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The Fun Starts Now
Once you get beyond the initial guilt of not being able to get everything done,
choosing what to bomb becomes sort of fun. The stress of perfectionism gives
way to laughter as you list the myriad things you’ll no longer accept shame
about.
I remember how happy my wife, Jenny, was when she quit my company. In
the first two years of running my own business, Jenny had quietly slid into the
role of assistant and travel agent. If that sounds to you like the recipe for a
marital disaster, you’re correct.
Finally, after the thousandth work-related argument, she said, “Suck it up
and pay for an assistant. I can’t be a good wife and a good employee.” She chose
to bomb employment so she could enjoy marriage. Hiring an assistant was also a

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to bomb employment so she could enjoy marriage. Hiring an assistant was also a
lot cheaper than marriage counseling.
That was a fun decision for Jenny to make and the ones you make will feel
fun, too. But not as much as what we’re going to do in the next chapter. Not
even close.
Actions:
1. Make a list of three things you could bomb during your goal. Use the red
light, green light approach.
2. For time drains you can’t bomb, figure out a way you could simplify
them.
3. Write down, in a secret place no one will see, three relationships you
might need to pause in order to finish your goal.

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H
CHAPTER 4
Make It Fun if You Want It Done
ave fun.
That’s it. Two words, one clear direction. Make sure your goal is fun.
Make sure you enjoy it. Make sure there’s laughing and smiling involved with
that thing you’re going to do.
Why do I even have to write this chapter?
Why in the world would anyone ever pick a goal they didn’t enjoy? Why
would someone pick something boring or painful or frustrating as their New
Year’s resolution?
It’s because perfectionism is sneaky. Perfectionism believes that the harder
something is, the more miserable something is, the better it is.
The fourth lie it tells you is: Fun doesn’t count.
You see this lie manifest very clearly in the two most popular forms of
goals: business and health.
People want to start their own business, get their finances in order, or find
their job more satisfying. They also want to eat better, get in shape, and feel
good about their bodies.
So they decide to come up with a goal, and it usually goes like this:
“I want to get in shape, therefore I should run.”
They start jogging, pounding the pavement before work or galloping on
treadmills after. They do well for a week or two, but eventually, like the 92
percent of people who start goals, they quit.
Why?
Because they failed to ask a very simple question:
“Do I enjoy running?”
Fun is a mortal enemy of perfectionism. What’s the point of joy? What’s the
value of fun? There’s no measurable ROI on it, and it doesn’t seem helpful. As a
result, we never ask ourselves, “Is this fun?”

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result, we never ask ourselves, “Is this fun?”
We never ask that question, assuming that if we don’t like doing something
it’s our fault. Even as we hate the exercise each morning, we tie on our shoes,
grimacing the whole time.
Perfectionism and fun are like oil and water. They don’t mix. Perfectionism
thinks fun is a waste of time and holds no value. Unfortunately, most of us tend
to feel the same way.