Okay we all know that you can not downsize in just 10 minutes! However, I think we often say I ONLY have 10 minutes so I will wait until I have more time. The word ONLY is stopping you from starting.
ONLY is a very powerful word. It can be used to motivate people to act immediately: “There are ONLY 2 seats left at this price” It can limit who can participate: “ONLY those 18 years or older can apply” It can make you feel very, very sad: “There is ONLY one piece of chocolate remaining in the house”
It can also hinder us from reaching our goals: “I ONLY have 10 minutes, I might as well not even start… to exercise, to clean or to start to downsize/declutter.
Downsizing, like exercise, is something people know they should do but just don’t know where or how to start. We often think of downsizing when we are considering selling our homes. Really, we should be in a constant state of sorting, discarding or donating which is what downsizing is.
I believe that 10 minutes is long enough to accomplish more than you think.
Here is what to have ready for your 10 minute sessions:
Trash and recycle bags- discard anything that’s broken, too damaged to donate, or ready for the recycle bin.
Donation box- Have donation box always available to easily place items in.
Put Away Later box- While decluttering a closet, drawer, or room, you are going to find objects that belong in other places. .
The Next time you ONLY have 10 minutes try to do one of these:
1. You can easily clean out one drawer. Quickly determine what you no longer use or what does not belong there. Don’t find a new home for the items that want to live somewhere else- that is for another 10-minute timeframe. Have the
2. At the end of each season scan your closet and pull the items you did not wear, do not fit or you don’t like. This can easily be done in 10 minutes. Another day use your 10 minutes to go through: your sock drawer, scarfs, shoes or jewelry.
3. Box up drinking glasses and coffee cups you no longer use and donate them. Click here to watch a short video of decluttering the kitchen
5. Go through your books or DVD’s. If you have read it or watched it chances are you won’t again. (of course, there are the classics that you watch or read over and over again, but probably only a few fit this category)
6. Sort your mail. If you don’t have a place specifically for bills sort it into piles for this 10 minutes session. Research filing systems so that next time you have 10 minutes to file your paperwork you have a system.
7. Sort through your shoes, coats or accessories.
8. Get rid of old paint. Take the lids off and pour in kitty litter almost filling the container. Stir with a paint stick. Leave overnight. If it is not hard the next day add more Kitty litter and repeat until paint is hardened. You can now throw this in the garbage.
9. Clean out your linen closet.
10. Sort through your pantry. Throw out anything expired and donate food you don’t like or will never use.
11. Sort your lawn tools- how many rakes do you really need?
12. Go through your spices. If you have not used it in one year- throw it out. Keep only the spices you know you use- not the ones you purchased for the new recipe you have never tried.
After 2 weeks of having ONLY 10 minutes per day you could potentially have spent 140 minutes sorting, throwing and organizing. That is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Keep it up for a month and you would have over 5 hours of downsizing done.
Instead of saying I ONLY have 10 minutes you can say LOOK WHAT I DID IN ONLY 10 MINUTES.
P.S. There are numerous books and plans available that have loads of ideas and systems on downsizing. Give me a call if you want my recommendations.