The Joy of Doing Things with High Quality

The Quick-Fix Trap We’re All Caught In

Here’s a quick question for you: When was the last time you did something slowly, carefully, and completely right — even though you could have done it faster?

Can’t remember? I can totally relate.

We live in the age of “life hacks,” “growth hacks,” and “shortcuts to success.” Everyone’s looking for the fastest route to results. 5-minute abs. Get-rich-quick schemes. Speed-reading courses that promise you can read 1,000 words per minute. Every little creative/writing task will be outsourced to our beloved friend ChatGPT.

The problem? This mentality is destroying our ability to do anything well.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. The majority are just going through the motions, doing the minimum required, looking for the fastest way to check boxes and move on.

But here’s what nobody tells you about shortcuts: they compound in the wrong direction. How you are doing one thing is how you do everything!

Every time you half-ass something, you’re not just producing mediocre work, you’re training yourself to be a mediocre person. You’re building the habit of “good enough.” You’re wiring your brain to accept lower standards.

And over time, those lower standards become your new normal.

The counterintuitive truth? The fastest way to long-term success is to slow down and do things right. Not perfectly. Not obsessively. Just… properly.

This isn’t about being a perfectionist who never ships anything. This is about the profound impact of bringing genuine care and attention to the small things everyone else rushes through.

Why Small Tasks Are Actually Your Biggest Opportunity

Most people think success comes from landing the big client, launching the viral product, or getting the promotion. They’re waiting for their “big break.”

Here’s what they’re missing: big breaks are built on small habits.

The way you handle the mundane, unglamorous, seemingly insignificant tasks reveals everything about who you are and determines everything about where you’re going.

Think about it:

• The way you respond to emails signals whether you’re reliable
• The way you clean up after yourself shows whether you respect shared spaces
• The way you document your work indicates whether you’re thinking about the team or just yourself
• The way you follow through on small commitments determines whether people trust you with bigger ones

Simon Sinek puts it this way: “There is no decision that we can make that doesn’t come with some sort of balance or sacrifice.”

Every time you choose to do something properly , even when no one’s watching , you’re making a deposit into your reputation account. You’re building trust. You’re creating the conditions for bigger opportunities.

Real-World Example: The Onboarding Email

Let’s get specific. Imagine you’re onboarding a new employee.

The shortcut approach: Send them a generic welcome email with login credentials and tell them to figure it out.

The proper approach: Send a personalized welcome message, explain the company culture, introduce them to key team members, provide a structured first-week plan, check in daily, and genuinely care about their experience.

Which company do you think has better retention? Which one builds stronger teams? Which one creates employees who actually give a damn about the company?

The difference isn’t in some massive strategic initiative. It’s in the decision to do one small thing, like an onboarding email, properly instead of just checking a box.

This applies everywhere:

• The developer who writes clean, documented code versus the one who only relies on lovable and needs github copilot to explain the code to him
• The designer who considers edge cases versus the one who just uses midjourney for a mediocre design
• The salesperson who truly listens to customer needs versus the one reading from a script
• The student who actually understands the concept versus the one who memorizes for the test

The small things aren’t separate from success. They ARE success, repeated consistently over time.

The Psychology of Quality: How Doing Things Right Rewires Your Brain

There’s a deeper reason why doing things properly matters, beyond just the practical outcomes.

Doing things right changes who you are.

Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset shows that people who focus on mastery and improvement (rather than just outcomes) develop greater resilience, creativity, and long-term achievement. When you commit to doing something well, you’re not just completing a task , but you’re training your brain to value quality, to persist through difficulty, to take pride in your work.

This creates a positive feedback loop:

1. You do something carefully and properly
2. You feel a sense of satisfaction and pride
3. Your brain associates quality work with positive emotions
4. You’re more likely to approach the next task with the same care
5. Your standards gradually rise
6. Your capabilities expand to meet those standards

The opposite is also true. When you consistently cut corners:

1. You do something carelessly
2. You feel vaguely dissatisfied (even if you don’t consciously notice)
3. Your brain learns that mediocrity is acceptable
4. Your standards gradually decline
5. Your self-respect erodes
6. You become someone you don’t particularly respect

The Economic Case for Quality

Let’s talk about money, because that matters too.

