Skip a sandpaper grit and the scratches show through the finish. Shortcuts in the middle show up at the end.

Work skipped in the middle does not disappear, it waits. Jumping a grit leaves scratches that look fine on bare wood and then show clearly the moment finish goes on, which is the point where fixing them costs ten times as much. The same pattern runs through most projects, where a shortcut stays invisible until it is permanent. Thoroughness in the boring stage is cheap insurance.

Find the stage of your current project you are tempted to rush and do it properly instead. Check your work before you move on rather than after. Notice how often the flaw you find was already there two steps back.