Done is the engine of more

“Done is the engine of more” is the 13th item on the Cult of Done Manifesto by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark. And it’s the item that resonates most with me personally.

I have written quite a lot about doing things. I’ve written about why you should start blogging, about learning in public and about my many projects. Never have I been able to distill what I want to say as beautifully as the title of this blog post.

I think “Done is the engine of more” is a more powerful version of the “perfect is the enemy of done”. You can always argue with the quality and where to draw the line but rephrasing it as a tool that allows you to create more is a brilliant way to say it.

Essentially it comes down to a couple of reasons:

First, doing and finishing something inspires more work. As you go through the process of creating something to this world, you learn about new things and new ways and you look at things from different perspectives which often sparks inspiration for new ideas.

Second, momentum makes it easier to start. Many of us have experienced how the start of doing anything is often the biggest hurdle. Once you get going, continuing is easier as the momentum carries you over. This applies to everything from washing the dishes to writing blog posts to starting a business.

Third, finishing it can evoke feedback. If you finish something and share it with others (or just yourself), it’s an opportunity to gain feedback and that can keep the engine going.

I really like that framing.