I’ve been following a very simple, easy rule that’s incredibly effective, when I do consistently follow it.
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The “one-minute rule” requires only that I do any task that can be finished in one minute. Hang up my coat, read a letter and toss it, fill in a form, answer an email, pick up my phone messages, file a paper, put a dish in the dishwasher, replenish the diaper supply by the changing table, put the magazines away…and so on. Little tasks quickly mount up and make me feel overwhelmed and hemmed in by obligations, so keeping them under control makes me feel more serene. Even though I’m constantly completing little tasks, my life feels more leisurely. In fact, whenever people ask me for a happiness tip, I often suggest the “one-minute rule,” because it’s so easy to implement, and several people have made a point of telling me how helpful they’ve found it. One friend told me that her apartment gradually went from being a wreck to being tidy, without much effort. Another friend said that his productivity shot up; because he got so many little things done quickly, he had more time for the bigger tasks. One nice thing about the “one-minute rule” is that I don’t have to think about priorities. When I stop to think, “Should I tidy up the kitchen or pay bills?” or “Should I answer emails or run my computer back-up program?” I sometimes end up feeling that whatever I’m doing is the wrong thing. With the “one-minute rule,” I do anything that presents itself, right away, as long as I can do it in a minute. The days are long, but the years are short. Have you discovered any simple rule that has made a big improvement in your life?
Posted by: Ann| May 01, 2008 at 05:01 PM Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed about the clutter in my house that I have "No time" to get rid of, I set the kitchen timer to 5 minutes and do a run through of the house. I start by getting out the trash can and throwing away all the junk mail/open envelopes that have piled up. Then I quickly dust the (now, clutter free!) surfaces, and then I'll either load or unload the dishwasher. It makes me feel much better, and once I've started and the 5 minutes have run up, I can usually keep cleaning a few minutes longer and be nearly done. http://superiorhabitat.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/come-on-to-my-house-my-house/ Personally, I follow the 15 Minute Rule. Right before bed, I run around folding blankets, washing dishes, wiping the coffee table. 15 minutes is literally almost every commercial break in half hour time slot – totally doable. It’s always nice to come home to a neat house and even better to bring home friends to a clean house. If you follow the 15 Minute Rule every night for a week – you will be hooked. I guarantee it. This is a great rule. I think it can be followed by everyone. The key to making this achievable is starting from a place where everything has a home. If all your belongings have a home, clean up is a snap!!!! I find that if I do my dishes every day and scrub my bathroom and vacuum my floors once a week, I don't get so stressed about having all my other household chores on my "to do" list. The One Minute Rule is a great idea. Since I have been practicing it, I have an unclutter mind, which gives my brain space to remember important things. Wendy H I wish some of my coworkers would listen to this kind of logic. In less than the time it took to walk the information down to my office and ask me to fax it for you, you could have faxed it yourself. (And also, I am not your secretary!) I try to follow a similar rule with a little bit longer time allowance - if it would take me longer to write it down on my tasks, put it away, and then re-find all of the pertinent info, I do it right away. Besides, I've already been interrupted from whatever else I was working on, no need to lose productivity for the task switch once again. Those guys who pass off writing 10 word emails have been doing this longer than I have, though, so what do I know? --Kate |
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I love this. My life is made of 1-minute tasks that endlessly pile up. So I got the kids asleep and started. Refold the throw blankets (again), take my son's toothbrush back to the bathroom (why was it on the kitchen table?), start a load of laundry, pick up the toys, wipe off the counter. You get the picture. The best was when I saw that pile of clean, folded laundry that's been sitting on my dresser waiting to be put away. Ugh, I thought. I'm not doing that. And then, like a little voice in my head, you said "why not? it will take less than a minute and then it will be done!" Hooray for 1-minute productivity.