The Man, The Hole, and the Road Home 🛣️

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The concept of “progress, not perfection” is something I’ve touched on once or twice before—but a commonly misunderstood truth is what imperfect practice actually looks like.

Often, what we think of as “imperfect” is still pretty darn close to perfect:

Most people imagine a much cleaner story.

They make a mistake, learn the lesson, and never do it again. Think of a kid learning not to touch something hot; they do it once and thats enough to learn...you hope at least.

That’s the model and expectation most people carry around. One mistake. One correction. Done.

That might work on the small stuff but behaviour change is not so simple. Real change is rarely that neat.

Real change is falling in the same hole. Repeatedly.

Dr. John Berardi, co-founder of Precision Nutrition, tells a more realistic story of change:

A man is walking home and falls into a hole.

The next day, same road—he sees the hole… still falls in.

The day after, he steps slightly to the left… slips and falls in.

Then he steps a bit further left… still falls in.

Another day, he pauses and tries to jump… misjudges it and falls in again.

Eventually, he slows down, walks more mindfully… and sometimes he avoids the hole. But honestly? It’s still 50/50.

Finally—one day—he takes a different road home. No hole.

That’s the real rhythm of imperfect practice. Mistake… correction… new mistake… same old mistake… try again… keep trying. And eventually, a new pattern forms—not because you nailed it the first time, but because you didn’t quit on the 15th try.

And progress? It’s not linear either.

Some days, you’ll forget the hole even exists. You’re tired, distracted, overwhelmed… and without realising it, you’re walking the same old road. And yes—falling in the same old hole.

It feels like a step backward. And maybe it is. But it’s also human.

Change loops. It twists. It doubles back. That’s not failure—that’s part of the path.

If you’re still walking, still trying, still noticing—You’re still in it.

You’re practicing. And practice, by nature, is imperfect.

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P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, please share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie