Habit-Building 104: Reflecting on 30 Days and Looking Ahead
The 10-minute tidying challenge is almost over. I’m almost to 30 days. So what have I learned?
Daily 10 minutes is essential
I’ve been utterly surprised how much I get done in 10 minutes. And I’m not rushing or pushing myself. It’s put into perspective that a lot of things I think will take longer to do actually won’t.
What can I get done in 10 minutes?
Dishes:
Empty the sink
Clean the sink
Fill the dishwasher
Empty the dishwasher and put dishes away
Recycling and Trash
Break down cardboard
Empty the recycling container into the recycling bins outside
Empty the trash into the trash can outside
Some clutter clearing
Usually the counter in the kitchen where everything seems to collect miscellaneous stuff like mail, magazines, and things I need to deal with
I started tidying the fridge
In all, just 10 minutes is enough to do the basics. And as we know, keeping the kitchen sink empty and clean is essential for a tidy home. It’s the heart of the home. It’s where things pile up everyday. If the kitchen sink is full, the whole house just feels cluttered.
What can’t I get done in 10 minutes?
So, there’s a lot I can’t get done in 10 minutes. Since the bulk of my time is dedicated to the dishes, either putting them away or putting them into the dishwasher, it doesn’t leave a lot of time left to do much more.
For instance, today I cleaned the stove top, which put me over my 10 minutes after I took care of the sink and dishes. Not a lot of time, maybe an extra 5 minutes? But if we want to tidy our whole house through easy-to-do routines, it’s something to factor in.
Deep cleaning
Clutter clearing
Organizing
These are tasks that often require more time. But more importantly, your focus.
Since we are all about habit-building here, I’m going to build on this 10-minute cleaning habit.
Next challenge: Target cleaning
Stay tuned for the next challenge which will help chip away at those bigger tasks in easy-to-do routines.
Until then, happy tidying!