Touch it Once
“Prosperity belongs to those who learn new things the fastest.” – Paul Zane Pilzer
Time management experts recommend the “touch it once” method for effectiveness and efficiency. This tip really is not directly related to wealth creation or personal finance. However it is a key differentiator for those who sit on the sidelines of life vs. those who decide to participate and be productive. I have never been the “big idea” person… instead, I consider myself a doer. I get things done. I know how to execute on other people's ideas and because of this efficiency I end up being more productive.
Chet Holmes, a time management expert, describes it like this, “How often do you pick up something on your desk and say, “I have to take care of this, but I can’t deal with it right now”? If you do that a few times per day with a few different documents/projects/tasks, by the end of the year, you will have spent an entire month touching and rereading information without taking action. So, if you touch it, move it to the next step.”
“If you want to see how often you waste time, each time you pick up something, put a red dot on it. After you have three red dots on a piece of paper, you begin to feel pressure to do something and move on. If you touch it, take care of it.”
This goes for email too. Always deal with an email the first time you look at it. Can you read and answer it right now? If so, then delete it. Get it out of your inbox as quickly as possible. Email piles up quicker than paper. Oh and the other thing, never print. The only things that I print are necessities for work: expense reports, boarding passes, and itineraries.
In 15 Principles for Organizing Your Business Life, Dorothy Lehmkuhl says, “Be decisive: Handle mail only once and move on. If later action is needed, put it in an action file. Indecision is “organizational death” - yet most people aren't even aware of their inability to make decisions. Don't shuffle papers with the vague “I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-this-so-I'll-put-it-here-for-now” Syndrome.”
When you learn to be more efficient in your work life, you’ll have more time after hours to concentrate on other income streams. Passive income from initiating action… sounds like a good thing to touch.
Time management experts recommend the “touch it once” method for effectiveness and efficiency. This tip really is not directly related to wealth creation or personal finance. However it is a key differentiator for those who sit on the sidelines of life vs. those who decide to participate and be productive. I have never been the “big idea” person… instead, I consider myself a doer. I get things done. I know how to execute on other people's ideas and because of this efficiency I end up being more productive.
Chet Holmes, a time management expert, describes it like this, “How often do you pick up something on your desk and say, “I have to take care of this, but I can’t deal with it right now”? If you do that a few times per day with a few different documents/projects/tasks, by the end of the year, you will have spent an entire month touching and rereading information without taking action. So, if you touch it, move it to the next step.”
“If you want to see how often you waste time, each time you pick up something, put a red dot on it. After you have three red dots on a piece of paper, you begin to feel pressure to do something and move on. If you touch it, take care of it.”
This goes for email too. Always deal with an email the first time you look at it. Can you read and answer it right now? If so, then delete it. Get it out of your inbox as quickly as possible. Email piles up quicker than paper. Oh and the other thing, never print. The only things that I print are necessities for work: expense reports, boarding passes, and itineraries.
In 15 Principles for Organizing Your Business Life, Dorothy Lehmkuhl says, “Be decisive: Handle mail only once and move on. If later action is needed, put it in an action file. Indecision is “organizational death” - yet most people aren't even aware of their inability to make decisions. Don't shuffle papers with the vague “I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-this-so-I'll-put-it-here-for-now” Syndrome.”
When you learn to be more efficient in your work life, you’ll have more time after hours to concentrate on other income streams. Passive income from initiating action… sounds like a good thing to touch.
posted by Nina Smith at 5:32 AM
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