Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
This 10 Minutes Will Save You Hours
It’s already June! If you’ve been following my habit-a-month program, you’ve learned to control your inventory, block out time and do a last sweep before bed. You’ve been maintaining boundaries and trying to buy less stuff of better quality. Good! Ready to add on? I’m going to show you how 10-minute maintenance will save you time and reduce stress. But wait, you say, I’m doing my last sweep… isn’t that the same thing?
Last sweep is a quick-and-dirty general clean up at the end of the day. Ten-minute maintenance is about spending 10 minutes every day on the one area that is your biggest problem. Kids toys taking over the den? Spend 10 minutes every day on that area alone. Papers piled up all over the house? Ten minutes. Can’t find your exercise bike under the pile of clothes? Ten minutes.
People feel like they don’t have 10 minutes, but they do. You’ll save back all the time you invest when you don’t have to search for your insurance bill, can immediately find that black jacket in your closet and know exactly where your son’s Mr. Incredible action figure is.
Ten-minute maintenance is an investment, just like eating broccoli instead of McDonald’s or jogging instead of lying on the couch. It’s just something you do, because you know that the dividends will be worth it.
You may feel like every area of your home could benefit from 10 minutes, but to start, just pick one. When you choose your area, make it specific: not all the kid’s toys, just the ones in the family room—you want those 10 minutes to really make a difference. Then pick a time of day. The more consistent you are, the easier it will be to develop the habit. If your child always takes a nap after lunch, spend 10 minutes on those toys before sitting down with your phone. If piles of clothes are your issue, try tackling it every day as soon as you get home from work. Pay attention and see how quickly things improve, but also take note of the circumstances on days you miss. Keep trying, and by the time you are watching Fireworks on the Fourth of July, 10-minute maintenance is going to be a regular part of your routine.