A good cook notices when the table needs serving more than the sauce needs another adjustment.

Craft has a point past which it stops serving anyone. Another five minutes on the sauce while the guests sit with empty plates is perfectionism aimed at the wrong target, since the meal exists for the people at the table rather than for the standard in your head. Knowing when to stop is part of the skill, not a lapse from it. Good enough and hot is better than excellent and late.

When you are polishing something this week, look up and ask who is waiting. If the answer is anyone at all, call it finished and bring it out.