I keep pens near my notebooks even though I also keep them in my pocket. It reduces friction to writing by guaranteeing that I’ll have a pen on hand and a backup also on hand in case either one runs out of ink. While having only one pen at a time would seem cheaper and more efficient, all of that accrued marginal disappears the moment I have to travel to the store before I can write down “buy more pens” in my Bullet Journal. When ideas strike and I have my pens, though, I can record them without a hitch and before those fleeting thoughts vanish.

I do the same thing with wall hangars for my headphones (plural) and with water bottles for my office and bedroom, among other things. The small price of redundancy pays forward in ease and simplicity. I always know that my headphones are in one of exactly three places. I can stay hydrated without a second thought or an extra trip downstairs. With a bit of redundancy, I save so much of my precious time and focus for what matters most.

Where can you add redundancy that creates overall greater efficiency in your life?