Productivity Hack: Touch it Once

When you envisioned your home office, I bet piles of paperwork and mail weren’t part of the dream. You probably imagined a scene straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie: morning light streaming through the window, casting a warm glow over a desk adorned with well-worn books and a vase of freshly picked flowers. If you’re buried under a mountain of paper and need to boost efficiency and clear the backlog, try this productivity hack. After all, who doesn’t want their office to be as inviting as one from a Nancy Meyers film?

“The general idea is that as soon as you touch something, whether it’s a piece of mail or a project that needs to be filed, you immediately act on it. This could be fully completing the task at once or determining the next actionable steps to move it along.” – Ruth Umoh

Here’s how to live it out IRL:

• Email Drafts: Are you drafting an email that you’ll send more than once? Create a reusable email signature and mark the sections you’ll need to customize. This way, you streamline your process and avoid redundant tasks.
• Instagram Content: For posts with repetitive hashtags, create a hashtag bank. I keep mine organized in Asana, making it easy to quickly grab and use the hashtags, so you can efficiently publish your content.
• Mail Management: When sorting through your mail—whether physical or digital—process anything that takes less than two minutes immediately. Toss the junk mail right away to avoid a multi-step process later.
• Task Follow-Up: For tasks that require more than two minutes, set a follow-up reminder in your planner or Asana with a due date. This keeps the task on your radar and ensures you address it before the deadline.

Next time you’re tempted to delay tasks or let clutter build up, remember the productivity hack “touch it once”! You deserve to savor the joy of working in a beautifully curated office you’ve created.

Do you have a “touch it once” hack that works for you? Share it in the comments below or email me at info@carolineeidson.com—I’d love to hear your tips!

Need help organizing your task management system? Not sure where to begin? Let’s chat!