Sometimes it’s fun to throw some practical advice into the Ewellogy, especially when someone articulates a philosophy I’ve practiced for years.

Sahil Bloom quoted Kevin Kelly a few days ago:

In Excellent Advice for Living, Kevin Kelly proposes something I like to call the 90% Rule:

“When you have 90% of a large project completed finishing the final details will take another 90%.”

The idea here is that closing out that last 10% of any big project is actually a significantly larger undertaking than anyone anticipates. Many large projects are known for taking just as long to get through the final details as they did to get through the bulk of the actual work.

Reminds me of taking a break at the 12,000-foot level of Pikes Peak while doing the Ascent one year. It’s a 13.3-mile hike, 6,800 feet to 14,115 feet. You hit the “A-Frame” at 12,000 feet, 10 miles into the hike. Let’s see: 13 miles total, we’ve been 10, how far do we have to go? That’s what a group from Arkansas wanted to know. My response was simple: “We’re here in 3 hours, it will take us half that to get to the top, so we have 90 minutes to go.” NO! It can’t take that long! But it did.

So back to our project that’s 90% finished “with 90% to go.” What’s the solution? Here’s what the CEO of NetFlix says:

One solution? Don’t do the last 10%! Sahil Bloom goes on to write:

Good enough is often the optimal solution.

Ambitious, high-achieving people are more likely to get caught up in the perfection of that last 10% (which takes another 90% according to Kelly) than accept the good enough outcome and move on to the next important thing.

Or, as a mature youth director once said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Applications?

• When you’re writing a daily blog, 90% (or less!) has to be good enough!
• I knew a fellow who wanted to write commercial software. But his product was never finished (software products never are!). At some point, as Seth Godin frequently says, you have to ship it!
• I hope, if you’re a pastor, you don’t spend an inordinate amount doing that last 10% of polishing on a sermon. Time that you could use investing in people.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5.15 – 16, ESV)