The One Minute Rule + How It’s Changing Things Here
Ever heard of the one minute rule? Today I’m sharing what it is, how you can apply it, and how it’s changed our home!
A long time ago, like 6 years ago, I heard about the one minute rule. I remember thinking “wow, what an awesome concept…I can totally see how it would change things.” I even applied it for a little while. Then as things tend to go, I stopped using it, and things went back to the way they were. What is this life changing principle called the one minute rule? I’m glad you asked.
What is the One Minute Rule?
Essentially, any task that takes you one minute or less to complete gets done IMMEDIATELY. You may be thinking, “duhhh, Amanda…” (Do people still say “duh” or did that die in the 90s?! ha!) I want you to stop and think about how many tasks in your house take less than a minute to complete. Now stop and think about how many times you actually complete the task immediately when they need done. Often times we tend to let the little tasks sit, until they become big tasks.
For example, think about your entry way. You come home from the store loaded down with grocery bags. You slip off your shoes, and get to work putting away your things. A while later you decided to run outside for a minute, grab a pair of sandals, and head out. You come back in, haphazardly slip off your shoes, and move on to the next thing. Half an hour later, your kids come home, unload their things, take off their shoes, and go about their business. By the end of the day, your entry way looks like a shoe store explosion. You’re overwhelmed by how much stuff there is to put away, and maybe you even think “I do this same thing every single day…what does it matter?”.
How you can apply it…
This is where the one minute rule comes into play. It takes me less than one minute to carry my shoes to my closet, and put them away. If I would’ve put my shoes away BEFORE I started unloading groceries, after I came inside, and had my children put theirs away when they got in from school it would save me at least 5 minutes every day sorting and organizing shoes, fussing at children to be more tidy, and the headache of feeling overwhelmed by a crowded entry way. I could use that precious time in the evenings to clean the floor up, or do something that will set me up for success the next morning. (You can read more about that here, and print off a free template to help get you started.)
Apply the same principle to dishes. Your dishwasher is running, your sink is finally empty, and someone brings down a dirty glass. You can choose to either let the glass sit, and accumulate other dirty dishes, or you can take less than a minute to wash that glass (Or have the person who dirtied it wash it). I know that if I let one glass sit, others ALWAYS join it in the sink. By washing it immediately you really will save yourself the massive pile of dirty dishes that have to be managed later.
How it’s changing our home…
I’ve joked recently that I live my life during nap time. Really though, it’s not that far from the truth. I feel like my time is limited, and I have a BUNCH of stuff to squeeze in during nap time. Blogging, farming, cleaning, you name it. I’ve learned that there are so many things that take me less than a minute to complete, and I can do with the baby being awake. I’ve jotted down a list of ideas to share to hopefully inspire you…
- Start the washing machine
- Switch clothes to the dryer
- Wipe down the bathroom sink
- Clean the bathroom mirror
- Wipe down the table
- Clean the countertops
- Pick up shoes and put them away
- Loading the dishwasher as we go, or handwashing dishes as they’re dirtied
- Put away whatever is taken from a pantry or cabinet after it’s used
- Fluff throw pillows and put back on the couch
- Swap out dish towels in the kitchen and hand towels in the bathroom
- Water the house plants
- Dust off an end table
- Shake out the welcome mat
- Sort through the mail as it comes in
They seem like simple things to tackle, but when you let them go, they turn into a mountain of housework. I’ve been doing these things a while now. It’s eliminated a lot of the stress I’d feel towards the end of most days. By picking up things immediately the house has stayed tidier.
I’d love to know if you would add thing to the less than one minute or less list!
As always, thanks so much for spending a tiny part of your day here with me! Fingers crossed I have some exciting kitchen updates to share with you on Friday!
