Perfectionists vs Done-is-Better Writers: Which Type Are You?
Are you a perfectionist or done-is-better writer in WAT? Take our self-assessment quiz and learn the time management balance that maximizes your MBA essay scores.
Understanding Perfectionists vs Done-is-Better Writers
Watch any WAT examination hall, and you’ll spot two types of candidates in the final five minutes. The perfectionist is still polishing their second paragraph, erasing and rewriting phrases, visibly stressed about whether “significant” or “substantial” is the better word choice. The done-is-better writer finished ten minutes ago, submitted immediately, and is now staring at the ceiling—having never once looked back at what they wrote.
Both believe their approach is correct. The perfectionist thinks, “Quality matters—I’d rather have a perfect half-essay than a mediocre full one.” The done-is-better writer thinks, “Completion matters—an imperfect submission beats an incomplete one every time.”
Here’s what neither realizes: both approaches, taken to extremes, produce essays that underperform.
When evaluators assess perfectionists vs done-is-better writers in WAT, they see the evidence clearly. The perfectionist’s essay has a brilliant opening paragraph that trails into a rushed, incomplete conclusion. The done-is-better writer’s essay is complete but riddled with typos, half-formed thoughts, and missed opportunities. Neither represents the time management skill that MBA programs—and business environments—actually require.
Coach’s Perspective
In 18+ years of evaluating WAT essays, I can spot both types instantly. The perfectionist’s essay is uneven—gorgeous opening, decent middle, then suddenly “In conclusion, all these factors matter.” They ran out of time. The done-is-better writer’s essay is evenly mediocre throughout—no major flaws, no memorable moments, clearly first-draft-is-final-draft thinking. The essays that score highest come from writers who know when good enough IS good enough—but never before.
Perfectionists vs Done-is-Better Writers: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Before you can find balance, you need to recognize these patterns in yourself. Here’s how perfectionists and done-is-better writers typically behave during WAT—and how evaluators perceive their submissions.
✨
The Perfectionist
“It’s not ready yet”
Typical Behaviors
Rewrites opening paragraph 3-4 times
Agonizes over individual word choices
Deletes sentences that are “good but not great”
Spends 15 minutes on first 100 words
Runs out of time for conclusion
What They Believe
“First impressions matter most—opening must be perfect”
“Quality always beats quantity”
“I can’t submit work I’m not proud of”
Evaluator Perception
“Great start but clearly ran out of time”
“Can this person deliver under deadline?”
“Uneven quality signals poor planning”
“Would they miss project deadlines too?”
⚡
The Done-is-Better Writer
“Ship it and move on”
Typical Behaviors
Writes straight through without pausing
First draft equals final draft
Finishes with 5-10 minutes to spare
Submits immediately without reviewing
Prioritizes completion over refinement
What They Believe
“Done is better than perfect”
“Overthinking kills momentum”
“Evaluators care about content, not polish”
Evaluator Perception
“Clearly didn’t proofread”
“Careless errors undermine good ideas”
“Would this person send sloppy client emails?”
“Rushed thinking, not just rushed writing”
📊 Quick Reference: WAT Time Allocation (20-Minute Test)
Time on Opening Paragraph
10+ min
Perfectionist
4-5 min
Ideal
2 min
Done-is-Better
Time Reserved for Review
0 min
Perfectionist
3-4 min
Ideal
0 min
Done-is-Better
Revision Passes
∞ (never done)
Perfectionist
1-2
Ideal
0
Done-is-Better
Pros and Cons: The Honest Trade-offs
Aspect
✨ Perfectionist
⚡ Done-is-Better
Opening Quality
✅ Usually polished and strong
⚠️ Often generic or rushed
Completion Rate
❌ Often incomplete or rushed ending
✅ Always complete
Error Frequency
⚠️ Low in edited parts, high in rushed parts
❌ Consistent typos throughout
Quality Consistency
❌ Uneven—excellent to terrible
⚠️ Even but mediocre throughout
Evaluator Impression
Poor time management
Poor quality standards
Real WAT Scenarios: See Both Types in Action
Theory is one thing—let’s see how perfectionists and done-is-better writers actually perform in real WAT essays, with evaluator feedback on what went wrong.
✨
Scenario 1: The Polisher Who Ran Out of Time
WAT Topic: “Should companies prioritize profit or purpose?”
