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Phil:

You're at just a little over two weeks. Nobody has complete coverage, or hair that lays just so, at two weeks.

Growing a beard is like so many other things in life; sometimes it gets messy along the way, but the result will surprise you.

You must be goal-oriented and keep focused on the long run when you grow, because it will of necessity involve a period of several weeks where it will not be particularly attractive in its own right; only when it fills in will it look "finished." If a beard-growing man decided to shave each time he looked in the mirror and thought it was not up to par, nobody would ever make it past the second week, as they pass from stubble to scruff, on the way to future coverage.

I think it's part of the reason you always end up trimming down and eventually cave altogether. You perhaps want to grow, either because you think you will like the look when it's grown, or have plain old curiosity about what it will look like when it's grown. But along the way you become discouraged because the interim look is not what you're after. You need to look past it. Deciding to grow a beard is going to involve a period where you will look poorly groomed (even though it is not the case) and you must mentally be prepared to deal with it. THAT's why it takes courage to grow. Flack from others, and self-doubt about the appearance and long-term potential, motivate more cavers and shavers than anything.

So the next time you look in the mirror, remember that your facial hair is a work-in-progress. If you evaluate it as a finished result, you will end up shaving every time.

You can overcome this urge if you focus on the long term. Someday, that attitude may help you to achieve the full beard as well!

Mark