Going all-in is easy

Going all-in is easy. It’s when you settle for less, that you get into trouble.

Often, when we do things, we choose to go with good enough. Whenever something seems okay, we consider it done and move on to the next thing. But then someone else picks it up and settles for even less. Because there is always more work than hours in a day and shipped is better than perfect. And so over time, the quality keeps declining and what you’ve done is getting worse and worse.

You could also go for the full 100%. Do it and do it right and ensure that it stays that way. Going for the full 100% will take more effort, than just doing it. Guaranteed. But will it take more energy in the long run? Consider this.

When you go for the full 100%, there is no middle ground. You set the bar high and any deviation is immediately clear. It’s not 100%. There is no bargaining, there are no excuses. Whether it’s code coverage, designing a flyer or making a plan. 99% is not 100%. Period.

On the contrary, when you settle for less, you will spend more and more time justifying the arbitrary bar you set. Today’s 98% will become 95% tomorrow and so whatever it is your doing will keep getting worse and worse and it will be harder for you to convince people why things should be done. After all, if the previous person got away with less, why shouldn’t they? And so, instead of working on whatever it is you’re doing, you’ll keep defending it against your arbitrary rules.

So before you set a precedent, think about what do you want to get in the long run. Do you want to do something that will last or do you want to just get something off your to-do list? Done is better than perfect, but if you’re doing it to last, doing it 100% might be a better option.

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