Perfection is a moving target—progress is the real win. This quote hits the nail on the head for anyone who’s ever felt stuck chasing an impossible ideal. It’s about shifting your focus from a flawless finish line to the daily grind of getting better. The real victory isn’t perfection, it’s the momentum you build along the way.
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Meaning
The core message is simple but profound: stop fixating on a perfect, final outcome and start valuing the forward motion you create every single day.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. I’ve seen so many people, from entrepreneurs to artists, burn out because they’re aiming for this mythical state of “perfection.” The problem? It doesn’t exist. It’s a horizon that keeps receding. The real magic, the real win, is in the process. It’s in that extra rep you squeezed out, that chapter you finally drafted, that 1% improvement in your conversion rate. When you focus on progress, you build compound interest on your efforts. You build confidence. You build a body of work, not just a single, fragile masterpiece.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Life (320) |
| Topics | growth (413), imperfection (16), progress (50) |
| Literary Style | balanced (59), concise (408) |
| Emotion / Mood | hopeful (357) |
| Overall Quote Score | 72 (65) |
Origin & Factcheck
This quote comes directly from Marc Perry’s 2011 book, Built Lean, which was published in the United States. It’s a fitness guide, but the wisdom is universal. You sometimes see this idea floating around attributed to other self-help gurus, but the specific phrasing is Perry’s, born from his experience in the trenches of physical transformation.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Marc Perry (57) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Built Lean: The Bodybuilding Guide for Men and Women Who Want to Lose Fat and Build Muscle (57) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Marc D. Perry studies how hip hop and performance shape Black identity, citizenship, and everyday life in the Caribbean and the Americas. An associate professor and author of Negro Soy Yo: Hip Hop and Raced Citizenship in Neoliberal Cuba, he engages anthropology and African American studies to analyze culture, politics, and belonging. The Marc Perry book list emphasizes ethnography and critical theory, and his teaching, writing, and public talks translate complex scholarship into accessible insights about race and culture.
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Perfection is a moving target—progress is the real win |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2019; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781097511885; Last edition: 2019; Number of pages: 240 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 8: Staying the Course, page 172 / 240 |