In music, it’s a well-known phenomenon that we can tweak and tweak and tweak and tweak a project, often getting no better with each “improvement”.

This is why producers and songwriters have songs like Daylight_Master_Final_FINAL_FOR_REAL_Done_V21_Bass_up_DONE.wav sitting on their hard drives.

Case in point, even at the highest level, legendary mixer Bruce Swedien was asked to keep re-mixing Billie Jean 91 times because Michael and Quincy weren’t happy with the mix. Something could always be a little better. “Bring up the snare!” “The bass isn’t coming through.”

But which version made the record? 91? 86? 75?

Nope. #2.

After countless agonizing hours, they realized that they had had the magic right at the start. Luckily for us, they were smart enough to eventually realize their mistake, while many of us are so blinded by our quest for perfection that we lose all access to the voice of knowing within us.

Some will tell you to take a walk—to get distance from the project. Others will tell you to show your work to strangers.

But the most important thing to do, with anything we make or are ever close to, is to continually try to see our work with fresh eyes.

Whatever business you’re in, the effort is always worth it.