There's a point in almost every build where I notice something that isn't quite right. A line slightly off. An edge that could be cleaner. A faint mark that would disappear if I spent another few minutes sanding it.
When I first started building birdhouses, I tried fixing all of it. I thought that was part of doing things properly. But most of the time, fixing one small thing just led to chasing another. Before long I'd be standing there trying to make the house match some perfect version I had in my head instead of the one actually sitting on the bench.
Somewhere along the way, I started stopping sooner.
Now it usually happens near the end. The roof is attached. Everything is solid. I'll pick the house up, turn it over in my hands, and spot something I could probably improve if I wanted to. I know I could spend another half hour on it. And there was a time when I probably would have.
Most people would never notice half the things I catch myself looking at anyway. A slightly uneven edge. A knot that pushed something a little off-center. The more I work with cedar fence pickets, the more I've come to appreciate their little imperfections. They've got character.
After a certain point, there isn't much left to improve. There's only more time to spend trying.