I know what you're thinking, " I can't organize my life in 5 minutes. Have you seen everything I need to do?".
Let me explain. There are always jobs that need doing, errands that need running , kids that need feeding, and the list goes on.
So how can you get that done in just 5 minutes? It may seem like you are snowed under with things you need to do. It can get to the point where you don't even want to begin because there is just so many tasks. This makes matters worse because tomorrow, your list is longer, the ironing pile is higher and there seems to be dust everywhere. It gets to a point where all the chores seem insurmountable.
You know the old joke, "how do you eat and elephant?" The answer is "one bite at a time" and this is exactly what you need to do.
Let's start with the fridge. While you are cooking a meal, open the fridge and take out everything that is either past its sale by date, leftovers that no one will eat, or things you can no longer identify due to mold growing on them. That should take you no longer than five minutes.
If you have a couple minutes left over, pull out the crisper and fill that with soapy water after removing any veg you were still able to identify and have decided to keep. Grab a damp soapy cloth and give everything a quick once over now that the food has been sorted.
Now is a good idea for menu planning. If you see things that can be combined, make tomorrow's meal "Chef's special". This is another word for anything goes.
If you are thinking, you can't clean a floor in 5 minutes, think again. Let's look at your kitchen floor. A good sweep shouldn't take 5 minutes. Don't bother getting out the mop, bucket, and other such paraphernalia. It will take you longer than 5 minutes to find it. Just put your rubber gloves on and grab a floor cloth. Don't take 5 minutes, just a quick job will do. Kitchen floors are better to be done often. When you are waiting for something to cook on the stove, just quickly wipe the floor. A watched pot doesn't boil and a floor doesn't get clean by looking at it.
If you have carpets in your house, break it down into areas to do. You don't need to vacuum the whole house in one go. It is said for the main traffic areas, these should be vacuumed once a week for each person. So for example if you have a family of 4, then the living area should be vacuumed 4 times a week. If you are vacuuming that frequently, it will be a quick whiz over.
If you are carrying something akin to a filing cabinet under your arm or in you back pocket, the time to act is now. Separate into 3 piles, one to keep, one to throw away, and one to return to your bag. It is best to be ruthless here. If you haven't used something in the past month, you don't need to be carrying it around daily.
Keep only essentials. A phone, wallet containing cards and cash and lipstick. Come on ladies, what else do we really need.
We all think we will remember everything we need to do. Don't be afraid to write notes down. This will act as a reminder of not just the important things that need doing but also what you need to pick up at the grocery store etc.
Either keep a small note pad and pen with you or use a suitable app for your phone or Kindle.
You may think it is a sign of aging to make notes and lists of things to do. This isn't the case. Many people find that this is the solution to getting things done. List the 5 most important things that need to be done on that day and do them. If you can't complete one on that day, add it to tomorrow's list. You will be amazed how efficient this makes you. This is something I try and do everyday. I also make a list for my husband, although it has to be said, he doesn't like me to do a list for him.
We all are guilty of sitting in front of our computer and whilst browsing the Internet, we bookmark a page. How many of these do you actually return to? Not many I suspect. Take 5 minutes to go through your bookmarks and delete or organize into folders. If for example you like to bookmark links to recipe sites, you can make a folder called, "recipes". Then within that folder you can have sub folders called "desserts" "snacks" "meat" etc. The next time you want to bookmark a web page, you can drop it into the appropriate folder. This will save you time in the future when you want to find a recipe you know you've kept.
It is also time to organize your emails. How many do you have piling up in your virtual inbox? Go through and clear things you aren't going to use again or those that are now outdated.
Maintenance programs can be activated and run without you being in front of your computer. These may take time to run at first but they are a necessary task if your computer is to run at its best. Set these to do them at a time when it will be convenient for you. Or do it manually when you are doing something else. If for example you need to defragment your computer, run this when you take a shower. More than likely it will be done before your feet have hit the bathmat.
Are you embarrassed giving people a ride in your car because it is so dirty inside? Here is a quick way to keep it tidy. Firstly, take several plastic bags with you and keep them in your glove compartment. This will ensure you always have them at hand.
Whilst waiting at the traffic lights. Put your car into park, or into neutral with the handbrake on, and start putting anything that doesn't need to be in the car in these bags. You will have two bags. One will be trash, the other will be things that you want to keep but don't need to be in your car. Everywhere you go there is a litter bin, get rid of your throw away bag. Get into the habit of this and litter will never pile up in your car.
Also whilst waiting at traffic lights, dust your dashboard. Take a spray and lint free cloth. Remember to open the windows first, you don't want to breathe that in.
Cleaning a bathroom need not be a nightmare anymore. There are always shortcuts to avoid the soap scum buildup and mold growing in your bathroom. When you are finished showering, use a squeegee to scrape down the water off the shower tiles and doors. This will keep cleaning to a minimum. Once you are in the habit, it will take less than a minute to do. Because this only needs to be done by the last person in the shower, it will encourage your family to get out of bed early and into the shower.
Whilst brushing your teeth, give the sink a quick wipe, this will always keep it clean.
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