Take more time to save time?

Back when I was a teenager I got my first job at the local weekly newspaper office.

I was in hog heaven! I loved every minute I spent there and never wanted to leave.

In addition to printing the newspaper we also did “job” printing. You know, business cards, letterheads, brochures, newsletters, etc.

And once we screwed up a job totally. I don’t remember if it was me that did it, but I imagine that it probably was.

My boss said, “It seems like there’s never enough time to get a job done right, but plenty of time to do it over.”

We had obviously rushed through that job to get it done quickly for a client and in our haste, somehow we screwed it up. And it had to be reprinted. So much for getting a “rush” job out the door.

So what if I told you that taking MORE time to ensure you do jobs and tasks properly, can actually save you time in the long run?

Yes, I’m suggesting taking more time… to save time.

I admit it sounds counter-productive, but it isn’t. There’s a lot of wasted time in having to go back and fix mistakes.

Doing a job properly the first time — even if it takes longer to do than you might like — will ultimately save you time.

So how about you. Have you ever rushed through to get a job done only to have to do it over later because of mistakes made? Dish in the comments below.