Why do we procrastinate and what can we do to finish what we start? I’ll be examining this question over the next several weeks and posting my thoughts. One source of procrastination for me is perfectionism. If you are like me, you have more than a few unfinished projects. Projects that you began with great enthusiasm are now collecting dust somewhere in your home, head, or computer.

Perfectionists have a grand and idealized vision of the project’s outcome. And, they are very attached to that specific outcome. The problem arises when today’s reality does not match the ideal. So, they toil endlessly to make it perfect or put the project on hold until they have enough time to make it perfect. Of course, the day with ‘enough time’ rarely, if ever, comes.

News flash! There is no such thing as perfect. It is a figment of our imaginations. The artist Salvadore Dali understood this when he said “Have no fear of perfection - you’ll never reach it.”

In my former career managing software development projects, I endured more than a few projects that went way over schedule and budget because of stakeholders’ desire for more and better. When working with customers and developers, I advocated for the Principle of Good Enough (POGE). POGE is a rule used in software and system design that encourages a simple and quick design that is also functional. But, I had a hard time walking my talk when it came to my own work. I’m getting better, but I still struggle a bit with accepting ‘good enough as good enough.’

The quest for perfection is the enemy of done. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you may be expending too much effort on the task at hand:

• Where is the point of diminishing returns?
• What are the consequences of using a less elaborate approach?
• Will your work style result in a delay or a missed deadline?
• Do the means justify the end?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is time to let go of perfect, stop procrastinating, and get it done to the point of good enough.