Question Everything

That's the way we've always done it.
Maybe it's a good way to do it, maybe it's worth investigating if there is a better way.

The truth is out there.

I want to save time in everything I do. Efficiency reduces the effort on mundane and repeated tasks.

In Sketchup or Photoshop, if I'm always drawing the same thing or adding the same filter. I create templates so that instead of recreating I can just tweak the drawing or adjust the filter.

Why would you start from scratch every single time? It's a waste of effort, and yet many people do that.

This doesn't just apply to software. Organize your drawers or organize board game components. If you spend the first ten minutes of a board game organizing the pieces every time you play it, maybe you should get plastic baggies and divide them.  That's unless you'd rather being sorting than playing.

I used to keep all of my sandpaper in a box. It's organized I thought, but it really wasn't. I had to dig through it to find the grit I needed. So, I put labeled dividers in the box and separated each grit. Now it takes me seconds instead of minutes to select the correct sandpaper.

I also do a lot of Revit work. Revit is a computer aided design program. Nearly every detail I add is a family or a pre-made block. Why would I draw details from scratch when a pre-made family will save me time? Of course creating the family may take more time up front as most of my families are smart and adjustable, but I become quicker and more efficient when I only draw them once instead of every time. Making them smart means that  I can adjust the size and scale with a few clicks instead of redrawing it.