What Happened
Priya’s opening paragraph was genuinely excellent: “The tension between profit and purpose is not a choice but a choreography—each step of commercial success must be matched by a step of social contribution, creating a dance that sustains both the company and its community.” She spent 12 minutes crafting this opening and the first body paragraph. Her second body paragraph was decent but clearly rushed. Her conclusion read: “Therefore, companies should balance both profit and purpose because both are important. In today’s world, this balance is key to success.” The shift in quality was jarring. She submitted with 30 seconds remaining.
12 min
On Para 1
5 min
On Para 2-3
2 min
On Conclusion
0 min
Review Time
Evaluator’s Notes
“That opening paragraph is genuinely beautiful—one of the best I’ve seen. But then the essay falls off a cliff. The conclusion sounds like it was written by a different person—probably because it was written in panic mode. This pattern tells me Priya struggles with time management and prioritization. Would she miss deadlines on important projects? Would her presentations start strong then fall apart? Average score—the poor ending undermines the strong opening.”
⚡
Scenario 2: The Speed Demon Who Didn’t Look Back
WAT Topic: “Should companies prioritize profit or purpose?”
What Happened
Arjun finished his essay in 11 minutes and submitted immediately. His essay was complete, with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, his opening had a typo (“companeis” instead of “companies”), he used “their” when he meant “there” twice, and one sentence was completely garbled: “Purpose and profit are both needed for the other to success help each.” His ideas were actually sound—he made good points about stakeholder capitalism. But the execution was sloppy. When asked later if he’d proofread, he said, “I trusted my first instinct. Overthinking kills good writing.”
11 min
Total Time
4
Typos/Errors
0 min
Review Time
9 min
Unused Time
Evaluator’s Notes
“Arjun had 9 unused minutes and still submitted an essay with ‘companeis’ in the first line. That’s not efficiency—that’s carelessness. His ideas are actually decent, but the sloppy execution makes me question his attention to detail. Would he send client emails without proofreading? Would he submit reports with obvious errors? The garbled sentence in paragraph two suggests he didn’t even read what he wrote. Below average—good ideas undermined by poor execution standards.”
⚠️The Critical Insight
Here’s the irony: Priya had genuine writing talent—her opening was exceptional. Arjun had sound thinking—his stakeholder capitalism argument was well-reasoned. Both failed because they couldn’t manage the talent they had within the time available. Priya needed to spend less time perfecting and more time completing. Arjun needed to spend less time remaining idle and more time reviewing. The winning approach combines Priya’s quality aspiration with Arjun’s completion discipline—knowing when to stop polishing AND knowing that review time is non-negotiable.
Self-Assessment: Are You a Perfectionist or Done-is-Better Writer?
Answer these 5 questions honestly to discover your natural tendency. Understanding your default pattern is the first step to developing the balanced approach that maximizes your WAT score.
📊Your Writing Process Assessment
1
When you’re halfway through a timed essay, you typically have:
A polished first paragraph and maybe part of the second
A complete rough draft of the entire essay
2
After finishing an essay with time remaining, you usually:
Go back to improve sentences that are “good but not great”
Submit it—you’re happy to be done
3
Your biggest regret after timed writing is usually:
“I should have moved faster—my ending was rushed”
“I should have proofread—there were obvious errors”
4
When writing an opening sentence, you typically:
Rewrite it several times until it feels right
Write it once and move on to the next sentence
5
If you found a typo after submitting an important essay, you would feel:
Deeply bothered—it would haunt you for days
Slightly annoyed but mostly unbothered—everyone makes typos
The Hidden Truth: Why Extremes Fail in WAT Essays
The Real WAT Formula
Score = (Quality of Ideas × Completion of Essay × Error-Free Execution) ÷ Unevenness
Notice what matters: ALL of your essay counts, not just the parts you polished. Typos cost you. Incomplete conclusions cost you. And uneven quality—brilliance followed by carelessness—costs you most of all, because it signals poor planning.
Evaluators aren’t looking for perfect paragraphs OR completed rough drafts. They want essays that demonstrate something professional: the ability to produce consistent quality within constraints. Here’s what they actually assess:
💡What Evaluators Actually Look For
1. Completion: Is the essay structurally complete with a real conclusion? 2. Consistency: Is quality relatively even throughout, or does it vary wildly? 3. Polish: Are there obvious errors that proofreading would have caught?
