My routine is not too different from Phoenix's.

1. Upon landing, I unload the canoe and set everything off to one side of the portage landing area (to get it out of the way of any others coming through).
2. I lift the canoe out of the water and set it off to one side.
3. I wear sandals for paddling, wetfooting and portaging and almost never change footwear
4. I stuff my life jacket under the elastic straps on the stern seat (elastic installed solely for this purpose) and attach the paddle under the port gunwale near the stern with velcro. The plastic bailer and spare paddle stay where they are, attached to the stern with velcro and under the right gunwale near the bowwith elastic respectively. If they aren't there already, I attach my sponge and fishing rod to the gunwales with velcro.
5. For unknown portages over about 100m I usually take my big heavy pack for the first trip to scout things out. For known portages I might take the canoe first.
6. My second trip is usually with the canoe. The last trip is with my light pack, day pack and camera.
7. At the other end, I put the canoe into the water and reload my three packs and camera case. Unvelcro my paddle and put my pfd back on, and I'm off.

For me it's important to have a fixed routine with only a few packs and no loose stuff. Partly this is to minimize the chance of forgetting or losing things, but mostly it is to avoid wasting time. On days with lots of short portages it's amazing how much time I can waste at the takeout staring at my gear wondering whether I should take this and that, or that and the other thing, or what I should take first. ;D

I also almost always triple-portage. My canoe is a bit heavier than most, and trying to carry too much at once on steep wet portages seems like a good way to slip and get injured. Besides, I like having one trip with my camera out and minimal extra encumbrance.