Probably a year ago now, I read In Other Words on the recommendation of a client.

It's a book about language learning, and the challenges and lessons that come with it.

(Impressively, the author, Jhumpa Lahiri, wrote it in her third language: Italian.)

An analogy in the book that resonated with me is how learning a language is like being on a beach, and having to swim out to an island to achieve fluency.

But most people—myself included—only ever venture a little off shore (think basic interactions), get uncomfortable, and return.

I've been trying to venture farther out lately.

On Tuesday, it was in the form of making conversation with a gym acquaintance I've only ever exchanged pleasantries with.

We were both getting our bags in the locker room, and I pushed myself to talk to him about:

• His training split (he's clearly a meathead)
• How he approaches his nutrition
• When he got into training
• The differences in Argentine and American gym culture

I had fewer than 50% of the words I needed, and stumbled a lot. But he understood what I was going for, and it was super productive for my confidence and conversation skills.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because it was a good reminder for me—and now hopefully for you—that you don't need to be perfect with something to make progress with it.

In fact, putting off taking action until you CAN be perfect is probably the very thing preventing you from making progress.

I see this all the time when people:

• Hold off on a coaching program until they can "fully commit" to it
• Don't plan any of their meals because 1-2 of them are still up in the air
• Stop tracking their food the second they know they'll go over their calories
• Quit programs and plans until things "settle down" so they can go all in again

But that's like me not talking to anyone in Spanish until I have all the vocab I need, and am completely confident. Or ending every interaction the second I can't come up with a word.

That'd make no sense, no?

I'll never get out to that damn island that way.

Just like you probably won't reach your goals if you keep putting off taking action every time you can't be perfect.

Or quit every time things don't go seamlessly.

We both just need to put together a string of good enough days and moments—not perfect ones.

Sam

P.S. If this resonated with you, too, I'd love to hear from you.