Back to Basics

"We can always change it later," the client said to me as I was waiting for his decision on whether or not to print the piece we'd been working on for days. I sighed. It was his money, his time, and his frustration that would be wasted if we didn't just stay focused and do it right.

I live by the "ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure" philosophy. Time and time again that has proven to make my life easier ... maybe not during the moments of indecision or impatience or laziness that seem to creep in just before a project is officially finished, but later, when I don't have to revisit, repair, repaint, revise, or even remember what I was doing. It makes me sad when people can't see how, by scoffing at the last ounce of effort, they add pounds of work in the end.

If we didn't get the language right, the man was inevitably going to have buy the printing all over again someday. The paper. The ink. The folding. And it wasn't like we had reached a stalemate; he had just lost interest. However, since the customer is always right, I had to accept his decision and deliver something that was wrong. I hit the print key with objection and explained that the project's contract had concluded. Future versions would cost extra. I doubted our hard work would ever result in something either of us could be proud of.

How often do we push things aside, rush the job, jump to something else, and give up instead of just doing it right the first time? They say patience is a virtue, and that's just one tick away from stick-to-it-ness. Sure, we all deserve the compassionate opportunity to fix our mistakes, and the quest for perfection can be crippling as well, but when "deal with it later" becomes a general rule, the game gets very, very complicated. Plus it's like spreading thistle seed in your vegetable garden. It doesn't make sense.

Even so, I'm guilty too. Once upon a time the office secretary had to accurately press every key on the typewriter to generate a letter. One mistake meant she had to start all over or painstakingly paint on the correction fluid. Today, I probably hit the delete key more than all the others combined. Imagine how much less energy it would take if I slowed down and typed the message in a fluid motion instead of an erratic one. Blame it on technology, age, or society, I am losing my ability to follow my own virtuous philosophy.

So, that is one mistake I intend to correct. I have made a commitment to slow down and give proper attention to each task at hand until it is complete. If I feel rushed, I will stop and ask myself if there is good reason for the feeling, or if it is just the devil on my shoulder trying to bring me down. I may not have the luxury of fixing my life later; living is something I've got to get right the first time.