The Law Of Diminishing Satisfaction

A couple of days ago, I finished a project I’d been working on for 5 months. I was very satisfied with the result, but I was also a bit happy it was over.

After thinking a bit about the usual cycle that every project has, I discovered a mathematical principle behind all projects I’ve started and worked on for a long time. I call this the Law of Diminishing Satisfaction. The Law of diminishing satisfaction states that, the satisfaction an individual get by working on something diminishes exponentially. In this principle, y (satisfaction) is equal to -(x ** 2), where x equals time.

By this principle, a project always becomes less interesting and less satisfactory as times goes on.

####Why does this happen?

I’m not sure how universal this is, but I think this has a bit to do with my desire to make everything perfect. Details are very important, and it’s details that differentiate a good project from a great project. But, for me, details are boring! They’re important, but they’re still boring.

As I work on a project, I start making giant leaps. I accomplish a lit in a very little amount of time, but as time goes on I start to notice little things that annoy me. I fix them. They take time. I usually start with the low hanging fruit and work my way up to the more difficult parts. As time goes on, the details become a burden. I don’t move on because I want to create something great, but at the same time, that desire for greatness bring downs the initial energy that made the project great.

####Is it god or the devil?

The famous Louie Mies said that ‘God is in the details’. What he meant was that it was the details, that differentiated the good from the great. It was the details that made architecture made by humans an experience resembling the divine. I disagree. I’m of the opinion that the devil is in the details. Purposefully ignoring what most people think when hearing this, I think it is the details that destroy your project. It is the details that one gets lost. It the details that brings me down. Yes, they are important. They are extremely important. For me, they are an obstacle to be surpassed. Very rarely are they an opportunity.

####Solutions?

Thinking about all this, I just wonder: is there any way to turn this around? Is there another variable in this equation that I’m missing? Am I doing anything wrong? I’d really like to find a way to enjoy working on longer project and enjoy working out the details.