5 Minute Rule
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, so I’m told.
That’s the approach I’m taking to doing housework today – little bites 5 minutes at a time. Just to try it and see how it works.
While poor Andy is sitting in class today I’ve got the entire day off to do anything I want. Yipppeee!!! =) However, whether I WANT to or not, I need to do a little around the house. Wonderful husband that he is, Andy usually has the house sparkling if he has an entire day with me away. Mostly it’s because he gets bored and he has an insatiable urge to improve things. I too, have insatiable urges, but more so to design, to create, to make things…not to clean! =) So, my free days typically escape me as I dabble in various projects in the workshop for hours on end. I’m trying *not* to do that today. Not all day at least.
However, there once was a time when I would get on a cleaning and reorganizing kick and would cover every nook and cranny. Somewhere along the way I sort of lost those urges. (Thank you in part to Google, I’m sure.) Those were days before I had a side business, before I was getting an MBA, before I had all my wonderful toys in the workshop. And yes, before I had Google to lead me into the depths of any topic, any subject, any tutorial or crafting project known to man. The bittersweet thing about the internet is that you will never reach the end. Never.
So, back to my original point, I’m enjoying the day doing as I like but then every once in awhile I set the kitchen timer for 5 minutes. In those 5 minutes I must do something productive towards the housework. Note: I am not timing my free time. =) That’s a little too much structure for me.
Here are somethings I’ve either done or plan to do in my 5 minute increments:
- Unload/reload dishwasher
- Swap out laundry
- Declutter counters & table, wipe down
- Dust
- Vacuum
- Mop
- General pick up
Doesn’t seem so daunting when I look at my list and the 5 minutes seem to fly by pretty quickly. I think I might like this idea. =) I’m considering applying it to my (non-existent) exercise regime.
What would you do in 5 minutes? How do you get motivated to clean or do something not so fun when you could be doing other things??
