Progress Over Perfection
A reminder that bumps in the road are part of the process
👋Hello, my friend. This week was a short one due to the holiday, and as always seems to be the case, short weeks somehow feel even crazier than normal ones. It’s like we all try to jam five days' worth of work into four, and the result is chaos.
It’s got me thinking a lot about the idea of progress over perfection—how we often feel like we should be aiming for some perfect outcome, when in reality, that’s never a realistic goal. There’s this underlying thought that if we just do X, Y, and Z, we’ll get there—whether “there” is health, happiness, or some other version of success. But I think the reality is different. It’s about the journey, not the destination (yes, I know, cliché—but true).
Here’s a short article for a short week on where I’m seeing this play out in my own life and how I’m trying to think about it.
Let’s do it!
Fitness: Making Progress, Hitting Roadblocks 🏋️
I’ve been super focused this year on getting stronger, reducing body fat, and improving my overall fitness. So far, so good—I’ve been working out a ton, getting in some solid cardio, and putting in a lot of strength training. I’m hoping that when I get my DEXA scan and VO2 max tested again in June, I’ll see some real progress.
But of course, nothing is ever perfect. I recently starting experiencing some pain in both shoulders—especially when lifting—possibly a pickleball-related injury (I took a small tumble - like the rest of America’s been doing it sounds like) or maybe just a sign of getting old. Thus far, I’ve implemented the very wise strategy of ignoring the pain and hoping it would just go away. But I’m starting to realize I might actually need to see a physical therapist. And honestly, I don’t want to. I don’t want to be told that I need to take a break from lifting for three or six months. That would be so frustrating given the progress I feel like I’m making.
But I’m trying to remember—progress over perfection. Injuries, setbacks, and obstacles are just part of the process. Adapt rather than resist, in theory at least.
Podcasting: When Best-Laid Plans Go Sideways 🎧
This week, I recorded a podcast. I thought I planned it really well—I had a slightly different technical setup than usual but felt good about it. Then…technical difficulties hit. There’s a decent chance my guest was annoyed, and I know for sure that the issue affected the quality of the conversation. Now, the editing process is going to be tougher than usual.
Is it easy for me to be annoyed and frustrated? Yes. Is it worth stepping back and realizing that this experience will probably make me smarter and lead to a better process next time? Also, yes.
Progress over perfection.
Parenting: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back 👨👩👧👦
Any parent will tell you that parenting often feels like a constant game of progress, then regression. This week, I’ve seen everything from emotional outbursts from my four-year-old to questionable decision-making from my 13-year-old. So, basically a normal week.
Some moments make me feel like they’re maturing, making better choices, and growing in the right direction — I’m like “Wow, I’m kind of impressed by that kid.” And then…BAM. Boneheaded decisions. Tantrums. And my wife and I start questioning every parenting decision we’ve made for the last decade plus.
Again, is it easy to get really frustrated and annoyed? It is. Probably inevitable, actually.
But I’m also trying to remind myself that this is why good parenting is required. It’s a hard job because it’s supposed to be. There’s no perfect approach. We make mistakes. We learn. We adjust. And we get better. Progress.
Giving Ourselves Some Grace
I try to hold myself to high standards—in fitness, in my work, in parenting. But I also need to remember that I’m not always going to meet those standards, and that’s okay. The real win is in getting knocked down and getting back up. Man, I am hitting all the clichés today. It’s about seeing challenges as growth opportunities rather than failures.
So that’s my reminder to myself (and maybe to you, too): progress over perfection. Short weeks will feel crazy. Plans will go sideways. Parenting will test your patience. But the goal isn’t to be perfect—it’s to keep moving forward.
That’s it from me. I told you it was a short one this week.
See you next week.
Greg
Content Diet
📺Land Man - I’ve never really been a Billy Boy Thornton fan before to be honest but this show is pretty good. Some high-stakes drama on the oil fields of central Texas. Been enjoying this on Paramount+ which I have a reminder set to cancel as soon as we finish watching this show and March Madness. That’s the game these days, remembering to cancel all your subscriptions on the regular!
🎙️All-In Podcast - Man, this podcast has sucked me in recently. If you’re not familiar, it’s basically 3 (or 4 depending on the week) successful VC/tech guys talking about all the big current issues of the day from AI to geopolitics. It’s highly entertaining and full of (what I consider to be) mostly smart, informed takes.
That’s it! Thanks for reading!
Greg