No Do-overs — An Anti-Abandonment Algorithm

This algorithm is designed to prevent me from abandoning projects or starting over from scratch when things get difficult or convoluted. A design that is perfect today will soon be imperfect as it evolves to support more features. Starting over only kicks off another phase of the "perfect-start-soon-to-be-imperfect" cycle. This vicious cycle is the source of wasted effort, frustration, hopelessness, and a stained image as an innovator. Beautiful ideas and visions never get to see the light of day, staying forever trapped in my head.

Consider options carefully before making a decision, and learn to live with them afterward.
Accept that things will get messy and less-than-ideal as they evolve—no matter how perfect they were at the beginning. Embrace their flaws and make the best of them.
Stop going back to a blank slate on the same projects over and over to implement a perfect solution.
Finish current projects in the pipeline before starting new ones. Both success and failure are acceptable exit criteria for finishing a project gracefully.
Prevent abandonment by putting current projects on pause anytime you are burnt out or going through a difficult time.
Resume without starting over. A pause, however long it may be, is acceptable as long as the project is picked back up from where it was left off.
Redirect creative bursts. Whenever you get an urge to start a new project, redirect that energy back to unfinished projects waiting to be revived.

Info

Failure occurs when a project meets fatal exit criteria: either the solution cannot be implemented technically, or it did not turn out to be as useful as originally thought.
Success occurs when a project meets its positive exit criteria.
Abandonment = Pause: There is no true concept of abandonment. When you stop working, you are technically just pausing.

— West Windsor, NJ ▸ 10:47 PM