What is the best shortcut you know

An apprentice once asked a wise old master goldsmith, "What is the best shortcut you know"?
They grey haired old master craftsman thought for a while, considering the hundreds of techniques and thousands of tricks he had learned. He thought and he thought, and then his eyes lit up as he settled in on the ultimate way to save time at work. Slowly he responded: "The fastest way to do anything is to do it right the first time."
Jewelery work requires great patience, in addition ...to an unyielding commitment to precision. Think of precision and patience as partners, helping you to stay focused on achieving your goal of excellence, no matter how long it takes. Building jewelery should not be a race against time, but a journey towards quality. In the long run, your work will be judged not by how fast you completed it, but by how WELL you completed it. This requires a dedication to doing your best at every step, so that you don't waste time reworking or undoing needless mistakes.
So slow down, check your work right from the start and all along the way, and remember: What is most important is that every piece represents your very best efforts - guess blogger Robert townsen