The Real Reason You Keep Quitting and How to Break the Cycle

You start the week off with a killer plan - something that would make even David Goggins proud. But one missed workout or unplanned snack and suddenly you’re telling yourself, “I blew it… I’ll just start over next week.”

Sound familiar?

This is the “perfectionism cycle” that keeps so many people stuck.

You get a short surge of motivation, you go “all in,” and then the first slip feels like failure. Suddenly that motivation is gone and you’ve quit altogether.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need to quit, and you don’t need to wait for motivation to strike to restart — motivation is fleeting and unreliable. What you really need is a system to help you keep going when things don’t go perfectly.

The Science: Striving for Perfect Always Leads to Quitting

Perfectionism plays a huge role in why we quit. Research shows perfectionism is linked to higher stress, burnout, and even disordered eating patterns.¹

When you set the bar at perfect, any slip feels like a reason to quit. And every time you “start over,” you reinforce the cycle.

We’re all tempted to chase the ideal version of ourselves, biting off more than we can chew — but when the gap between where we are and where we want to be is too big, we end up setting ourselves up for failure before we even start.

Consistency — not perfection — is what drives long-term success, whether that be fat loss, strength gains, or long-term health.

3 Ways to Beat Perfectionism (and Keep Going Instead)

1️⃣ Set a Minimum Standard

Create a baseline habit you can always hit. When (not if) life gets messy, fall back to this instead of giving up. (Example: My standard is 3 planned movement sessions per week - could be a 10 minute walk, could be an hour at the gym…but 3 planned workouts is my standard.

2️⃣ Celebrate Small Wins

Progress isn’t just about hitting the “perfect” day. Recognize the small victories — they add up. You stopped yourself mid-binge this time? You ate 2 bites less at dinner? WINNING!

3️⃣ Keep a “Done” List

Write down what you did accomplish instead of focusing only on what you missed. This reframes your mindset toward success.

Choose Progress Over Perfection

Listen up! You don’t need perfect days to see results. In fact, perfect is a fallacy. You just need enough good days stacked together. The people who succeed long-term aren’t the ones who never slip — they’re the ones who keep going after they do and learn from those mistakes.

The faster you can stop the “spiral,” the faster you’ll get back on the progress train.

So next time you miss a workout or eat something unplanned, don’t throw away the whole day (or week). Hit your minimum standard, celebrate what you did do, and keep moving forward. That’s how real change happens.

References

Flett GL, Hewitt PL. Perfectionism and maladjustment: An overview of theoretical, definitional, and treatment issues. In: Perfectionism: Theory, Research, and Treatment. American Psychological Association; 2002. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-02485-001
Stoeber J, Otto K. Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review. 2006;10(4):295–319. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-22403-002

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