Be like Malcolm Gladwell's father -

Today, I challenge you to be like Malcolm Gladwell's father.
He knew how to set goals, how to measure success,
and how to do the right things badly.

What does that mean?

If you want the entire story, listen to this awesome podcast

But in summary, Malcolm Gladwell explained that growing up they lived in a very cold climate. And his father wanted a garden. In order to have a garden in a very cold climate, he needed to build a greenhouse.

And as the story goes, he built the ugliest greenhouse you can imagine. Malcom Gladwell says, "there wasn't a right angle in the whole place."

But....his father was not trying to build a greenhouse. He was trying to grow plants. And that is exactly what he did.

If he had spent all of his time and energy trying to build a beautiful greenhouse, he might have been able to do that well enough -
but he would have delayed success on his actual goal.

Gladwell's father knew that he only had to build a functional greenhouse and he was totally fine with doing that part badly...because he was more focused on the thing that he already knew how to do well - gardening.

So...what are you focusing on?
What is the outcome that is truly most important to you?

Consider everything else a greenhouse.
Be willing to do it badly so that it doesn't stop you from doing the thing you really wanted to do in the first place.

Often, the projects that we care about the most also involve things that we don't care that much about -
or worse...that we don't actually know how to do.

Identify a current project or goal that is important to you.

Now, is there an aspect of that project that you are spending too much time on - an aspect that you could essentially "do badly" so that you can get back to focusing on your real goal.

Write yourself a permission slip.

Permission to do ________________ badly so that I can focus on my real goal.

(And as always, don't forget to sign it).