Ten Things You Can Do in 10 Minutes

There are days we just can't seem to get motivated to get anything done. So I started a list of 10 Things I could do in 10 Minutes. I mainly wrote this list so that I could at least look back and see that I had done something on any given day. Now it has become more of a habit and I can look back on any day and find any number of things I have accomplished on any given day.

The first one is to clean the bathroom. Now as anyone knows, cleaning the bathroom is not fun. In fact it can be downright disgusting. We can however do this quickly and get it done. Begin by removing the rugs from your bathroom (assuming of course that the rugs are removable). Take them outside and give them a good shake. Now go back in and pour your favorite cleaner into the toilet and give it a swish with a scrub brush. Do the same in the tub/shower area with cleaner and appropriate scrub brush and clean the sink too. Quickly vacuum the floor (I use a vacuum with a hose) and then I replace the rugs. Rinse the tub, toilet and sink and quickly grab the rubbing alcohol and wipe down the counters and mirrors. In less than 10 minutes your bathroom is sparkling clean and you have accomplished something for the day.

Throw in a load of laundry when you pass the washer. The washer does all the work, all you have to do is transfer the laundry from the washer to the dryer and then quickly fold it while it is still warm and you won't have anything to iron. Folding a load of laundry takes less than 10 minutes. Teach the kids to put their own clothes away and you are set.

Unload your dishwasher and quickly load that stack of dirty dishes into the dishwasher. It only takes a few minutes to unload and you are loading dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Out of sight, out of mind. Wipe down the counters and quickly sweep the floor and your kitchen looks reasonable within minutes.

Take a walk. Walking is healthy for you and great exercise. Even if you don't have time to take a very long walk 10 minutes is a great start. A 10 minute walk will give you a whole new outlook on life and you will reap wonderful healthy benefits by taking that 10 minute walk.

Make your bed. Now for most of us this doesn't take an entire 10 minutes. Making ones bed seems to make the room look cleaner instantly. Whether it is or not may be an entirely different story but it is a great start. Grab the dirty clothes off of the floor and a quick wipe down of dressers and such and your room will look much better.

Call an old friend. Take a 10 minute break and call an old friend. It is great to stay connected and friendships require some nurturing. You will feel better about your self and have gotten something accomplished by a simple phone call. While you are on the phone you can grab a damp rag and dust your living room or whatever room might need it at any given time. Accomplish two things this way.

Water your houseplants. Whether you give them a weekly watering or just occasional take a few minutes and check them all thoroughly. Remove dead leaves and damaged leaves and give them a nice drink of water.

Check you smoke alarm batteries and replace the ones that need replacing. It only takes a few moments to check and replace them. They can save your life if you are sleeping and there is a fire so pay attention to them and check them frequently.

Clean out your car. Sometimes it is easy to "live in our cars". We leave that jacket in the back seat after the sun has been out and we warmed up. The empty chip or cracker package and perhaps an empty juice bottle. Take a moment and clean it out and wipe down the dash and door handles. Your car will thank you.

Organize a drawer. Most of us keep a "junk drawer". Take a few minutes and empty it out and start over. Weed out what isn't needed and put it where it belongs. Wipe it out and then re fill it according to what really needs to be in there.

If we do some of these things at least weekly they won't pile up and seem so overwhelming. It only takes a few minutes a day and we can change our entire outlook.