I HAVE A NUMBER of mottoes which encapsulate the way I feel about a variety of quotidian activities. Here’s my somewhat controversial one about DIY:
Never do it properly when you can do it today.
It’s flippant, of course, and not meant to be taken entirely seriously. But there is something deeply satisfying about starting and finishing a job within the space of a single day.
It also alludes to the fact that perfection is the enemy of the good, as someone with a literary bent once said*. Better to get something done than to leave it hanging around waiting for the finishing touches.
*Turns out it was Voltaire. A fine wordsmith.
