It is both surprising and enlightening to realize that hiding average work and holding back on shipping due to perfectionism are essentially the same thing.
Both actions stem from a place of fear and resistance, whether it be fear of criticism or fear of failure.
When we follow the manual and ship average work, we may feel justified in our actions, blaming the culture and system for our lackluster output. But in reality, we are hiding from taking full responsibility for our work.
Likewise, when we hold back on shipping because it isn’t perfect, we are still hiding. We avoid shipping by finding faults or imperfections that can be improved upon indefinitely.
However, the truth is that if it doesn’t ship, it doesn’t count. The key is to establish a standard of quality and then meet it, defining what “good enough” means in advance. We must strive to avoid shipping subpar work but also not get caught in the trap of perfectionism that prevents us from shipping at all.
