In a recent post, I listed “mastering the value of time” as one of the four keys to achieving ultimate success. I think most people see the wisdom in this—after all, you can’t change the number of hours you get in a day; what you can do is change what you get out of them. But what I think a lot of us overlook is that there is more than one way to measure value.

When we hear “do more in less time” we tend to think in terms of production numbers –and that is a valid and crucial measurement. But what about the other things that enhance or diminish the value of our hours? Take a look, for instance, at how your front desk person is spending the bulk of her day. If she is routinely working through a list of calls to follow up on payments and appointments, the value of her time is limited. On the other hand, if she masters a protocol that sees more than 95% of patients leave the office complete for payment and appointed ahead (believe me, it is possible) she has liberated more time to be a strategic contributor to the practice, rather than a babysitter.

The same goes for those who believe in the magical properties of the yellow sticky note: that somehow if it’s scribbled down and stuck to a computer screen it’s (sort of) dealt with. Many of the things that get relegated to the yellow squares are things that can either be done now, or programmed for completion in an accountable way, or removed from your plate entirely.

There is a fundamental principle at work here and that is that if you have a system for doing things right the first time you only have to do them once. And if you’re saying you don’t have time to deal with it once in a comprehensive way, what makes you think you’ll have time to do it again in a series of partial ways? (One 10-minute exchange at the front desk can save countless follow-ups.) If you don’t have time to do it today, what makes you think you’ll have time tomorrow? Don’t let the sticky note become a procrastination tool.

As with so many life issues, it pays to examine how the most successful people approach it. I don’t think Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey spend a lot of time frantically catching up with post-it note noise. I doubt that Steve Jobs has employees who make a career out of unnecessary “make-work” projects. These people have an unshakeable focus on their vision that gives them a keen sense for the value of an hour.

It’s a lesson we all need to remind ourselves of. We understand—at least in an abstract way—that time is our most precious resource, but too often our actions tell another story. The richest lives, in all senses of the word, belong to those who respect each hour enough to insist on getting full value.