The perfectionist fails on completion and consistency—great opening, terrible ending. The done-is-better writer fails on polish—complete but careless. The strategic writer succeeds on all three.
The Strategic Writer: What Balance Looks Like
Behavior
✨ Perfectionist
⚖️ Strategic
⚡ Done-is-Better
Writing Approach
Perfect as you go
Draft first, refine after
Write once, submit once
Time on Opening
50%+ of total time
20-25% of total time
10% of total time
Review Time
None (ran out of time)
15-20% reserved at end
None (chose to skip)
Quality Curve
Starts high, crashes
Consistent throughout
Flat but mediocre
Submission Feeling
“I wish I had more time”
“I used my time well”
“Glad that’s over”
8 Strategies to Find Your Balance
Whether you’re a natural perfectionist or done-is-better writer, these actionable strategies will help you develop the time management approach that maximizes your WAT score.
1
The “Good Enough for Now” Mantra
For Perfectionists: Tell yourself: “This sentence is good enough for now—I can improve it in review time.” This psychological trick frees you to move forward without the anxiety of leaving something imperfect behind. The key word is “for now.”
2
The Non-Negotiable Review Block
For Done-is-Better Writers: Mentally reserve the last 3-4 minutes as sacred. You are not allowed to submit until you’ve used this time. Set a rule: “I will read every sentence once before submitting.” This catches the obvious errors that undermine your credibility.
3
The Time Budget Rule
For a 20-minute WAT, pre-allocate: 2 min planning, 5 min opening, 8 min body, 3 min conclusion, 2 min review. Practice this split until it becomes automatic. Perfectionists: when your 5 minutes for opening is up, MOVE ON. Done-is-better writers: when you finish early, review is MANDATORY.
4
The “Complete First, Polish Second” Method
For Perfectionists: Force yourself to write the entire essay—including conclusion—before going back to improve anything. A complete mediocre essay beats an incomplete brilliant one. Once you have a complete draft, THEN you can polish with remaining time.
5
The Typo Hunt Protocol
For Done-is-Better Writers: In your review time, read specifically for: (1) spelling errors, (2) missing words, (3) garbled sentences. Don’t try to improve ideas—just catch errors. Reading aloud in your head helps catch what silent reading misses.
6
The “Conclusion First” Draft
For Perfectionists: After your opening, write your conclusion immediately—even a rough one. This ensures you never run out of time for the ending. You can always improve the conclusion later, but you can’t add one in the last 30 seconds.
7
The 80% Standard
Aim for 80% of your best work, not 100%. In timed conditions, 80% is actually optimal. Chasing 100% on one section means getting 40% on another. An essay that’s 80% throughout beats one that’s 100% opening + 50% middle + 30% conclusion.
8
The Timed Practice Sessions
Practice with a timer—religiously. Perfectionists: when time is up, STOP, even mid-sentence. Done-is-better writers: when you finish early, you must use remaining time for review. Build the muscle memory of working within constraints.
✅The Bottom Line
In WAT, both extremes fail. The perfectionist who over-polishes the opening and rushes the ending gets marked for poor time management. The done-is-better writer who finishes fast but submits errors gets marked for poor quality standards. The essays that score highest come from writers who understand a professional truth: consistent quality within constraints beats inconsistent brilliance every time. Master time allocation, and you’ll outperform writers who are technically more talented but can’t manage their own process.
Frequently Asked Questions: Perfectionists vs Done-is-Better Writers
Absolutely not. Evaluators read the entire essay, and a rushed or incomplete conclusion undermines even the best opening. Think of it this way: a weak conclusion is the last impression you leave. It’s what evaluators remember as they score. A “very good” opening + “very good” conclusion scores higher than an “exceptional” opening + “poor” conclusion. The unevenness itself is a red flag—it signals you can’t manage your own process, which is a critical professional skill.
Zero should be your target; one minor typo might be overlooked. More than one error, or any error in the first paragraph, signals carelessness. Remember: evaluators are assessing whether you’d represent the institution well. Would you send a client email with typos? Would you submit a report with “their” instead of “there”? WAT is testing professional communication standards, not just idea quality. The 2-3 minutes of review time can catch most obvious errors—skipping that review is a choice, and it’s the wrong one.
