Do you read directions more than once?

Maybe I will from now on. Yesterday was one of those "learned my lesson" kind of days. I spent a good healthy chunk of time working on something. And then when it was nearly ready to present for discussion, found myself rereading the directions. And discovering they hadn't said what I first thought they'd said!


I'm tempted to chalk this up to A.D.D. 'cause you know that's my tendancy. And perhaps it's related. But in keeping with my knowledge that we have to take responsibility for our "stuff" I also know this one's mine. Just because I have a natural inclination toward a lack of focus does not let me off the hook. If I know this about myself, then I need to work harder to accommodate that challenge, no? 

So what happened was that I read my client's email quickly the night it arrived. Then when it was time to work on the project again, read it again. The same way. It's easy to read things the way we think they're to be read if the first time gave us a fairly concrete idea of the details. This is why writers and editors sometimes read things backward to check spelling - they know the eye sees what it expects to see. And why they also often have someone read content for substance even after they've read it themselves.

So today I'm thinking of ways I can maximize my efficiency and NOT waste further time. Thought I'd share my little discovery. Maybe we'll both save a little time if we read the directions twice. CAREFULLY!