5 Minute Chores

At the end of October last year, I shared with you one of my favorite organizational hacks: the one minute rule.

Essentially, the one minute rule suggests that whenever you come upon a task that you can complete in under one minute, you should do it without hesitation. Don’t pause to consider, and don’t tell yourself you’ll do it later. Instead, take a few seconds and accomplish the task right then and there.

The beauty of this practice is it’s ability to quickly reduce clutter, and in turn, decrease stress. Because as Gretchen Rubin reminds us, outer order contributes to inner calm.

[bctt tweet=”Outer order contributes to inner calm. -Gretchen Rubin #organize #declutter #chores” username=”BusyBeingPaula”]

Now, something that always surprises me about the one minute rule is how much I am able to accomplish in just 60 seconds. In fact, after following this practice for several months, I grew curious about what else I could complete in a relatively short amount of time – say, 5 minutes.

And if you know me well, you won’t be surprised to read that I started timing myself around the house to answer that very question.

You see, in my mind, things like changing the bedding, ironing my clothes, or putting away laundry (three things I absolutely despise) felt like they took for-ev-er. (Shout out to any Sandlot Fans reading!)

But it turns out… they only took 4:37, 4:26, and 4:56 respectively. That’s it!

Of course, this revelation fueled my curiosity further as I tried to figure out what other 5 minute chores I could discover. And it turns out, that list is quite long!

Empty the dishwasher: 4:31. Vacuum the area rug in the dining room: 1:23. Straighten up my office: 4:57. Heck, I even scheduled routine plumbing maintenance for our A/C in 3:26.

As I continued racing myself to see how fast I could complete these tasks, I discovered another surprising benefit as well; I feel a (perhaps unreasonable) sense of accomplishment each time I beat the clock. And this is especially true for the items on my todo list that have been sitting there for days (or weeks…)

Take that, todo list!

I know many of you love the one minute rule as much as I do, so I wanted to share my newest fascination with 5 minute chores as well.

Because if you’re like me, and you’re convinced you simply “don’t have time” for your list of nagging tasks, it might be time to reconsider. Start timing those chores, and race against the clock. I think you’ll be surprised about everything you accomplish. (Not to mention the burst of cardio you get in the process; double bonus!)

So are you wondering what 5 minute chores you can accomplish? Here’s a peak at 15 tasks that you can complete in 5 minutes or less. And if you’re especially hooked, be sure to download my complete list of 60 5 minute chores here!

Unload the dishwasher.
Clean out and disinfect your sink.
Clean out expired food/leftovers from refrigerator.
Empty all trash bins.
Use a hand duster to clean cobwebs from corners, air vents, etc.
Vacuum (upholstered) or wipe down (leather) couch.
Dust ceiling fans.
Vacuum the stairs.
Change the bedding.
Organize one dresser drawer. Get rid of items you no longer wear, and refold the items you’re keeping.
Put away one load of laundry.
Fold the towels in your linen closet.
Clean out your medicine cabinet.
Sweep and swiffer your bathroom floor.
Organize your shoe rack.

Are you eager to keep going? Great! Then download my entire list of 60 5 minute chores here!

Question:

Do you have any 5 minute chores to add to the list? What is your least-favorite chore to do around the house? Are there any tasks you enjoy (or don’t mind) doing? Let me know below!