The One Minute Rule + 40 Tasks in One Minute or Less

If you find yourself frustrated because your house is a mess and you can’t ever catch up, this idea will be life changing. The one minute rule is so simple it will blow your mind. In fact, it’s the perfect solution for those of you who struggle with procrastination.

It’s 3:30 in the afternoon and you just walked in the door with your kids from school. You step over the shoes and backpacks piled by the door where the kids unloaded and took off to their rooms. You toss the mail on the kitchen counter and look around at the stack of magazines on the dining room table you forgot to recycle and you exhale, trying to release the tension in your neck.

The kids go running through the house laughing and screaming and rush passed you back out the door to go play in the yard. You start to yell at them to come move their stuff on the floor but somehow it seems easier to just enjoy the quiet for a few minutes.

It’s almost time to start supper, and you have a little time to get something done. You want to be productive. The house is cluttered but you know you need to get rid of the clutter but you don’t even know where to start.

I know exactly how it feels. This simple trick you’ll learn today may just well change your life. 

30 Days of Intentional Homemaking: Day 16

We’ve talked about self discipline and creating good habits. If you feel overwhelmed by your messy house, you probably struggle with procrastination.

I remember when I was a young wife and mother and in all honesty, I would have rather been doing anything other than cleaning the house. But, I had a bad habit of putting off tasks and chores until they absolutely had to be done because, well either we were out of clean dishes or out of clean laundry.

I didn’t understand how to be an effective homemaker.

This simple trick will help you get more done in less time and you won’t even feel like you were working.

related: How to Clean When You Feel Overwhelmed

The One Minute Rule

So here’s how it works.

If a task takes less than a minute to complete, go ahead and do it right now.

Here’s the thing. If you want a neat house, you can’t keep procrastinating housekeeping tasks. You have to cultivate some self discipline and the one minute rule is the perfect way to start working on that self discipline. The one minute rule tricks you into forgoing laziness in favor of just getting it done.

Think about it this way. There are so many housekeeping tasks that when done right away only take seconds. For instance, washing your batter bowl in the morning immediately after making muffins {while they are still in the oven} means that you can easily wash away the batter. You know why? Because it hasn’t turned into a crusty mess that will later require soaking, scrubbing, and extra elbow grease.

related: The House that Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark

No more procrastinating. 

The problem with procrastinating is this: we train ourselves to believe that a task is difficult and painful to complete. You know why? Because we put it off and make it more difficult and painful than it needs to be!!!

Look around your house right now. How much of the mess could have been prevented if you had just done the task immediately.

• Dirty laundry on the floor.
• An unmade bed.
• Shoes piled by the door.
• Breakfast dishes in the sink.
• Half drunk coffee on the table.
• Trash overflowing in the trash can.

Now, imagine what life would be like if you just stopped procrastinating and followed the one minute rule. When you notice a simple task that could be done in less than a minute, do it right then.

The One Minute Rule in Action

Here is a list of 40 things you can do in less than one minute… meaning you are practicing self discipline!

1. rinse a dish
2. put away your shoes
3. hang up your coat
4. sort through the days mail
5. replace the toilet paper
6. make your bed
7. put your dirty laundry in the hamper
8. start a load of clothes in the wash
9. load the dishwasher
10. wipe off the table
11. water your plants
12. empty a trash can
13. wipe down the bathroom sink
14. close a drawer or cupboard door
15. sweep the porch
16. fluff the pillows on the couch
17. straighten the coffee table
18. clear a kitchen counter
19. put away something in the other room
20. throw out old food from the fridge
21. wipe down a shelf in the fridge
22. wipe up a spill when it happens
23. switch laundry into the dryer
24. clean out your purse
25. hang up your towel after showering
26. dust your tv screen
27. dust the cobwebs
28. clean a mirror
29. replace a burned out light bulb
30. clean the stove top
31. make the kitchen sink shine
32. change out the bathroom towels
33. check your planner
34. clean a toilet
35. put away clean clothes
36. turn on your essential oil diffuser
37. light some candles
38. sweep the kitchen
39. wash a pot as soon as you’re done cooking in it
40. spray shower with daily shower spray

Free Printable Cheat Sheet

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