You can—it just requires retraining your instincts through practice. Perfectionism is a habit, not a fixed trait. Start by practicing with strict time limits where you MUST move on when time for each section expires. Set a timer for 5 minutes and force yourself to move to body paragraphs even if your opening isn’t “perfect.” The discomfort reduces with practice. Another technique: tell yourself “I’ll improve it in review time,” which gives your brain permission to move on. Eventually, “good enough for now” becomes natural.
A brief outline (1-2 minutes) actually SAVES time for both types. For perfectionists: knowing your structure in advance reduces the temptation to rewrite—you’re executing a plan, not discovering as you go. For done-is-better writers: an outline ensures you don’t write yourself into a corner and have to improvise a weak ending. Your outline can be just 3-4 bullet points: “Opening hook about X → Point 1 (Y) → Point 2 (Z) → Conclude with recommendation.” This tiny investment prevents much larger problems.
Use the “clear and complete” test, not the “perfect” test. Ask yourself: Does this sentence say what I mean? Is it grammatically correct? If yes to both, move on. You’re not asking “Is this the best possible version?”—that question has no answer and leads to infinite revision. The “perfect” version doesn’t exist; the “good enough for this context” version does. In timed conditions, clarity and completion beat brilliance. A clear, complete essay at 80% beats a brilliant, incomplete essay at 100% every time.
For Perfectionists: Write your conclusion immediately after your opening—before body paragraphs. This guarantees you have an ending and reduces anxiety about running out of time. You can improve it later, but you’ll never face the panic of a 30-second conclusion again.
For Done-is-Better Writers: Make review time physically unavoidable. Set a phone timer for 3 minutes before the deadline. When it goes off, STOP writing and START reviewing. No exceptions. Treat review as part of the task, not optional extra credit. Your score depends as much on catching errors as on generating ideas.
🎯
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The Complete Guide to Perfectionists vs Done-is-Better Writers in MBA Essays
Understanding the dynamics of perfectionists vs done-is-better writers is crucial for any MBA aspirant preparing for WAT (Written Ability Test) rounds at top B-schools. This writing process spectrum significantly impacts how evaluators perceive essays and influences selection outcomes at IIMs, XLRI, MDI, FMS, and other premier institutions.
Why Time Management Matters in WAT Evaluation
The WAT component is inherently a test of performance under constraints. With typically 20-30 minutes to produce 300-400 words of coherent argument, candidates must demonstrate not just writing ability but professional time management. Evaluators understand that business environments constantly require producing quality work within deadlines—and WAT is a microcosm of that reality.
When evaluators read WAT essays, they notice patterns that reveal process problems. An essay with an exceptional first paragraph followed by a rushed conclusion signals perfectionism that would miss deadlines in corporate settings. An essay with consistent typos throughout signals carelessness that would produce embarrassing client communications. Both patterns concern evaluators because they predict real workplace behaviors.
The Psychology Behind Writing Process Preferences
Understanding why candidates default to perfectionist or done-is-better patterns helps address root behaviors. Perfectionists often struggle with anxiety about judgment—they fear that any imperfection reflects poorly on their intelligence or capability. This leads to over-investment in early sections where “making a good first impression” feels most critical, at the expense of overall completion.
Done-is-better writers often struggle with discomfort around revision—they feel that going back signals the original wasn’t good enough, which feels like failure. This leads to a “write once and move on” pattern that prioritizes forward momentum over quality control. Neither pattern is about writing ability; both are about psychological comfort zones.
The strategic writer understands that professional writing requires tolerating discomfort: the discomfort of moving on from imperfect work, AND the discomfort of reviewing and correcting. Both discomforts are part of the process, not bugs to be avoided.
Developing Balanced Time Management for WAT Success
Building balanced time management requires deliberate practice with timers and strict section limits. Perfectionists should practice the “complete first, polish second” approach—writing the entire essay before allowing any revision. Done-is-better writers should practice mandatory review blocks where they cannot submit until they’ve used designated review time.
The essays that score highest at top B-schools demonstrate consistent quality throughout—not brilliance in one section and carelessness in another. They show that the candidate can produce professional-quality work within constraints, manage their own process effectively, and deliver complete, polished output on deadline. Master this balance, and you’ll demonstrate exactly the professional capability that MBA programs—and future employers—are looking for.
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