Hi friends,

Happy Saturday. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on my new book, Lessons from 2025. If you're interested in helping me out and being an early reviewer of the book, please let me know by clicking here. I'll be reaching out soon.

For December, we'll be reading Finish by Jon Acuff.

And for January, we'll be re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.

— Maneet

Weekly Discussion

On Monday this week, I spontaneously set a new goal for myself.

Run 32 miles in December.

This works out to about one mile per day, with a bonus mile thrown in. I picked this number in honor of my birthday next week. When I turned 31 last year, I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) and wanted to do something similar this year to stay motivated. With the weather getting colder, having a goal helps get me out of the house.

I went to the gym on Monday and completed my first mile of the month.

But then Tuesday came. Can you guess how much I ran?

0.0 miles.

My goal of running one mile every day didn’t last more than 24 hours. Life happens. Tuesday was the last day of my fall semester, and I had a lot I needed to finish before class. I made the intentional decision to skip the run and make up the missing mile on another day.

But then Wednesday arrived, also known as the “day after perfect.”

In the first chapter of Finish by Jon Acuff, we learn about the day after perfect and how significant it is. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been told that starting is the hardest part. Setting goals is easy, but actually getting your feet wet is the harder part of the process. It turns out that isn’t entirely true. Yes, the first day is tough, but you could argue that the hardest day is the day after perfect. The day after we break our perfect streak.

For me, that was Wednesday this week.

I remember sitting on the sofa with my morning coffee, feeling perfectionism take over.

"Why bother going to the gym today when I already failed at my new goal yesterday? The whole point was to run one mile every day. I couldn’t even make it to day two. I can no longer say I ran one mile every day in December. Just forget it now."

The day after perfect is our make-or-break moment.

Looking back, I’ve faced this crossroads in so many areas of my life. Sometimes I push through perfectionism and keep going, and other times I let it win. A few moments that come to mind are my weekly YouTube streak, my daily journaling habit, and my bedtime routine. In each of these examples, at some point, I was faced with the day after perfect. I had to confront perfectionism and decide whether I would let it stop me.

It’s interesting how goals can work for us and against us at the same time.

For me, goals are a powerful way to get started. They give me energy to get over the initial hump and build momentum. At some point, though, they start having the opposite effect. They spark fear. A fear that tells me I’m not going to make it. The moment I fall short, perfectionism jumps in and tries to derail everything. The same goal that motivated me now makes me feel like what I’m doing isn’t enough.

I already know that one of the central lessons I’m taking away from this book is to be ready for the day after perfect.

Being aware of it is half the battle. Not letting it stop you is the other half.

Can you think of any times in your life when you faced the day after perfect? Reply and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

Weekly YouTube Video

​🎬 10 Kindle Tricks Every Beginner Needs to Know​

This week’s video is all about making your Kindle easier to use. I shared the 10 tweaks and features I recommend turning on right when you unbox your Kindle. Things like switching to the Library tab, using filters, enabling book cover sleep mode, and even a couple underrated features like Vocabulary Builder. If you use a Kindle even a little bit, these settings make a noticeable difference.

Three ways I can help you...

🎬 Check out my latest YouTube video. My channel is all about Book Tech and using technology to live an intentional life.

📖 Need something new to read? Check out all the books I've written and support my work along the way.

📚 Check out the Presently Reading book log. It is a complete list of every book we've read in the book club since I started it.