OPTIFICING™: The Algorithm of Infinite Growth

The coffee is cold today. It’s Friday, December 26, and the house is quiet in that specific, heavy way that only happens after a holiday. The wrapping paper is cleared away. The noise has settled.

I sat down to write a New Year's resolution. I stopped. I hate resolutions. They feel brittle. They snap under pressure.

Instead, I looked for a word. I needed something that held the tension between two opposing forces I battle every day.

On one hand, I have the urge to hide. To settle. To say "it is good enough" just to get the fear off my chest.

On the other hand, I have the urge to perfect. To polish until the metal wears through. To optimize until I am exhausted and the work is dead.

I looked for a word that meant "striving for growth without the paralysis of perfection." I couldn't find one. So, in a moment of desperation and caffeine deprivation, I did what humans have always done when language fails us.

I made one up.

1. The Definition

Optificing is the strategic process of refining a product or self beyond the threshold of acceptability while intentionally stopping before the point of diminishing returns.

It is the discipline of stopping.

Most of us know how to start. Few of us know how to stop. We oscillate between "Satisficing" (doing the bare minimum to survive) and "Optimizing" (doing the maximum until we collapse). Optificing™ is the third path. It is the art of identifying the "Root" or "Shoot" that is functional, sharpening it for maximum impact, and releasing it into the world before the ego demands perfection.

You know the feeling.

You write an email. It is done. It communicates the point. But then you re-read it. You change a word. You adjust the tone. You spend twenty minutes on a three-sentence reply. That is not excellence. That is anxiety masquerading as quality.

2. Etymology & Origin

Optificing is a portmanteau blending two distinct economic and psychological concepts into a single actionable strategy.

I wanted to ground this in history, not just vibes. So I looked at the roots.

Optimization comes from the Latin optimus, meaning "best." In decision theory, specifically the work of Barry Schwartz, the "Maximizer" is the person who needs to make the perfect choice. Schwartz’s data is stark. Maximizers achieve better objective results but report significantly lower levels of happiness and higher levels of regret.

Satisficing is a term coined by Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon in 1956. It blends satisfy + suffice. Simon proved that because human brains have limits, "satisficing" is often the most rational survival strategy. It means finding a solution that is "good enough" to solve the problem.

But "good enough" feels like settling. And "perfect" feels like a trap.

Optificing™ bridges the gap. It takes the facere (to make/do) from satisficing and applies the optimus (best) intent, but bounds it with the constraints of reality.

See the full definition here: https://www.my12journeys.com/optificing

3. The Science & Geometry

This concept relies on the mathematical principle of fractals where simple patterns repeat infinitely to create complex and resilient forms.

To understand why this works, we have to look at Fractal Geometry.

Satisficing is a Straight Line. It connects Point A to Point B. It is efficient. It is survival. But a straight line has no depth. It cannot hold water.

Optimizing is a Perfect Circle. It seeks to smooth out every edge. It wants flawlessness. But in nature, a smooth edge is often a dead edge. A perfect circle cannot grow. It is closed.

Optificing™ is the Koch Snowflake. This concept, derived from Helge von Koch and Benoit Mandelbrot, starts with a triangle (a satisficed shape). Then, it adds a new layer of growth to the middle of each side. Then it repeats. It is always "complete" as a closed loop, yet it is infinitely expanding. It grows by adding roughness, not by smoothing it out.

4. The Conceptual Model

The Curve of Returns visualizes the exact moment where the energy invested in a project stops yielding proportional value and begins to degrade the outcome.

I learned this the hard way. I spent three months designing a slide deck for a masterclass. I animated every transition. I color-matched the pixels.

When I launched it, nobody cared about the transitions. They cared about the clarity of the ideas. I had spent 80% of my energy on the last 1% of value. That is the "Perfection Trap."

Zone 1: Satisficing. You stop as soon as it works. The result is mediocrity. You save time, but you lose impact.

Zone 2: Optificing™. You continue to refine. You push past "good enough." You sharpen the blade. But—and this is the critical part—you stop exactly where the curve begins to flatten. You maximize the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule).

Zone 3: Optimizing. You keep working. You are now spending hours to gain millimeters. This is where the "Smalls"—fear, ego, procrastination—hide. The outcome is paralysis.

5. The Optificing™ Matrix

This framework categorizes productivity into four distinct quadrants based on the intersection of personal standards and outward action.

I use this to diagnose myself. If I am honest, I spend most of my time in the top right.

Apathy (Low Standards, Low Action). The Couch Potato. Nothing moves. Nothing matters.

Perfectionism (High Standards, Low Action). The Dreamer. You have incredible taste, but you produce nothing. This is anxiety. As Brené Brown suggests, perfectionism is often a 20-ton shield we lug around to protect us from being seen.

Satisficing (Low Standards, High Action). The Settler. You churn out work, but it lacks soul. It’s generic. It fills space but doesn't move people.

Optificing™ (High Standards, High Action). The Giant. You have high standards, but you prioritize shipping. You accept that "done" is a feature of "perfect." You operate in what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls "Flow"—the balance between challenge and skill.

6. Case Studies: The Sweet Spot

Real-world examples clarify the difference between settling, obsessing, and actually shipping work that matters.

Scenario A: Writing a Book

Satisficing (The Settler): Uploading the first draft with a cheap cover just to say you did it.

Result: Amateur.

Optimizing (The Perfectionist): Rewriting Chapter 4 ten times and agonizing over font choices for six months.

Result: Never published.

Optificing™ (The Giant): Hiring an editor for flow, testing three covers, and launching now to build authority.

Result: High Impact.

Scenario B: Personal Growth

Satisficing (The Settler): "I get defensive. That's just how I am."

Result: Stagnation.

Optimizing (The Perfectionist): "I need 5 years of therapy before I can have a difficult conversation with my spouse."

Result: Isolation.

Optificing™ (The Giant): "I will use a tool to pause before reacting. It might be messy, but I won't lash out."

Result: Functional Growth.

Scenario C: The Business Launch

Satisficing (The Settler): Using a generic template with "Lorem Ipsum" filler text.

Result: No Trust.

Optimizing (The Perfectionist): A/B testing button colors for 3 weeks before you even have traffic.

Result: Missed Market.

Optificing™ (The Giant): Writing punchy copy, ensuring a flawless checkout, and using a clean design. Launch now, add animations later.

Result: Cash Flow.

7. Emergent Insight

The foundational reframe transforming my life is that perfection is not a standard of quality. It is a standard of fear.

I used to think that by optimizing, I was honoring the work. I realized I was just protecting myself from judgment. If I never finished it, you could never judge it.

Optificing™ is the courage to be judged on work that is excellent, but not perfect.

8. Commitment & Closing Protocol

This is where I begin again.

I will hone this until it is sharp. Then I will strike. I ship for impact, not for ego.

Am I using perfectionism to hide from the market?

Follow along as I continue to walk this path.

I explore this in The 12 Journeys.

#Optificing #GrowthMindset #Productivity #The12Journeys #AntiGuru #fyp

Curious if the 12 Journeys are for you? Drop a comment with the word 'WISDOM' and I’ll send you the first week’s framework for free so you can test the methodology yourself. No strings attached.