Companies with strong quality cultures consistently outperform their competitors. A study by the American Society for Quality found that organizations focused on quality improvement saw:

• 20% higher customer satisfaction scores
• 15% better employee retention
• 30% reduction in errors and rework costs
• Significantly higher profit margins

Why? Because quality compounds.

A customer who receives excellent service tells others. A product built properly requires less support. A process done right the first time doesn’t need expensive fixes later. An employee who feels pride in their work stays longer and contributes more.

Quality is the ultimate long-term optimization.

The shortcut might save you 10 minutes today. The proper approach saves you 10 hours next month when you don’t have to redo everything or deal with the consequences of sloppy work.

From Intention to Habit: The Science of Building Quality Standards

Okay, so doing things right is valuable. But how do you actually build this into your life when everything around you rewards speed over quality?

The answer: you start smaller than you think you need to.

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” has a framework that’s perfect for this: make it tiny, make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy.

The Tiny Habits Approach to Quality

Step 1: Choose ONE small task

Don’t try to revolutionize your entire life. Pick one specific, recurring task that you currently rush through.

Examples:

• Making your bed in the morning
• Cleaning your desk at the end of the workday
• Proofreading emails before sending
• Washing dishes immediately after eating
• Writing clear commit messages in code
• Properly filing documents instead of leaving them everywhere

Step 2: Define what “right” looks like

Get specific. What would it mean to do this task properly?

For example, “clean desk” could mean:

• Everything has a designated place
• No loose papers
• Cables organized
• Tomorrow’s priority task is already identified
• Surface is wiped down

Step 3: Build the habit at a specific trigger point

Attach your new quality standard to an existing routine.

“After I finish my last meeting of the day, I will spend 5 minutes properly organizing my desk before shutting down.”

Step 4: Track completion (not perfection)

Use a simple checklist or habit tracker. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s consistency. Did you do it properly today? Yes or no.

Step 5: Celebrate the feeling

This is crucial. After you complete the task properly, pause for 3 seconds and notice how it feels. Acknowledge the satisfaction. Let your brain connect “doing it right” with positive emotions.

The Checklist Strategy

Checklists aren’t just for pilots and surgeons. They’re one of the most effective tools for ensuring quality in any domain.

Why checklists work:

• They remove the cognitive load of remembering steps
• They prevent you from skipping important details
• They create a consistent standard
• They reveal inefficiencies in your process
• They provide objective feedback (did you complete all items?)

Create checklists for:

• Your morning routine
• Content creation process
• Client onboarding
• Code review
• Weekly planning
• Project delivery

The act of creating the checklist forces you to think through what “right” actually means for that task. The act of using it ensures you actually do it.

The Feedback Loop Method

Quality improves through iteration, but only if you’re actually learning from each iteration.

Build feedback loops:

1. Before the task: What does success look like?
2. During the task: Am I maintaining the standard?
3. After the task: What went well? What could improve?
4. Weekly review: Which tasks am I doing well? Which need more attention?

This is how craftspeople have developed mastery for centuries. Do the thing. Reflect on how it went. Adjust. Repeat.

Example: Writing a Blog Post

• Before: Define the value I want to deliver to readers
• During: Am I explaining this clearly? Is this example helpful?
• After: Did this achieve my goal? Where did I rush? What could be clearer?
• Weekly: Which posts resonated most? What patterns emerge?

This reflection takes maybe 5 minutes but dramatically improves your output over time.

The Countercultural Movement: Building for the Long Term in a Short-Term World

Here’s where this gets interesting: in a culture obsessed with speed, choosing quality becomes almost radical.

You’re swimming against the current. And that’s exactly why it’s so valuable.

Companies Built on Quality Over Quantity

Patagonia could make cheaper products and sell more units. Instead, they build gear that lasts decades and actively encourage customers to repair rather than replace. Their “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign literally told people to consume less.

Result? Fanatically loyal customers, consistent profitability, and a brand worth billions.

Apple could cut costs and ship mediocre products faster. Instead, they obsess over details most people won’t consciously notice like the weight of a device, the sound of a click, the curve of an edge.

Result? The most valuable company in the world.

What do they have in common?

• They define quality as a core value, not a nice-to-have
• They’re willing to sacrifice short-term gains for long-term excellence
• They attract customers and employees who share those values
• They build economic moats based on reputation and trust

The Personal Application

You don’t need to run a company to apply this philosophy. You can build your personal brand and career on the same foundation.

