Oops, ah well

Some mistakes must be avoided – or remedied – at all costs.

For the rest, we get to choose:

1. Oops, I’ll fix that.
2. Oops, ah well.

The perfectionist in us wants to choose Option 1 every time.

But Option 1 isn’t always the best option.

Here’s how I’d choose between them:

Is there a typo in a book you published years ago? ‘Oops, ah well.’ The costs exceed the benefits.

Is there a typo in a blog post you wrote yesterday? ‘Oops, ah well.’ The costs and benefits are about equal.

Is there a typo in an important sales presentation you’ll be using every week? ‘Oops, I’ll fix that.’ The benefits exceed the costs.

There’s a cost associated with each fix.

Let the choice to make a fix be a strategic decision that advances you toward your goals, rather than an automatic delay that slows you down.

It might not be worth it.