And that’s the whole point of putting things out into the world that aren’t perfect. Because the quest for perfection prevents you from committing to progress.
- Done allows you to gain feedback. Deliver better next time – and the time after that and the time after… well you get the idea.
- Perfection leads to procrastination. How many times have you thought, If I can’t do it well, I won’t do it at all?
- Done is also enormously satisfying. There’s nothing like crossing something off your to-do list.
- Perfection is a productivity black hole. With endless tweaking and tinkering to half-finished projects that need just a little bit more time.
- Done is simple. You stay within scope, you meet deadlines and you deliver quality work.
- Perfection leads you to fuss over the details. Over-think, make things more complicated and waste hours letting your control freak flag fly.
I’m not saying don’t do good work.
Absolutely you should do your best.
But recognise when you’ve done what you set out to do, learn from the experience to get better next time and don’t waste your life on a pointless quest for perfection.
What do you think?