Ask yourself:

• What’s my definition of quality in my work? Not “perfection,” but genuine quality — work I’m proud of, work that serves others well, work that reflects my values.
• What shortcuts am I taking that undermine my standards? Where am I trading future reputation for present convenience?
• What would change if I approached my work like Patagonia approaches their products? Built to last. Designed with care. Created with the user’s long-term benefit in mind.
• Who do I want to be known as? The person who delivers quickly, or the person who delivers well? (Ideally both, but if you have to choose?)

In a world where everyone’s rushing, especially with AI, thoroughness becomes a competitive advantage.

What “Doing It Right” Actually Means (And What It Doesn’t)

Let’s clear up some misconceptions, because “doing things right” can easily turn into destructive perfectionism if you’re not careful.

Doing things right ≠ Perfectionism

Perfectionism is never finishing because it’s never “good enough.” Doing things right is meeting a clearly defined standard and shipping it.

Doing things right ≠ Slow

You can work quickly AND properly. The goal is efficient quality, not needless deliberation. Skilled craftspeople work fast because they’ve internalized the standards.

Doing things right ≠ Inflexible

Sometimes “good enough” genuinely is the right call. The prototype doesn’t need to be perfect. The MVP should be minimal. The key is making that choice consciously, not defaulting to low standards.

Doing things right = Intentional standards

It means:

• Knowing what quality looks like for this specific task
• Having a reason for your standards
• Being willing to maintain those standards even when it’s inconvenient
• Consistently delivering at or above that level
• Improving the standard over time as your skills grow

Your Challenge: The One Thing You’ll Do Properly

Reading about quality doesn’t change anything. You have to actually practice it.

Here’s your challenge:

1. Choose ONE task you do regularly that you typically rush through
2. Define what “right” looks like for that specific task (3–5 specific criteria)
3. Do it properly every day for the next 7 days
4. Notice what changes — not just in the output, but in how you feel

Examples to get you started:

• Morning routine: Instead of rushing, take an extra 10 minutes to do everything intentionally
• Email responses: Read carefully, think before responding, proofread before sending
• Meal preparation: Actually cook a proper meal instead of grabbing something quick
• Exercise form: Focus on proper technique instead of just completing reps
• Listening: Give someone your full attention instead of half-listening while on your phone

Track it. Put it in your calendar. Check it off. See what happens when you commit to doing one small thing properly for a week.

The Bottom Line: Excellence Is a Practice, Not a Destination

Here’s what I’ve learned from my own journey with this:

Doing things right isn’t about achieving some permanent state of perfection. It’s a daily practice of bringing intention and care to your work. Some days you’ll nail it. Some days you’ll fall short. That’s fine.

What matters is the direction you’re moving.

Every time you choose quality over convenience, you’re voting for the person you want to become. You’re building the habit of excellence. You’re creating the conditions for bigger opportunities.

And here’s the beautiful part: it feels good.

There’s genuine joy in doing something well. In taking pride in your work. In knowing you didn’t cut corners. In creating value that lasts.

That feeling — the satisfaction of a job done properly — is available to you right now. You don’t need to wait for the big project or the important client.

You can experience it today by doing one small thing right.

So what’s it going to be?

What’s the one thing you’re going to stop rushing through and start doing properly?

Drop it in the comments. Let’s build a community of people who give a damn about doing things right.

Because in a world of shortcuts and hacks, quality isn’t just valuable — it’s revolutionary.

Your Quality Checklist

Before starting any task:

• Do I understand what “right” looks like for this?
• What’s my standard for this specific task?
• Am I choosing quality or just speed?

During the task:

• Am I maintaining my standard?
• Where am I tempted to cut corners?
• How would I do this if someone I respect was watching?

After completing:

• Did I meet my standard?
• What went well?
• What could improve next time?
• How does it feel to have done this properly?

Weekly reflection:

• Which tasks did I do well this week?
• Where did I compromise on quality?
• What patterns am I noticing?
• How are my standards evolving?

Recommended Resources:

• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear — The definitive guide to building quality habits
• “The Checklist Manifesto” by Atul Gawande — Why simple tools drive excellence
• “Mindset” by Carol Dweck — How your beliefs about quality shape your capabilities
• “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg — The neuroscience of habit formation
• Gallup’s State of the Workplace Report — Data on engagement and quality