Franklin’s quest for moral perfection started when he decided that he wanted to live “without committing any fault at any time.” At that point in time, he thought that he knew what’s right and wrong, and he did not see why he “might not always do the one and avoid the other.” His process was long. First he narrowed and name the 13 virtues that “at that time occurr'd to [Franklin] as necessary or desirable.” This list includes “Temperance”, “Order”, “Silence”, “Resolute”, “Frugality”, “Industry”, “Sincerity”, “Justice”, “Moderation”, “Cleanliness”, “Tranquility”, “Chasity” and “Humility.” He planned that he would fix one of them at a time before moving to the next, and arrange the 13 virtues in a way which “previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others.” Then, Franklin used a little book where he would chart these virtues, gives it its own page and days, and mark whenever he felt like he wasn’t adhering to these virtues and what they meant. Franklin gave each of these virtues a week to hone, as he “determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively.” Overall, for all of his efforts, he fell shorts of his goal and never attained moral perfection. He noted it himself that he “made so little progress in amendment, and had such frequent relapses, that I was almost ready to give up the attempt.” Nevertheless, Franklin in reflections thought that he had improved as a better man, as he noted that “yet [Franklin] was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise.” During his ordeal, Franklin thought that the virtue of Order was the hardest one to obtain. He found it to be “extremely difficult to acquire.” After everything, he found that “a speckled ax is the best.” From the little story included, Franklin concluded that someone who tries to get good habits and depart the habits, but fail and gave up is better than someone who is perfect but “might be attended with the inconvenience of being envied and hated.” A speckled ax in here is meant to be a character, a someone who is riddled with imperfections.