While you’re at it, you might as well

Be careful, though. Somewhere along the way, you could wind up doing so many ‘might as wells’ that you don’t finish what was started.

If your goal is efficiency, many things in life are best done together. I learned at a young age (thanks, Grandpa) that if you’re going to do something, you might as well take care of a few other things while you’re at it. Efficiency, however, doesn't mean something won't take longer in the short term.

My Grandfather was a mechanic, among other things, and had an incredible work ethic. He worked hard at what he did and paid attention to the details. He often exceeded expectations and taught me that many things are best done in concert.

Getting the oil changed on your car? He’d check and top up all the fluids, inspect the spark plugs, test the battery and tire pressure, and give everything a once-over. When dealing with the safety of your automobile, it’s important to be detail-oriented.

The same goes for bicycles. When I was a teenager, people would come from all over town and bring their bicycles for him to fix. I’d be helping patch a flat tire, and he’d say, while you're at it, you might as well oil the chain, adjust the breaks, and the chain derailleur. It only takes a few extra minutes and is good preventative maintenance. I got to help him fix many bikes over the years.

There are many sayings that capture this sentiment, such as, “Always leave things better than you found them.” “If you’re going to do it, do it right.” “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” and “The devil is in the details.”

Be careful, though. Somewhere along the way, you could wind up doing so many ‘might as wells’ that you don’t finish what was started. My backyard is a great example of this.

The weather is improving, and there’s lots of work to do around the yard. We’re planning on building a garage this year, but a few things need to happen in preparation. There’s also a lot of work that doesn’t need to get done but fits within the context of “might as well.” If I’m ever going to get this done, I need to prioritize and focus on the essential preparations.

I’m sidetracked by building a wood shed, removing an entire fence, not just the part in the way, pruning the trees, and clearing dead wood from the forest. None of these things are essential to my goal of building the garage, but one thing leads to another, and getting the chainsaw out to cut one fallen tree made me think I might as well deal with all these other things while I have the saw out.

Your product or feature is a good example of where “might as well” also doesn’t apply. There are a lot of things you could do while you’re at it, but it’s important to prioritize and focus on getting that first version out there, or you may never launch it. You can always improve; there’s always more work to do. Focus on what’s essential to get the job done.

The other work around the edges is important, but you shouldn’t let it get in the way of the current priority. Sometimes, it’s something really important that, if not done first in preparation for the work, will cause a cascade of issues. Other times, it’s a distraction. Refactoring an entire code base or re-designing the entire product because you’re working in that area anyway is rarely, if ever, the answer. Work in sections and focus on the current priority. You’re not saving time by doing it all at once.

Don’t be like me and get stuck spending days cutting wood because you lost sight of the priorities. Stay focused on the core objectives of the work you’re doing, deliver value early, and get this job done before you move on to the next.