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Dear Miriam,
I have a big project due for work, but the problem is that there’s no real deadline. I’m supposed to turn it in when it’s done, but every time I look at it, I see new changes to make. At the same time, I feel like I’ve looked at it so much that I’m not even really seeing it anymore. How do I stop this process and just get the thing off my desk?
Signed,
The Perpetual Editor
Dear Editor,
You need to take a break from this project. While that might be counterintuitive when what you really want is to be done with it, you’ve said yourself that you can’t see it anymore. Take a few days away from it. Work on something else, take walks, watch TV, catch up on email, etc. Mark your calendar to look at it again in 3-4 days, at which point you can make any relevant substantive changes. Then, one day later, look at it again for any last-minute minor edits, and then the day after that, turn it in.
If you can’t stomach the timeline I’ve laid out above, consider getting someone else involved. Do you have a coworker who can be another set of eyes for you? Do you have a close friend or family member who can read it, or edit it, or just be a sounding board for your last-minute adjustments? If your supervisor has any distance from the project itself, can you ask for guidance as to what “done” really means?
As you go through the final stages of this project, recognize that whatever you turn in won’t be perfect. Everything, always, could be just a little better with hindsight. But the important thing here is that that doesn’t really matter. You need to turn something in that is good enough, up to standards, and sufficiently check the boxes so that you can move on to the next project. You need to turn something in that you can be proud of, but not at the expense of every other work project or of your sanity.
After you turn this in, and before the next project comes your way, I encourage you to think about what’s going on below the surface. Is your perpetual editing about perfectionism? Do you have anxiety about your job or your job performance? Is there something about this project in particular, or do you feel like this about all your work?
One way to stave this off in the future is to ask for deadlines or set self-imposed ones even if the project doesn’t require it. Another option is to work with your supervisor on a rubric to help you identify when something is good enough to be considered complete. Finally, if you can convince yourself to take baby steps towards turning things in more efficiently, and you see that things go well enough for you as a result, each time you’re faced with this situation, it should get a little easier, and, hopefully, a little faster, too.
Be well,
Miriam