Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction

Here's a story from Atomic Habits that I think about a lot.

A photography class experiment, in which the students were divided into two groups:

Quantity and Quality.

The Quantity group students would be graded on the sheer number of photos submitted during the semester.

100 photos would rate an A; 90 photos a B, 80 photos would earn a C, and so on.

While the students in the Quality group had to submit only 1 photo for the same semester.

To get an A grade, that photo had to be an almost perfect image.

The surprising twist?

The “Quantity Group” students submitted the best photos!

All semester long, they had been taking photographs, experimenting, making mistakes, learning, and honing their skills.

While those in the Quality group had been so busy speculating about perfection and unverified theories that they ended up submitting one mediocre-quality photo.

The first lesson here is that we tend to become so focused on the best approach for the best results that we actually never start taking real action.

The second is that the reason for not taking action is probably the fear of failure.

We tend to avoid criticism. No one likes to be judged publicly.

So we hesitate and dilly-dally and end up producing mediocre work.

But if we buckle down to the tasks at hand, begin doing, and learn from the mistakes, while improving gradually, the end result would be Grade A material.

This is the power of repetition.

Have a bias towards action, always. Learn and iterate.

Recognize that perfect moment is a myth.

We often get caught up in searching for the perfect way to start.

Whether it’s:

- the best diet

- the perfect workout plan

- the most efficient routine

But in reality, transformation isn’t about finding the perfect path, it’s about walking the path consistently.

Wiring a habit is a function of reps, not time.

How frequently you perform a particular action communicates to your brain how automatic it needs to make the process.

Your brain is constantly looking for ways to ease its own burden. 

If it recognizes something as important, something you regularly do, then with each rep, it strengthens neural pathways to make it effortless.

If you want to sustain a habit of eating clean, the first 30 to 60 days of consistently doing so may feel challenging because you’re rewiring behaviors you’ve never done before.

But once you get over that hurdle, it’s going to feel automatic.

Your choices will shift to autopilot.

The trick to creating lifelong habits is making it through the first 30, 60, or 90 days. 

But instead of aiming for perfection in that time, focus on just showing up daily.

One healthy meal.

A five-minute workout.

A small, intentional choice that aligns with your goal.

Those small reps compound into lifelong habits. 

Consistency beats perfection - every time.