Gina Trapani – Act Immediately on Things as They Come Up

Tim Ferris (to Gina Trapani): Which some small life hacks—little changes—have had the biggest impact on your working life?

Gina Trapani: One simple but powerful habit is this: To act immediately on things as they come up.

For example, if I have an idea while I’m on line at the grocery store, instead of thinking “oh, I’ll write that down as soon as I get home,” I force myself to take out my phone and send myself an email or jot it down on a piece of paper in my pocket. If I get an email that requires a quick response, instead of moving onto the next one, firing off that response immediately and archiving the message. If I see a web page that looks like it might be a good Lifehacker post at some point, instead of just bookmarking it for later, creating a draft post in Lifehacker’s publishing system on the spot. This practice requires some discipline to develop, especially when you’re feeling lazy or distracted, but it can make a huge difference.

Mostly, it’s about putting things in the right place as soon as you possibly can, to avoid having random stuff hanging around your mind and space. Link.