Done Before Its Finished

byJohn2handy

320 followers

6 years ago

The missing pieces

Have you ever seen a puzzle with a piece or two missing? It glares at you.
You might not even see the big picture. If you can't find the missing piece it is junk.

I am painting a big picture for someone as Christmas gift that is required, in a gift exchange group, to be a handmade gift. It turned out to be a far more ambitious project than I had anticipated. I was just about to the point of saying, . "Ok this is good enough."

When I showed it to a friend to get some feedback critique, the fresh eyes helped me decide that I should keep working on it. Because truthfully it was not good enough for me yet either. When it gets to the point where I like it, I'm sure they will too.

I had this problem in school. I would get all these different classes with different assignments working in layers, literally. I had some hardboards that I would lay over the desk for another project. Sometimes I was just waiting for that stroke of inspiration or even the right mood. That "feel like it" moment.

Almost humorously in retrospect, I did some of my very best work hours, or even minutes sometimes just before the deadline. Even after procrastinating for one reason or another, I could always at least tell myself it was pretty damn good considering the time I spent on it. Some of them even were but they could have been better.

Now here at WA I recognize my tendency to still do that. I post without elements of the outline included because I haven't finished the research. I'm done before I'm finished. I couldn't include images I intended to, becuase I didn't take the time to find or edit them.

Of course, I will go back later and fix all that. Right? But for now....

80 / 20 Rule

They say that 80% of the value is in the last 20% of the project. I think that is true, maybe even generous.

I am still working through the training, but in addition to that I have to be more determined to make sure my work is finished or at least more finished.

The Dictionary defines finished as:

• Polished to the highest degree of excellence.
• Highly skilled
• Brought to a state of completion
• Exhibiting a high degree of skill or refinement.

And if we don't do that then we're finished... the way the word is used as the antitheses.
If you are done before you are finished your website will not be as successful at the bottom line.

You are the best judge of your quality.

If it really is finished "good enough for you" then your visitors will like too. It will show at the bottom line where it counts.