Between Doing and Doing Well: A Quest for Effectiveness and Excellence

I know I can get things done, no matter the challenge. But how do I do it effectively?

That question has been on my mind for a while now. It's no longer about proving my capability to accomplish something, what's been driving me lately is a more subtle (and deeper) unease: the desire to do better!

Capability Isn't the Hurdle

If you work in tech, you've probably gone through the phase of learning new tools, frameworks, languages, and methodologies. In the beginning, the challenge is always about making it work.

But after some time, something shifts. Execution stops being the obstacle, and a new question pops up:

"Okay, I can do it. But is it actually good?"

The Unease That Propels

This kind of restlessness signals maturation. It's when you stop measuring your work solely by the number of commits, deploys, or features delivered, and start observing how you're doing things, and the real impact of it all.

It's not about doubting your competence. It's a desire for effectiveness, purpose, and excellence.

Doing for Doing's Sake: The Automatic Cycle

With so many demands, deadlines, and daily tasks, it's easy to fall into automatic mode: completing tasks, delivering the scope, ticking the box.

But this cycle rarely brings transformation.

And perhaps you've already realized this: finishing something doesn't necessarily mean it was well done.

I recently experienced this firsthand. I faced an incredibly tight, almost impossible deadline. I pushed myself to the absolute limit, putting in every ounce of effort to deliver, and even then, the outcome wasn't what I'd hoped for. So, what did I learn from that experience?

Lessons Learned Under Pressure

First, simply delivering isn't enough. It needs to be delivered the right way, and it needs to be well-executed. Just getting something across the finish line, especially under duress, doesn't guarantee quality or impact.

Second, all expectations must be aligned. I've often felt frustrated when my hard work wasn't recognized, but equally, my clients were sometimes frustrated by misaligned expectations. In both scenarios, the blame lay squarely on a lack of clear communication. This experience underscored how crucial it is to set realistic goals and ensure everyone is on the same page from the get-go.

These insights have only deepened my conviction that true success lies beyond mere completion.

Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

I learned the difference between these two concepts in a management context, but they make perfect sense in daily life:

• Efficiency is doing things the right way.
• Effectiveness is doing the right thing, in the best possible way.

And that's where excellence resides: at the intersection of these two dimensions.

The Search for Meaning

Ultimately, my biggest challenge isn't delivering more tasks. It's about giving more meaning to what I deliver. It's about refining the process, the code, the communication, the experience of those who use and read what's been created.

And this is a constant pursuit, a kind of refinement that never ends, but which transforms "doing" into something more than just a technical act. It transforms it into an expression of care, intention, and, why not, art.