Five Minutes or Less

The following is the first of a monthly snip it from The Joyful Organizer herself, Bonnie Joy Dewkett

No one has enough time.  However, we can all find a few minutes here and there.  You can accomplish a lot more than you think in just five minutes.  By keeping a list of items you can accomplish in five minutes or less, you can quickly attack them when you have time. I’ve compiled a list of things you can get done in five minutes or less below.  Keep in mind that it is easy to get off task and doing so will make the task more time consuming.  Stay focused and keep moving.  The most important thing is to realize that you can move mountains a little bit at a time. 

Clean out Your Wallet

Get rid of old receipts.  Put extra change in a jar or bank someplace else in your home.  Make sure all credit cards are current and make sure gift cards still have value.

Kitchen

Throw out expired food from the pantry.  Clean out the fridge.  Clean out freezer.  Refill hand soap.  Refill Jet Dry.  Wipe down counters.  Put snacks into plastic baggies so they are ready to go for lunches during the week.  Clean out the pet bowl.  Refill sugar, flour or other canister items.  Clean out coffee pot.  Clean out the microwave.  Run and or empty the dishwasher. 

Kid’s Room

Sort through old crayons and dispose of broken ones.  Make sure all socks have a match.  Dispose of games or puzzles that are missing pieces.  Have kids pick up toys.  Check under bed for lost toys.  Mount a shelf to add storage. 

Misc. 

Take out trash.  Start a load of laundry.  Sew a button.  Sweep or vacuum a room.  Sort through today’s mail.  Call and remove yourself from a catalog mailing list.  Go through the car wash.  Pay a bill.  Cancel an appointment.  Make an appointment. 

Living Room

Put DVDs and Video Games back into their cases.  Fold throw blankets.  Fluff pillows.  Remove dishes.  Program your thermostat to save money on heating and cooling costs. 

Bedroom

Put dirty laundry in the hamper.  Pick up clothes off the floor.  Put shoes back in closet.  Clean jewelry.  Go through undergarments and get rid of worn out items.  Make the bed.

Bathroom

Change out hand towels.  Clean toilet.  Clean sink.  Change to a new toothbrush.   Dispose of old makeup.  Clean out medicine cabinet and throw away expired medication.  Change the roll of toilet paper.  Dry or fluff your bath mat. 

Every house functions differently and has a different configuation of rooms and family members.  The above items are ideas to get you moving in the right direction.  Once you have a functioning list of five minute tasks, you can dispense them to family members to do on a daily or weekly basis.  Getting these little items done will really make sure you can function better on a daily basis and will also help you live a better, and less stressful life!

Bonnie Joy Dewkett is the owner and operator of The Joyful Organizer.  She offers professional organization services to help you organize your home and your life.  Email The Joyful Organizer at bonnie@thejoyfulorganizer.com for your free home organization guide or to schedule your free organizational consultation.