Don't worry, be crappy! -- Guy Kawasaki, Rules for Revolutionaries.
 
I often get what I call the "artist's complex". That's when I look into something, spend countless hours at it, gain insight, wisdom, whudever, only to dump what it is that I'm working on because working on it is no longer 'amusing' and 'entertaining' ...
 
My problem is that being an artist, I like to work solo. I like to work in a box. I'd say to people: "give me time, yah? I'll come up with something.. ". Like a painter who won't share his canvas with another, or that gourmet chef who won't let anyone touch his tomatoes, or that overly-talented soccer player who won't pass the ball to his team-mates because he's having too much fun dribbling around..
 
But you see, when you work solo, refuse the help of others, and decide to pull the plugs in the end, you won't be very popular among the bosses. They give you resources so you can produce results, not so that you can ponder upon the beauties and philosophies behind enterprise systems design and architecture.
 
So here's something that I've discovered, that might just help like-minded artists out there - whether you're a software developer, a teacher, a mechanic, whudever..
 
Learn to be crappy systematically and gracefully.
 
Yes, that's right.  Be crappy. But do that systematically. When you're building something, us artists tend to dwell too much on one part of a problem that we have so much affinity for. But we still have to do the rest too don't we ? So always always have a system for tackling any problem. I do wonders with a mindmap and a checklist. I usually start by cutting up a problem into major pieces.. and cut them up into smaller pieces.. and even smaller pieces.. until I can pin down an estimate of how much time/effort I'd need to bite, chew, and digest that piece. I like to keep status on the things too. I need these status tracking because I get bored easily. I tend to jump from one task to another. If I don't know which task I have 'analyzed', which I have started 'designing solutions for', and which I have generated sub-TODO-lists for, I'd go bonkers.
 
Doing things systematically will help you not waste time. There's no show stopper like the realization that you don't have much time left yet you have so much to do... that's a big demoralizer... so keep it systematica yeah ? Keeping a checklist may also help motivate you .. it gives you a sense of 'accomplishment' .. Heck ya.. two down and thirty more to go!!!
 
But hold on a sec, did you hear me say be crappy ? Well I did. And by this I meant don't fuss too much about not producing excellent top-notch results.. Just do it, have fun in doing it, and throw at people whatever you have regardless of what you think the quality is.  Regardless of whether it's good or crap, you need feedback. Remember that they say 2 brains are better than one ? Imagine utilizing the brain of every single person that you come across because you've thrown what you've been working on. You need that feedback - this is what will keep your brain in touch with real expectations, real needs, and the real problem.
 
This will also keep you excited and entertained .. Sometimes talking to yourself and hearing your own voices in your head just bore you to death. i know there are jokers out there who'd laugh at whatever you're doing, and there are those who'd give you *that look*.. but don't care about them.. remember what you're doing this for.. you're doing this to get feedback from them.. and believe me there are those who'd earnestly love to help you think ... giving you constructive and positive feedback that will help you a looooong way.
 
And by jolly, do all this gracefully. because you don't want to go around looking like a crazy dude carrying a checklist, talking in greek about a problem that only he understands..