When Do You Let It Go?

When do you let it go?
 
Are you your toughest critic?  Have you ever fussed over a line or a word trying to get it to sound just right?
Of course you have, you’re a voice over artist. 

Most of us work alone and with minimum direction.  That is fine.  Most of us do just fine with listening to each take, tweaking the read, and producing a recording that pleases the client.

The question is: How do you know when to let it go? 

I have had the pleasure of fussing over a recording, sending it to the client for approval but expecting them to want another try and then being told that they loved it.  I tell myself to not be such a perfectionist.  I listen too closely for errors and miss what is good about the work.  However, I have also felt the dismay of sending a recording I liked and being asked to try again.  This makes me put the perfectionist hat back on my head.  Something you like one day can sound so different a few days later and something you were never happy with can sound better when you come back to it.
 
Do you rely on instinct?  Do you wait for a take that just feels right?  Do you give yourself a time limit and send the best of the session?  Do you ask a colleague for feedback?  I am so happy when the client approval message arrives in my email.  Just as a parent has to eventually let go of their child – a voice artist has to let go of their mp3.