## Core Concept > "Teflon is what they coat pans with to make them 'non-stick'—things don't stick to Teflon." The Teflon methodology is about **tactical improvements to ensure work doesn't stick**. Most productivity improvements in the WIP/carrying costs domain come from being more "Teflon-like." ## The OHIO Rule **"Only Handle It Once"** Train yourself to not touch a piece of work until you're ready to complete it. ### Email Application Using Baydin's "Email Game": - Shows only one email at a time - Refuse to skip any email until you answer or process it - Result: Each email touched only once > "Whenever my inbox gets above 20 or so, I use Email Game to process it." ### General Application Before engaging with any task, ask: - Am I ready to complete this (or at least a defined step)? - If no, **don't touch it** - If yes, complete it before moving on ## Breaking Work Into Completable Steps > "If you do a type of work that always takes multiple sessions to complete, it can be useful to break the work into separate steps that can be completed in a single session." ### Writing Workflow Example Marshall decomposed his writing into: 1. **Brainstorming** - Generate ideas (completable in one session) 2. **Outlining** - Structure the piece (30-60 minutes) 3. **Research** - Gather facts and sources (completable) 4. **Writing** - Draft the content (flow state work) 5. **Editing** - Polish and refine (completable) > "I know I can work to get a complete outline in 30-60 minutes, and on a busy day, I can schedule just outlining and know it'll get complete under an hour." ### Key Insight Each step is **independently completable**. You can stop after outlining with zero carrying cost—the outline is done. No half-finished state to decay. ## The "Don't Start Until" Rule > "Aim not to start on the work until you can at least get the next complete step." Before beginning: - Identify what "complete" looks like for this session - Ensure you have time/resources to reach that point - If not, **defer starting** until you can complete This prevents the 90% trap—work that's almost done but stalls indefinitely. ## The Daily Debrief > "I actually debrief every single day 'Was I net-Teflon?' as a Yes/No question." **Net-Teflon** means: No work hanging around that could've been completed. ### Implementation At end of each day, ask: - Did I complete what I started? - Did I avoid starting things I couldn't finish? - Is anything stuck to me that shouldn't be? > "For such a small thing, it's really almost miraculous in its effects." ## Teflon as Mindset The methodology is about developing **completion instincts**: - Aversion to half-finished work - Satisfaction from closure - Discomfort with open loops These instincts, once developed, operate automatically—you become someone who naturally finishes things. ## Connection to Carrying Costs Every piece of work that "sticks" accumulates: - **Carrying cost**: Mental bandwidth consumed - **Decay rate**: Context fading, requirements shifting - **Risk**: External changes making work obsolete Teflon methodology directly reduces all three by minimizing the time work spends in incomplete states. ## Practical Tactics ### For Email/Communication - Process in batches, not continuously - Apply OHIO: respond or archive, never "I'll deal with this later" - Use tools that enforce single-item focus ### For Knowledge Work - Define completion criteria before starting - Break large projects into session-sized chunks - Schedule enough time to complete the chunk ### For Meetings/Calls - Capture next actions immediately - Process outputs before the next meeting - Don't let action items accumulate ## Cross-References **Source Documents:** - [[2 Resources/Applying Carrying Costs to Knowledge Work]] - Full framework **Related Concepts:** - [[Terminator Mode]] - The completion push at 85% - [[Sequentializing Projects]] - Macro-level Teflon - [[Mental Bandwidth as Limited Resource]] - What Teflon protects ## Key Takeaway Teflon is the tactical layer of WIP reduction. While sequentializing projects addresses macro-level WIP, Teflon methodology handles day-to-day execution: Only Handle It Once, break work into completable steps, and debrief daily on whether work is sticking. The daily "Was I net-Teflon?" question is a simple but powerful practice for building completion habits.