Finish ugly so you learn faster and ship far more work

Perfectionism feels noble, but it quietly kills output. Decision science calls this maximizing—chasing the best possible option at any cost—while satisficing means choosing the option that meets defined criteria and moving on. Research shows satisficers are often more satisfied and just as effective in dynamic environments because they iterate more. In creative work, iteration is the teacher. The quicker you complete cycles, the faster your skill compounds.

Consider a student designer who promises herself to ship at “85 percent.” She sets criteria: readable type, consistent spacing, one visual hook. She gives the layout two sessions. When the clock ends, she’s itching to fix the spacing on the third card. She grants herself a single post‑deadline tweak, ships it, and logs one lesson about color contrast. Her roommate spends the same two sessions nudging pixels and never shares.

A small anecdote: a newsletter writer stuck for months moved to an “every Friday at 3 p.m.” schedule with a one‑fix rule. In four weeks, her open rate rose 12 percent simply because readers knew when to expect her. She felt lighter because the decision was made: ship at 85 percent or miss the train. The coffee on her desk was always cold by then, but the habit was warm and reliable.

The psychology is clear. Parkinson’s Law says work expands to fill time; time‑boxing contains it. The 85 percent rule protects against diminishing returns where perfection gains are tiny but time costs are huge. Post‑mortem notes shift your brain from self‑criticism to process improvement. Over time, you accumulate a feedback‑rich portfolio instead of a graveyard of drafts. Done may not be perfect, but it is learnable, improvable, and, most importantly, real.

Before starting, set three criteria that define good enough for this piece and write them at the top of your page. Set a tight time box and promise you’ll ship when it ends. When the alarm goes off, allow yourself one final improvement and then publish or send it. Capture two quick notes—what worked and what to try next—so the next attempt starts smarter. Repeat on the next piece so speed and learning become the habit. Try it on your next task today.