It's a reminder that there’s no room for wasted motion or hesitation. A mantra that captures not just the intensity of the kitchen — but the precision required for execution.
There are countless productivity frameworks out there. Countless ways to organize, plan, take notes.
Eat the Frog... PARA... GTD... FIFO... (etc...)
A lot of acronyms. A lot of methods.
I’ve researched, dabbled, and adopted quite a few over the years.
But if I had to distill it all down into a single rule — a single tip — it would be this:
Don’t waste time.
I’m not saying rush. I’m not saying cut corners. I’m just saying — make the most of the time you have.
Cut Waste, Not Corners
It’s not about going faster for the sake of it. It’s about cutting the stuff that slows everyone down:
- Going in circles
- Redoing work
- Searching for things someone forgot
- (Or worse) idling with no clear next step
So what does this look like in practice?
- Make decisions quickly. Close open conversations.
- Coordinate clearly. Confirm understanding.
- Write things down. Make them easy to find.
- Understand the work and the people — spot blockers early, and keep things flowing.
And some more.
Above all, be mindful of how you (and others) are spending your time.
My Setup
My version of the "Every second counts" plaque is a DIY foam core board that sits above my studio wall:
It reads:
“It won’t fail because of me.”
A daily reminder to take ownership of my time.
And alongside that, another mantra:
Any job, big or small,
Do it well or not at all.
Once a job has begun,
Do not stop until it’s done.
(These things I picked up from Tom Sachs and Van Neistat, respectively.)
Around me are clocks, calendars, and timers.
In front of me: a repurposed iPhone 8 displaying EST and PST.
Below that: my monthly calendar, marked up with milestones and deadlines.
Next to that: a Time Timer to visualize countdowns for time-boxed working sessions and meetings.
Above that: a glass laptop stand — clear on top, visible below.
On it: a 3x5 index card with weekly goals. Under it: another with today’s schedule.
In the corner: an analog clock and a DIY countdown timer to my next big deliverable.
It’s running on an old Samsung phone — screen burned with digits from years of countdowns. (I've got about 68 days, 9 hours, 9 minutes left it seems.)
Earlier You Said Later
Nike once ran a campaign with the line:
“Yesterday you said tomorrow.”
A sharp reminder not to put things off. To do the uncomfortable thing.
To start. To finish. To get the hard things done.
To "Just do it" (TM).
Do it now.
Because every second counts.