Stop Solving the Same Problem Twice

“Don't touch the same thing twice.”

- Mary Lou

It’s not always the big fires that drain you, it’s the constant re-handling of little tasks that shouldn’t still be on your plate.

Most business owners don’t have a time shortage. They have a repetition problem.

I learned this lesson long before I knew anything about systems, automation, or operational efficiency. I learned it in my grandmother’s kitchen.

She was sharp, strong-willed, and incredibly efficient. Whether she was deep-cleaning the house, organizing papers, or packing up a room in record time, she had one golden rule:

“Never touch the same thing twice.”

She said it often, and she meant it. If she picked something up, it was getting put away, not set aside to be dealt with later. If she opened a piece of mail, she’d make the decision on it right then. No stacks. No re-deciding. No wasted motion.

To her, efficiency wasn’t just a preference. It was a value. A standard. A way of respecting time, hers and everyone else’s.

And while she never used the word “system,” that’s exactly what she was building in how she operated. A repeatable, intentional flow that saved energy and kept momentum moving forward.

It wasn’t about being fast.
It was about being done.

When I started building businesses, I saw the opposite everywhere:

• Entrepreneurs handling the same customer questions over and over again

• Teams guessing how to onboard a client because there wasn’t a set process

• Owners stuck in their inboxes, solving the same fire for the fifth time

These weren’t people who lacked work ethic. They were simply touching the same thing too many times.
Just like my grandma warned me not to.

So here’s the real truth behind “stop solving the same problem twice”:

You’re already solving problems brilliantly. But until you capture those solutions and turn them into systems, you’ll keep being the one who has to solve them, over and over again.

Let’s stop that.

Here’s how:

1. Spot the Repeat

Start by paying attention. What questions do you keep answering? What tasks drain your time that could’ve been handled already? Look at:

• Your inbox

• Your team Slack/DMs

• Your calendar

• Client onboarding and support
  These are gold mines of inefficiency waiting to be mined.

2. Decide Once, Document It

Once you’ve solved something well, don’t just move on. Capture it:

• Write a simple step-by-step guide

• Record a 2-minute Loom video

• Save a templated email response

• Create a checklist for your assistant

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress. The moment you document, you’ve bought back time.

3. Centralize the Solution

Don’t leave your systems scattered across random folders or buried in emails. Choose one hub and make it easy to find:

• Use a central tool like Notion, Google Drive, or ClickUp

• Create a shared folder or dashboard for your team

• Link all templates, docs, and how-tos in one place

• Use simple naming conventions so nothing gets lost

4. Train Your Team (and Yourself) to Use It

A system only works if it gets used. That means creating a culture around using the system, not just building it.

• When someone asks a repeat question, guide them to the documented solution

• Model it yourself by using the SOPs and checklists

• Reinforce it in team meetings, trainings, and reviews

• Set the expectation: “We don’t solve the same problem twice here.”

Why this matters:

There’s no badge of honor for solving the same problem five times.

But there are very real consequences:

• You become the bottleneck — everything needs your brain to move forward

• You lose creative capacity — constant repetition kills strategic thinking

• You waste precious time — often without realizing it

• You burn out your team — confusion leads to over-dependence or errors

• You stall growth — chaos can’t scale

When your business has systems that remember, you don’t have to.

You create space to lead, not just react. You shift from reactive support to proactive growth. And you stop wasting time on things you’ve already solved.

My grandmother didn’t need tech to be efficient.
She just had a rule that worked: “Never touch the same thing twice.”

Maybe it’s time we bring that same wisdom into the way we build our businesses.

If you’re ready to stop flying blind and start building with systems, grab our free guide: The 6 Proven Marketing Systems That Drive 25% Growth.

Or join our on-demand webinar to learn more.