There’s a common saying around the carpentry world: Measure twice, cut once.

There are two key parts to this.

First, it’s worth being certain that your measurement is right before making any irreversible cuts. It’s easy to mark the wrong line on a ruler, measure from the wrong point, or forget your measurement; so double-checking a measurement is almost always worthwhile.

Most people instinctively do this. We’re usually tentative to act too quickly.

But we often miss the second part of the phrase.

With carpentry in particular, it’s tempting to be careful with the cut. To cut just more than you actually think you need “just in case.”

But this strategy can actually be quite detrimental.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been stuck with a sander in my hand trying to slowly remove material that I could’ve gotten rid of the first time if I had made the proper cut. When this happens, it’s not uncommon for something that could’ve taken 30 seconds to take 30 minutes, or even longer.

It might be scary, but if you’re confident that you’ve taken the right precautions to prepare, it’s best to trust yourself and cut once.

-Brandon