It’s peach season, and I’m obsessed.
I’m the person who buys a box of peaches at the farmer’s market and eats one before she leaves, doing a funny half-squat move so that the juice doesn’t drip all over.
I was peeling some of my peaches for cobbler (I prefer mine au natural but I’m generous), and found out there’s not a great way to peel a ripe peach. They’re too soft and you naturally end up cutting off a lot of fruit as you peel.
Sure, you could take an hour per peach and lose as little fruit as possible, but it’s the law of diminishing return. At some point, increased accuracy isn’t worth it.
As I was peeling, it struck me. It’s the same for most goals.
Whether you’re preparing peaches or trying to get in shape, there’s a tendency to go for perfection. To do everything 100%.
This seems admirable until you look closer.
First, all or nothing thinking can set you up for failure. You might say “I’m going to do yoga every day for a month,” instead of setting a more realistic goal.
Second, focus on incremental growth in one area can supersede growth in another area. If you’re doing yoga enough to get the extra flexibility you wanted, you can move on to something else.
It’s difficult (if not impossible) to reach 100%, and more importantly, it doesn’t even always pay.
So the next time you set a goal or start tracking improvement, just remember, skinning a peach means losing some fruit.
To being better without wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze,
Elizabeth