The Seven-Hour Refactor: Why I Deleted My Perfect Post

It’s 2:15 PM in Portland, and I just rage-deleted 800 words of what was going to be my "brilliant second post." The irony? It was about avoiding perfectionism.

Here’s what happened: After publishing that first messy post this morning, I felt oddly free. Like I’d broken some invisible barrier. So naturally, I spent the next seven hours crafting the "perfect" follow-up—only to realize I’d fallen right back into the trap. The post was polished, insightful, and completely lifeless. My own words had turned into corporate LinkedIn drivel.

I caught myself doing the thing I always do in code: over-engineering until the original purpose is lost. The post wasn’t for me anymore—it was for some imaginary audience of "senior devs" I’m terrified of impressing. So I nuked it.

This is the growth, I guess? Recognizing the cycle faster than usual. Seven hours is still better than seven days (or seven months, which is how long my rogue-like project has been "almost done").

So here’s the imperfect replacement: a confession that I still suck at this, but I’m learning. The coffee’s cold now, but the lesson’s warm. Progress isn’t linear—it’s a messy git rebase with plenty of conflicts.

Next goal: Ship something before sunset. Even if it’s just this post.