Solving a problem once

Years ago, my brother and I were working with two other people to unload dozens of 4 x 8-foot panels of melamine-faced particle board. These panels weighed 95 pounds apiece, and we paired off to carry them from the truck into the job site.

As my brother and I worked together, we unloaded the sheets the same way each time. Our hands and carrying positions did not change from sheet to sheet. Our individual roles stayed constant.

The other pair varied their methods. Sometimes they carried on their right side. Sometimes their left. Sometimes one person was in front. Sometimes the other. Forward facing ... backward facing. They made a choice each time they approached the truck bay.

One pair worked efficiently. The other did not.

I’ve carried that lesson with me. When faced with a task involving repetition, find a good way to do it — the best way you know how — and then do it that way consistently.

Don’t solve a puzzle multiple times when you only need to solve it once.