, usually in one of two ways. In the first kind of noble obstacle…” quote by Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/jon-acuff-8706_bad-person_it-s-the-very-good-reason-you-cannot-pur_1187015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/jon-acuff-8706_bad-person_it-s-the-very-good-reason-you-cannot-pur_1187015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/jon-acuff-8706_bad-person_it-s-the-very-good-reason-you-cannot-pur_1187015.jpg) > ““It’s the Very Good Reason you cannot pursue your goal. Perfectionism will tell you, “If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.” And when we leave the idea of “right” undefined, it tends to get complicated, usually in one of two ways. In the first kind of noble obstacle, perfectionism sneakily tells you that you cannot move toward your goal until you do something else: “I can’t do X until Y.” In the second kind, perfectionism tells you that reaching your goal could actually produce bad results or make you a bad person. Would-be entrepreneurs often express fear that they’ll become workaholics”” [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfectionism creates false barriers, making us wait for ideal conditions or fearing negative outcomes, which stalls progress toward goals. **In simple terms:** Perfectionism blocks action with imagined obstacles. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection and act now. Themes perfectionism goal pursuit fear self‑sabotage Mood anxious determined hopeful Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - starting a business - writing a book - launching a product - personal development - creative projects Key Concepts psychology behavioral economics self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take despite imperfections? - How might embracing “good enough” change your results? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can also drive high quality and careful planning when balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-person/) [Goal Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-perfectionism-3505456/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Obstacle Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacle-perfectionism-3505458/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfectionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism/) [Perfectionism Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism-tell-3505459/) [Perfectionism Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectionism-tells-3505457/) ## Related quotes > [“There’s Still Time Perfectionism will tell you that you’ve spent so long in a hiding place that there’s no more time. You’ve missed some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/there-s-still-time-perfectionism-will-tell-you-that-you-ve-spent-so/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“This is the first lie that perfectionism tells you about goals: Quit if it isn’t perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/this-is-the-first-lie-that-perfectionism-tells-you-about-goals-quit/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Perfectionism always makes things harder and more complicated. Finishers make things easier and simpler. The next time you work on a goal, I dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/perfectionism-always-makes-things-harder-and-more-complicated/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Unfortunately, perfectionism dies slowly. 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Perfectionism will do anything to protect those impossible standards. It can’t let you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/perfectionism-is-a-desperate-attempt-to-live-up-to-impossible/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Instead of saying “until,” they say, “if . . . then.” They claim that if they pursue their goal something bad will happen. Maybe the finish will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/instead-of-saying-until-they-say-if-then-they-claim-that-if-they/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [Perfectionism is the death of a great room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mcdonald/perfectionism-is-the-death-of-a-great-room/) [Anne McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mcdonald/) > [“Keep going even when the going is slow and uncertain. Make your dream your prayer and your service. Don’t wait for recognition. 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Make it fun if you want it done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/cut-your-goal-in-half-choose-what-you-ll-bomb-make-it-fun-if-you-want/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Your emotions cloud your judgment. They form a perfect smoke screen for denial, making your path in life feel murky and confusing. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/your-emotions-cloud-your-judgment-they-form-a-perfect-smoke-screen/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [“Writers aren’t the only ones who use the first kind of noble obstacle. 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They make you feel like you’re doing well when in reality you’re not getting anywhere on your most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/hiding-places-are-tricky-like-that-they-make-you-feel-like-you-re/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) [Explore all 78 Jon Acuff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) ## More Bad person quotes > [“Claiming to be offended is a great way to elevate yourself at the expense of others: “Look at me! 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Stop stereotyping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-i-smoke-i-drink-i-have-tattoos-but-that-doesnt-mean-im-a-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hate when a mother prevents the father of her children from seeing his kids because she is mad that he moved on, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deshawn-branch/i-hate-when-a-mother-prevents-the-father-of-her-children-from-seeing/) [Deshawn Branch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deshawn-branch/) > [I fell down the stairs of the one level mental institute.so they put me in the safe cusion room but they found a bruise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-mcswain/i-fell-down-the-stairs-of-the-one-level-mental-institute-so-they-put/) [Trinity McSwain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-mcswain/) > [“Looks sure can be deceiving: not every ‘ugly’ person is a ‘bad’ person (or is guilty of whatever it is that they are accused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/looks-sure-can-be-deceiving-not-every-ugly-person-is-a-bad-person-or/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Its funny how you can be hurt so bad...from the person you least expected it from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-you-can-be-hurt-so-bad-from-the-person-you-least/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Being a good person likely is more related to distanced feelings of compassion and kindness, along with intelligence, self-control, and a sense of justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/being-a-good-person-likely-is-more-related-to-distanced-feelings-of/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“Good friendship, in Buddhism, means considerably more than associating with people that one finds amenable and who share one's interests. 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