Don’t let ‘perfect’ be the enemy of ‘good enough’.

I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with different habits and routines and have settled into one that works well for me. It’s not perfect, but I know what ideal looks like in my context.

However, knowing what works best means that I can feel despondent when the situation doesn’t meet those conditions. For example, I almost always feel better about my day when I have at least an hour to write. But there are days that fill up with meetings and admin, where I only have small pockets of time available for writing.

On those days, it’s all too easy to look at the 20-30 minute slot and feel like I needn’t bother. Because it’s not ideal.

But that misses the point.

The point of an ideal routine is that it’s something to aim for, not something that’s required. The fact is, if I write for 5–10 minutes and get a couple of sentences onto the page, I’ve moved the project forward. It’s not ideal, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Just because you have a sense of what works well, doesn’t mean that nothing else will work at all. Remember that the ideal routine is not the only routine.