In my new founded quest for efficiency, Handle Things Once is a mantra I find myself often thinking. This is a lesson that was actually introduced to me at the ripe old age of about three. It has taken me 30 some odd years to appreciate the true wisdom in these words, but better late than never right?
Handle Things Once – what does this actually mean in practice? Here’s some of the ways you can apply this concept:
- Email - only open email if I actually have the time and mental energy to respond, to take action then and there, otherwise leave it unopened. It has slowly dawned on me that opening and reading emails but then not taking the appropriate follow up action quickly results in feelings of chaos.
- Random To Do’s Floating Around Your Head – Get the ‘To Do’s’ out of your head and onto paper instead of letting them circle around making you feel like a circus performer needing to keep all the balls up in the air. Getting things down onto paper allows your mind to relax, you are no longer worried about forgetting something, freeing you up to ponder far more fascinating prospects. I made myself a dead simple spreadsheet which has four columns: Priority, What needs to happen, How this is going to happen, and Why this needs to happen.
- Multitasking - is kind of evil. Too much of this means that we’ve got 30 things half started around us and nothing finished. I like the mental image of a horse with blinders on which is strongly connected to the concept of being 100% focused on the task at hand .
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Things You Physically Come Into Contact With – The goal is to only handle things one time; don’t put the dirty dish in the sink to then have to move it again to the dishwasher, when your gloves come off put them where they belong, dirty clothes go into the basket, the pet vaccination appointment reminder results in an immediate call to the vet to book the appointment, email!
Of course this is very much an ongoing work in progress – it’s about building awareness and intention with our actions. Try some of these out for yourself and let me know what you think, and any Handle Things Once ideas that you’d be willing to share?
