“Whether you're a programmer or a seamstress, it's all about new techniques, simplifying old techniques, and consolidating steps. Making things go faster – but not worse.” – Martha Stewart, Born Aug. 3, 1941.
Whatever it is you do more than once, you should always be looking for efficiencies and tricks to make that task easier each time.
Templates.
Formulas.
Checklists.
Shortcuts.
Never do it the long and difficult way more than one time. Streamline. Eliminate unnecessary steps. Combine steps where you can. Shorten the work time. Cut the effort down.
Keep the results and benefits high and valuable, though.
If a cut corner makes the final output lesser than it could be, don't cut that corner. But if it has little effect on the outcome – for you or for your buyers – does it really need to be done?
For example, if you’re selling to other professionals, do they care about fluff and polish and “looks” or can you skip that step and give people raw, undecorated value they appreciate just as much, if not more?
Then take it further – once you're regularly examining individual tasks, look for ways you can “stack” and layer projects so that the same inputs can get you multiple outputs and benefits.
For example, an email can also be a blog, after it’s also been a social media post that people liked. Use old posts for video ideas. Once you make say, 7 related short videos for content, collect them and put a price tag on it as a mini-course.
Small actions can lead to big results when you plan well, and find all the efficiencies you can.
It can make you seem superhumanly productive and effective, when really, it's that you're working half as much as anyone else, but getting double the results.
And it all starts with a little self examination of your processes.
If you're doing the same things over and over, always the same way, and never looking for a way to improve the process, then you're trapping yourself.
Don't be trapped. Be free. Like Martha.