the 15minute chore
Living a less-distracted life : spend 15 minutes a day completing a chore (particularly one I’ve been putting off).
I’m revisiting a New Year’s resolution/good intention here.
I’m not the Type A personality who succeeds in practical thinking and organised doing. I’m the person who acknowledges a task needs to be done, mulls over it for a good while, adds it to the list and comes back to it later. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long for the list to become a burden and so, before long, those little chores amount to one big, irritating distraction.
What is most enlightening about this “15 minute rule” is the realisation that all the chores I’ve been putting off actually don’t take that long to complete. They are far more daunting on the page and in my head than they are in real-life. And so, every day I set the timer and work on a task; I am focused, determined and hence I work efficiently.
Most of the chores I’ve been working on have saved me time in the long run. An organised kitchen cupboard means I don’t have to spend five minutes finding the lid for the pyrex dish. A tidy pantry ensures the right ingredient can be found without any shuffling or rearranging. Cleaning the children’s wardrobes means there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place.
So: set the timer on your phone, work for 15 minutes and get rid of all your distracting chores. 15 minutes a day, one-by-one, tick, tick, tick.
If I have a "To Do" list I try and start off with the thing that I least want to do. That way I don't spend the day "thinking" about it and pushing it further down the list. And possibly never end up doing it!
When we had out third child, it felt like all organisation went out the window! She turned 3 over the weekend and it is only in the last 6 months that I have begun to work through a mental list of chores, much like the ones you have mentioned. It is amazing how good it feels to get these things done!
Have you seen this? Worth taking a look 🙂
http://www.happiness-project.com/
I read it and its sequel long ago – a constant source of inspiration and a very god read! x
I'm with you on the non-type-A thing. There's definitely something about acknowledging that and finding a way to work around it.
Your suggestion is great; really useful. It reminds me of the Pomodoro technique:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
I also need to find a way to remove distractions from my online life, and I'm toying with downloading the Concentrate app. My husband told me about Coffitivity, which recreates the sound of a coffee shop as it's supposed to be the right noise level to work productively. I'm going to try it.
The 15 mins really does work for me. It is just enough to give me a sense of achievement – not enough to weigh me down. 🙂
Oh yes. Now *this* I can do. And NEED to do! Such a simple idea – and I think I might be able to appeal to my own competitive streak and see how much I can get done in each 15 minute time slot. Thanks Jodi, so glad you're doing this series! xx
Have been doing a series on my blog around Procrastination after finally tackling some of those niggly tasks that once done did not actually take a lot of time but reaped big rewards.
Great idea. I should so do this, especially the pantry! It seems so daunting but really it's just a little job that will save me time everyday. Still it's pretty hard to find 15 minutes of uninterrupted time in this house! xK
I love the happiness project and happy at home so much. I am generally not a fan of anything like a self help book but I just LOVE that there is real science behind what she says, that its actually researched. I took this concept in a different way and actually timed myself doing the things I don't like doing, like changing the bed sheets – which in my mind took ages but actually when I timed it was 8 minutes or something… It has really changed how I think about these kinds of tasks I don't enjoy.
Good trick, I can see how it helps! I do love the pic as well. 🙂
http://tinajoathome.com/
And don't forget to congratulate yourself for each of the things on your list that you do get done. We often overlook this vital part of list making…just looking at what's unfinished is depressing, but rewarding yourself for something done will make you want to do more. A reward can just be a simple five minutes guilt-free cuddles…or guilt-free staring out the window (after all you've just achieved something on your list so you needn't feel guilty for at least the next five minutes)…
This is so good and so simple. I'm gonna start my 15 as soon as this baby boy zones out.
I have much of the same problem, I think I am allergic to dishes and folding laundry, to be truthful! Thankfully, my neighbours have a wonderful 15 year old granddaughter who will do both the dishes and the laundry for 30$ (USD) so it's really a blessing indeed! I should put aside more time though, I am normally always cleaning the floor up after a rambunctious toddler!
I've been doing a similar thing – but making it a 1 to 2 hour job once a week. For example, I've been putting off re-painting our front door for over 4 years! But last night, I tackled it. Prepped and first coat on in under an hour. I feel silly for having put it off for so long now. There's a few more jobs on the list just like that too …
I really need to do something like this, I´m all over the place I want everything but can´t actually do anything efficiently.
I recently organised my kitchenware cupboard, i was sick of there being an avalanche of lids & other odds & ends every time i opened it. I kept putting it off & when i finally did it i smiled every time i opened it. I also sat down & unsubscribed from the countless, useless emails i receive, that felt very cleansing. I'll try the 15 minute approach from tomorrow, i have just started a self imposed Facebook ban so i should have lots of spare time for more important things.
Fabulous! While I'm a type a person, sometimes a reminder to set the clock is all I need to get to all those hot spots. Thank you for the timely reminder! Xx
Jodi this is such a great idea. I've put it into practice since reading yesterday and I've already crossed off so many little things i've been putting off for weeks. I've given myself allocated phone time (email/instagram/blogging) too and it's been so refreshing. Hope you're finding success in your to-do list too xx
ps. there's a little parcel on its way to a certain nearly two year old. Let me know when it arrives xx
What a brilliant do-able idea, will have to get started today.
Tidy and organised is awesome, my new kitchen has ALL drawers and is so easy.
Queen of procrastination here….I would rather sit in the sun on the deck with a book or my knitting : )
A friend with 2 toddlers divided her home into 6 zones, and spends 1 hour a week cleaning ONE zone thoroughly…. so every 6 weeks each zone gets a "Spring clean" because it is only 1 hour in the whole week, you CAN fit it in somewhere.
so all you have to deal with daily is kitchen tidy, sweep floors etc and the house always looks great.
Finding that lid to the dreaded Pyrex dish! Just another reason I truly need to organize my cupboards…
Hi Jodie, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy reading these 'practising simplicity' posts. Thank you! x