Printable Tool
Done Is Better Worksheet
A stopping tool for revision spirals. Use it when polishing has quietly turned into hiding.
Use this when editing has turned into circling. The goal is not sloppy work. The goal is to draw a visible line between improving and hiding.
How to use it
- Pick one draft, decision, or task you are trying to finish.
- Fill this out before opening another round of edits.
- If you cannot name a real audience benefit for the next revision, stop and ship.
Draft
- What am I trying to finish? ___________
- Who is it for? ___________
- What does “useful enough” look like? ___________
Stop rule
- The next edit is allowed only if it improves:
- clarity
- correctness
- safety
- accessibility
- If it only improves:
- neatness
- imagined judgment
- endless polish
- the feeling of being “not done yet”
Then I stop.
Ship line
- Version I can send today: ___________
- Time I will stop editing: __:__
- Person or place I will send or publish it to: ___________
Aftercare
- What feeling am I expecting after I send it? ___________
- What will I do for five minutes instead of reopening it? ___________