The root cause of clutter is often procrastination when it comes to making decisions, even small ones. For instance, choosing to toss your keys and wallet in random places instead of setting them in the same spot each time you arrive home. Neglecting to hang your coats or putting away your tennis racquet can also contribute to the problem.
Many of us tend to ignore household chores until the mess becomes overwhelming. But even if you feel like you can’t tackle the entire house, committing to just three minutes of tidying up can make a huge difference in the appearance of your home. This small amount of time can be incredibly valuable if you use it intentionally.
Here’s a hack to help you get started:
- Recognize the power of three minutes.
- Set a timer for three minutes and choose an area to focus on until the timer goes off.
- Confront the mess and clean it up.
You’ll be surprised at how much more orderly your home will look in just three minutes. Making your bed, picking up clothes from the floordrobe and the chairdrobe, stowing away shoes, unloading the dishwasher, vacuuming one room, or taking the recyclables to the car trunk are all simple tasks that can transform your living space. By repeating these tiny time investments throughout the day, you’ll see a significant change in the overall cleanliness of your home.
Idea for Impact: As you begin tidying up even a small portion of cluttered areas, you’ll notice momentum starting to build. Before long, you may find yourself actively seeking out additional spaces to tidy. Within a matter of days, it becomes clear that letting things go unchecked is what led to being overwhelmed by clutter in the first place. This sense of progress can be incredibly motivating, making it more likely that you’ll stick to your new habits and achieve success in your efforts. In an ideal world, we would all adopt the mindset of cleaning up as we go.