I’ve talked for years about the 3-minute rule. If it takes under three minutes, do it now. In plumbing, I generally use it to talk about callbacks. Do it once, do it right. Future re-work just erodes profit and credibility. Lately though I'm realizing that rule was pointing at something bigger. Touch it once. Not as a productivity trick. As a constraint for operating at a higher level. Here’s what I think of as a “touch”: -Opening the same email multiple times -Rereading the same draft without deciding -Thinking about the same task again tomorrow -Starting something without finishing it -Passing work forward unfinished because it feels easier now Every extra touch is a tax. On attention. On energy. And on trust - especially in leadership. Most inefficiency isn’t from doing hard things. It’s from revisiting simple things we avoided finishing. Thus incurring a dummy tax every additional time our monkey brain revisits it. Touch it once doesn’t mean “rush.” It means: >Decide while you’re there >Finish the thought >Close the loop >Or consciously park it with a next action No half-touches. No mental bookmarks. No future you problem. This is where it connects back to regulation. When I’m scattered, I touch everything five times. When I’m calm, clear, and present — once is enough. Higher standards don’t come from doing more. They come from respecting attention — yours and everyone else’s. I’m practicing this as a personal constraint. Not perfectly, but intentionally. What’s one place in your day where you’re touching things more than once - and paying for it?

I didn’t become a leader by copying what I saw, I became one by learning what not to do. Through experience with different leaders and companies, I witnessed mistakes, missed opportunities, and the impact poor leadership has on people. I carried those lessons with me. They sharpened my standards, built my resilience, and fueled my hunger to lead differently. Today, my strength comes from those experiences, and my purpose is clear: to create an environment where people are supported, challenged, and empowered to grow.

I am starting to catch myself when I use the word "try." Why am I "trying" and not "doing" when I use the word try... I have been hyper aware of this, not easy to do, but I am catching myself when I use that word. There is a phrase I use called TAN (Take Action Now). When I catch myself using the word "try," I immediately think to myself, how can I take action to not try, but DO. Thoughts?

How do you show kindness to yourself in the constant hustle and bustle of life and business , personally and professionally, what do you do for you?