--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s…" description: "\"“If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn’t going to be amazing. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/seth-godin-152_bars_if-you-set-your-bar-at-amazing-it-s-awfu_3114321.jpg" --- # If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s awfully difficult to… ![“If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn’t going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either. Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you’ve created, the easiest path…” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/seth-godin-152_bars_if-you-set-your-bar-at-amazing-it-s-awfu_3114321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/seth-godin-152_bars_if-you-set-your-bar-at-amazing-it-s-awfu_3114321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/seth-godin-152_bars_if-you-set-your-bar-at-amazing-it-s-awfu_3114321.jpg) > ““If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn’t going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either. Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you’ve created, the easiest path is no path. Shrug. Admit defeat. Hit delete. One more reason to follow someone else and wait for instructions. Of course, the only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing. But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that’s where you are.”” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perfectionism stalls progress; starting imperfectly is essential, and repeated attempts lead to improvement. **In simple terms:** Start imperfectly; keep going. Key Takeaway Begin now, accept imperfection. Themes creativity productivity perfectionism growth Mood hopeful encouraging Type advice motivational When to use this quote - writing first draft - design prototype - business plan - artistic work Key Concepts iteration learning curve risk tolerance Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take today? - How can you reframe “not yet amazing” as progress? A Different Perspective Perfection can be paralyzing; may cause procrastination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Created Easiest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-easiest-5447401/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Easiest Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easiest-path-546033/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Formulas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formulas/) [Gaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaps/) [Going Amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-amazing-357013/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Instruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruction/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Paragraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph/) [Paragraph Sketch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph-sketch-5447402/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Path Amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path-amazing-1680309/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sample](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sample/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Where you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where-you-are/) ## Related quotes > [The only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-only-path-to-amazing-runs-directly-through-not-yet-amazing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing . But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that's where you are. For now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-only-path-to-amazing-runs-directly-through-not-yet-amazing-but/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“But who ever said the easiest path is the one you should choose?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/but-who-ever-said-the-easiest-path-is-the-one-you-should-choose/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Just go out there and do it. It's not the easiest path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ritchie/just-go-out-there-and-do-it-it-s-not-the-easiest-path/) [Michael Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ritchie/) > [Water always seeks the easiest path, the common level of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/water-always-seeks-the-easiest-path-the-common-level-of-life/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Water finds the easiest path down a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lomenda/water-finds-the-easiest-path-down-a-mountain/) [Michael Lomenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lomenda/) > [“Failure isn't a reason to give up. It's the price of progress. We learn from it, we grow from it, we become better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-skovron/failure-isn-t-a-reason-to-give-up-it-s-the-price-of-progress-we-learn/) [Jon Skovron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-skovron/) > [“You and me," he shouted. "We're going to make new memories. Ones that you aren't afraid of. And it's going to be amazing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mclean/you-and-me-he-shouted-we-re-going-to-make-new-memories-ones-that-you/) [Jay McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mclean/) > [Today I am going to be amazing.along with everyday hereafter unless I change my mind..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-i-am-going-to-be-amazing-along-with-everyday-hereafter-unless-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So many of my staff is young enough that they're going to do amazing things. And I'm going to be helping them try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-many-of-my-staff-is-young-enough-that-they-re-going-to-do-amazing/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today I am going to be amazing,along with everyday hereafter..until I change my mind!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-i-am-going-to-be-amazing-along-with-everyday-hereafter-until-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I swear when I'm successful and have the money I'm going to do the most amazing random acts of kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-swear-when-i-m-successful-and-have-the-money-i-m-going-to-do-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He licked at her lips."We are going to have some amazing children. The best this world has ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/he-licked-at-her-lips-we-are-going-to-have-some-amazing-children-the/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [I'm the lucky one. I didn't think that I would ever want someone to have the kind of power over me that you hold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurora-rose-reynolds/i-m-the-lucky-one-i-didn-t-think-that-i-would-ever-want-someone-to/) [Aurora Rose Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurora-rose-reynolds/) > [I think it's going to be amazing to see how the world of microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, and human physiology is massively changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rubins/i-think-it-s-going-to-be-amazing-to-see-how-the-world-of-microbiology/) [Kathleen Rubins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rubins/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. 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We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) [Browse all 1,768 Bars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you set your bar at ‘amazing’ it’s awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn’t going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either. Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you’ve created, the easiest path is no path. Shrug. Admit defeat. Hit delete. One more reason to follow someone else and wait for instructions. Of course, the only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing. 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