#bio #advice #projects #writing

Perfect is the enemy of good

It's better to finish something than to endlessly re-arrange the punctuation until it's perfect.

Some people refer to this tenant as "anything worth doing is worth doing poorly", but that phrasing never resonated with me. In fact, I find it quite jarring, though I do think the sentiment is intended to be similar.

Ideas are worthless, execution is everything

There's nothing new under the sun. Stop kicking yourself for not having a new idea and put your own spin on something else.

Finished is better than an idea

Everyone's got a half-finished manuscript under their bed. It's easier to start a project than it is to finish it.

Don't talk about it until it's done

Don't talk about it, do it.

It's easy to get the same sort of glee and pleasure from talking about a project as you do from actually doing it. Don't. This is a trap. Keep quiet, get the thing done, then show it off.

counterpoint: Some people are able to and enjoy Building in public. They take accountability from having an audience. I am not one of those people. Know yourself, and know yourself well.

You've got to start somewhere. More than that, you've got to start

The worst idea you've put to page is better than the best idea in your head. You can't edit until you've written.

Write bad, edit later.

Minimize the WIP

WIP is work in progress.

I get it. New is exciting. It's easier to start something new and exciting than it is to finish.

Forget about it. Finish this before starting new.

Or else you'll have 15 half-finished projects and nothing to show for it.

"The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 90 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time."
– Humorous programming adage

Deadlines

A book is only late once, it sucks forever.

We're all born knowing nothing

There's only one way to get good at building a chess board, and that's by making a lot of bad chess boards.

Painting

The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint. The greats were great because they'd paint a lot.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis — Ten Thousand Hours lyrics

Clay Jugs
Lucky 10,000

Moving the chains

To steal a football metaphor, if you move the chains long enough, eventually you'll get a touchdown.

It's okay to make small incremental progress.

Clean up one sock every time you pass by.

Write 350 words a day, it adds up!

We should live to work, not live to work

Tom #McHenry on shareholder value