Blank Minutes or Less Rule

I am a list person. Like, I have lists where my lists are.
I love to fill those lists. And I add to my lists just to cross it off.
Sometimes it gets overwhelming when I have piles of lists and nothing seems to be getting completed.
I once heard a speaker give a talk (I couldn’t tell you who it was, when it was, or what they were talking about) but I do remember the phrase “If you can get it done in 15 minutes or less, go do it now!”

I thought, WOW! What a concept - just getting shit done. I love it!!

But that’s still hard. Because some of my tasks take longer than 15 minutes. Tasks such as vacuuming the house, making dinner, putting away my clothes, etc. Those of us with kids know you can’t get through a single task without them interrupting. And those of us who don’t find our own ways to get distracted. 

So, in our house, here’s my rule: The 5 Minute Rule. If you can do it in less than 5 minutes, it should be done.
Examples of that include: Taking your clothes to your hamper when you walk out of the bathroom after your shower. Clearing your plate from the table when you are excused. Picking up one game before you get out another. Throwing away the Kleenexes on your night stand after you wake up in the morning.
They are easy tasks and details of the house we often overlook.
Once FIVE people miss doing five five-minute tasks, then one person’s task becomes a twenty-five minute task.
See how that snowballs.

It takes a while to get your family on board. I feel like sometimes I’m running around yelling at them to pick it up three times and that takes longer than me doing it the first time. But, they learn. I’ve gotten through to my husband. He no longer leaves his stinky clothes on the bathroom floor for days at a time. My step-kids no longer leave their plates on the table for me to clear them.
Now, I have a few small victories that I can add to my victory list.
~T

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