Applying the ten minute rule.
I lead a fairly busy life for an ancient lady. I have a lot to do for the local University of the Third Age, and also I paint, write, cook, and do all the other mundane things. So dust gathers, corners get messy, and ironing accumulates.
Yet, recently I decided some jobs are quite easy to polish off in ten minutes or not much more.
So now I have the “10 minute rule”.
When I start to stress about how much I have to do, it is the perfect ploy to make me feel better. I just do a few 10-minute jobs, and ticking them off the list is a bonus. I sort the laundry folding as much as I can – at least, it looks less – and I can hang up any items to help creases fall out. Normally I do this as I gather it from the line, but some days, well, it just does not happen.
The lounge begs for some attention, so I gather some polish and a few cloths in a basket, get the long-handled duster out and remove the worst accumulated dust. It makes me feel better immediately! Then I put some flowers in there, and voila, instant improvement! Taking a bag round as I go, I pick up things that have ‘strayed’, like my husband’s jacket, my earrings, and replace them in their proper home.
I mop the toilet floor, and tidy the little shelf in there, spray with lavender spray, and the smallest room is pleasant again. I may not get all the items on my list ticked but suddenly there is an improvement and I can have a coffee and decide what really must be done next.
It can feel like you’re swamped if the jobs seem endless, so my 10-minute rule helps me anyway. I used to pretend a very fussy visitor was coming ‘soon’ when my children were small and chaos reigned, and that got me moving!