Tight Enough Is Better Than Too Tight

If you have ever used a torque wrench, you know the goal is not to tighten a bolt as much as humanly possible.

The goal is to tighten it enough.

There is a specification for the job. Once you reach it, more force does not automatically make the connection better.

In fact, NASA has documented why precise bolt loading matters: both overtightened and undertightened bolts can fail. That is why tools and measurement methods exist to help achieve the proper tightening force instead of relying on “more must be better.”

There is a personal lesson hiding in that torque wrench.

Sometimes knowing when something is good enough is a skill.

Knowing When Something Is Good Enough

High standards can be valuable. Caring about your work is valuable too.

The problem begins when your standard becomes: I cannot stop until there is absolutely nothing left to improve.

Here are three adjustments worth making.

1. Decide What “Done” Means Before You Start

A mechanic does not keep tightening until he feels emotionally satisfied with the bolt.

There is a specification.

Create one for your work.

Before starting, decide what the finished result needs to accomplish. What must be correct? What matters to the person receiving it? What would make the work useful and complete?

Without a definition of done, almost anything can be improved forever.

2. Separate Excellence From Perfection

These are not necessarily the same thing.

A meta-analysis of student research found an important distinction between striving for excellence and different dimensions of perfectionism. High standards could relate to positive outcomes, while other perfectionism measures were associated with stress, burnout, anxiety, and procrastination.

More recent research has also found that perfectionistic concerns—including fear of failure, indecisiveness, and worry about others’ judgments—have been rising among college students.

Doing excellent work means caring about quality.

Perfectionism can keep moving the finish line.

3. Notice When More Effort Stops Adding Value

This is where many people lose time.

You rewrite the email six more times. Adjust something nobody else will notice. Delay launching because one little piece still bothers you.

Meanwhile, the work sits unfinished.

Research has found a relationship between negative perfectionism and procrastination, including pathways involving fear of failure.

Sometimes another hour improves the result.

Sometimes another hour is simply another turn of the wrench.

Learning the difference is part of finishing what you start.

Final Tune-Up

Look at something you are working on right now.

Ask:

What does this actually need to accomplish?

Then decide what “tight enough” looks like.

Do excellent work. Check it. Make the necessary adjustments.

But when you reach the specification, stop pulling on the wrench.

Next Step: If you want one practical idea each week to help you simplify your thinking, finish important work, and keep your energy focused on what matters, join the Weekly Business Tune-Up. Each week, we’ll inspect one part of the business and look for a small adjustment that helps you move forward with less wasted effort.