The "One Touch Rule" - Lifehacking

Happy Sunday. Back to the grind tomorrow.

I have been trying something lately, and it seems to be working. It is a habit in line with the "Do it Now" mantra.

It's called "The One Touch Rule". This rule applies to those tasks that are undertaken countless times during the week: email, snail mail, dishes, laundry, blog posts, etc. I can't take credit for coming up with this idea. I have read it in many self help books, I'm not sure who gets the props

If you don't know "The One Touch Rule", it goes like this.

1.  Before beginning a task: Decide if you have the time to complete the task properly.
2. If you have the time: Complete the task 100%.
3. If you do not have the time: Do not start the task until you have the time.

Completing tasks 100% might seem like  more time, but in reality you are saving time in the long run.

Example: You finish eating dinner. You scrape off your dish and put it in the sink. You leave the dish in the sink. You do something else. You return to the sink. You take the dish back out rinse it, and put it in the dishwasher.

Those are a lot of actions. Each time you change actions your brain wastes time deciding what to do next. In addition, leaving tasks unfinished puts stress on your mind and body. If you are anything like me, you run the risk of forgetting about the dish, and having to rinse the dish more thoroughly the second time around.

Instead, by following "The One Touch Rule" you scrape your dish, rinse it off, and place it in the dishwasher. You will not have the stress of an unfinished task, your brain will not waste as much time switching between tasks, and you've saved yourself a trip to and from the kitchen sink.

This might only save you a few seconds to a few minutes and you might be tempted to say, 'I'll get around to it later. It's not saving me that much time'. Remember though, you are following "The One Touch Rule" numerous times during the day. Added up, you can save yourself tens of minutes and mental stress you may not have known you had.

As an added bonus, each time you complete a task 100% your brain releases hormones that produce a pleasant effect; building your self esteem and motivation, and diminishing that nasty "I'm scared" excuse.

Keep up the awesome work. I'll see you tomorrow.

-P
Creativity Challenge: 11/30