Done is better than perfect

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A trait that is common among engineers is the desire to make things perfect. We find beauty in a system that is well-designed and optimized so that nothing is there that shouldn’t be there. The system does exactly what we want it to do. This desire is a blessing and a curse. Without it, buildings would probably collapse, and airplanes would fall from the sky. But the strive for perfection can also be the reason a building never gets built or an airplane that never flies. Have you ever worked on a project where you have done a perfect design only to realize when you are finished, that you have made incorrect assumptions regarding the foundation? Like proof-reading your doctoral thesis without detecting a spelling error in the title?  

Yesterday I went to the vehicle inspection with my trusty old Yamaha motorcycle. I have ridden this bike for fifteen years in every conceivable setting and have done a lot of modifications to it, to suit my personal preferences. One such modification was the addition of heated grips, which are a blessing in the cold climate of northern Sweden. The grips are operated by a little electrical/mechanical switch behind the handlebar clamp and they can be operated in three modes: 1) High, 2) Off or 3) Low. As you probably can imagine by now, all these modifications to the bike are “perfect”. Back in 2017 however, the little switch for the heated grips switch had failed due to vibrations and needed replacement. After a long search on the internet to find exactly the right type of switch I was ready to go to work on my project. When the replacement switch arrived in my mailbox, I grabbed my electrical toolbox and began. The new switch was identical to the old one, except that the graphical plate that tells you which mode you have selected now read ON/ON instead of HIGH/LOW.

This time, I was determined to make an even better installation than before. I cut the cables to perfect length and routed them flawlessly. I soldered all connections and installed heat wraps to provide maximum protection and longevity. I tested all the connections and verified that the whole system worked perfectly. It felt great! Some hours later, my bike once again had working heated grips. Only the final touch remained, to attach the little plate with the graphics (ON/ON). If you are an engineer, you may be able to understand the extreme anxiety and shock that struck me when I realized that I had put the little switch upside down. The graphic plate had a little indent to keep it in place. I had assumed that the plate could be attached either way, and that you just flip it 180 degrees to get it right. My assumption was wrong and now the only way to correct my mistake was to tear down the front of the bike once again. It would easily have taken a couple of hours. The system worked flawlessly, but the graphics read NO/NO. It would have been much easier to live with a heat wrap that was the wrong color or a cable that was 5 mm too long, because at least those things would have been hidden from the eye. Every time I rode my bike from now on, I would have to look on that No-No switch and be reminded of imperfection.

I felt extreme resistance from every cell in my body, but after serious anguish and evaluation of the situation, I decided to leave it there. There are certain significant moments in your life where there is a distinct before and after, like marriage or parenthood. This was just such a moment for me. Because as soon as the decision had been made, I felt inner peace. It was as if something major snapped into place in my mind. If I had spent less time making the perfect electrical connections, I would probably have noticed that I had the plate upside down. But as my wife pointed out, it doesn’t even make sense to put it the right way because the new switch just reads ON/ON and not HIGH/LOW. It would still be a 50/50 chance that you get the heat setting you wanted. A No-no switch is actually much better, because now there is a story behind it. In conclusion, every time I ride my bike now and look down on the control panel and see that little No-no switch, I am reminded of that feeling of inner peace. I am very proud of myself that I left it there upside down. By implementing this mindset, my life quality has improved massively. I am now much less inclined to keep polishing way beyond the point of diminishing returns. Because done is better than perfect, and that is a lesson that is especially important for engineers.