Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Two Minute Tasks - Just Do It, Baby!

(This post is linked to Kristin at Works for Me Wednesday but I'm too techno-dumb to figure out how to put her cool logo here, but you can go there and see it. It's a very nice logo.)

Yep, it's me again. Posting, pretty much on the heels of my last post. No biggie. I'm just super consistent like that.

Oh, and a big shout out to my new followers. I'm on my way to getting that blog re-do thanks to you. I am so sick of whatever that green 'border' is by the donuts on my header. And my pictures aren't crisp (which I'm sure has nothing to do with my camera...)

Hundreds Many of you asked me to elaborate on how I've revolutionized my time management skills by refusing to put off doing anything that takes 2 minutes or less. Well, first of all let me just tell you that many tasks take much longer than 2 minutes.....in your head. But actually Doing Them takes much less time.

For example, this week it took me less than 2 minutes to:


~ Go through the home school card pack that came in the mail, keep the one card I might actually use and throw the rest away.  I have now thrown even that card away. Mail is a no-brainer. The whole process should never take more than 2 minutes.  You either file it (to be paid, to be answered, etc.), can it, or put it on your husband's desk :)


~ Put the camera back in the camera bag....with the lens cover on.....And take it back to where I store it.

~ Figure out a permanent place to store said camera bag :)



~ Hang up my clothes. This actually takes nano-seconds, not minutes...unless you never do it, and are a 19yo girl living in my home..then it would definitely take 5-6 of your precious minutes.


~ Enter all my debit receipts into my check book. I know this is foreign language to those of you under 35, but some of us are married to men who still balance the checkbook and think online banking is of the devil. Of course it would be quicker to just record them as you use your debit card, but we don't want to get all OCD about it, now do we dear?


~ Make my bed. I started doing this years ago, even before Flylady. In fact, I'm pretty sure she got the rule of not even going to the bathroom until your bed is made from me.  Makes for some mighty fast bed-making in my small-bladder household; MUCH less than 2 minutes - and that includes a duvet, four pillows, a European sham, and 3 decorator pillows. (YouTube forthcoming?)

~ Empty your amazon cart. This may cost a lot of money, but it's very quick :) 

~ Delete some emails. The 2 minute thing really works for me here. I can take out about 5-7 emails in 2 minutes (2 seconds if they are forwards.)   The goal is to see each email only once, just as if it was a piece of paper. File it, delete it, print it, or click unsubscribe. Simple Mom, who writes on productivity for home managers, has a good blog post up today bemoaning the size of her inbox and giving some suggestions on how to tame it. For a gal with no vowels in her name she has some great advice :)

~ Comment on someone's blog (sorry...couldn't resist! But it's true...It takes so little time and gives such warm fuzzies to the blogger.)

~ Take my pills. Again if you're 30something, you might be saying, "What pills?" But the older you get the more challenging it becomes to get them all swallowed, rubbed in, or chewed in less than 2 minutes. And then, for the love of all things decent and orderly, Put them Away. No one likes to walk into a bathroom and know your whole rash history.


Speaking of Things that Work for Me - Here's a picture of my sweet boys giving my "new" kitchen chairs a make-over. Winston (who is going to be a super-duper handyman husband...in about 20 years) sanded them and painted them a glossy black. Then Alex cut the black toile fabric using the old covers as a guide.  Here's a picture of the two of them stapling and nailing and pleasing their grateful mom.

I think they're wonderful! .....The boys and the chairs :)




 


 



 




 
 P.S. My friend, Lea, is coming over later today. Lea is creative, and smart, and funny (and she thinks I'm funny...which makes her even more funny) and she has an amazing camera, which she uses brilliantly. She's going to take some pictures of some non-2 minute projects I've been working. Can't wait to show them to you!

15 comments:

lea said...

if only i could find my camera. guess i should have put it away in the appropriate camera space. JUST KIDDING. i know exactly where it is because i am a BIG fan of the two minute rule. but at my house it is the ONE minute rule. we try to do things (and by "we" i mean "me" because no one else really likes this idea except for me) that will only take one minute or less. either we don't have as much time or maybe we are SPEEDY QUICK and do things faster over here... hmmmmmmmmm.

Cheaper by the Baker's Dozen said...

I guess I should have added another superlative to my description of my good friend, Lea. Competitive! Well, two can play at this game, girl. I will now be posting 30-second tasks! :)

GBS said...

Love it Debbie. Of course I've been dwindling away precious time this morning reading e-mails and blogs that are just fun to read, but I'm going to put your tips to use now! I've been spending days re-organizing my home so everything has a place and everything will be put in that place..ha ha. I'm the biggest problem in my house! Pray for me. Off to find something else to avoid the task that needs to be done, but I don't want to do. Love the table and chairs by the way. Hey, what do you do with curriculum you don't use any more if your daughter-in-law doesn't think is as amazing as you do (smile)and doesn't want it. Selling it seems to take so much time, but I can use the money for new curriculum....

Sarah said...

I'm posting in 30 seconds. Please excuse any typos...no time to proof-read.

Cheaper by the Baker's Dozen said...

Sarah, a comment is a comment is a comment. they're all good. 30 seconds, typos, whatever! BTW, I want the tuna recipe I read about on your blog. I'll come over there and ask for it :)

Cheaper by the Baker's Dozen said...

bffoxr (Should I recognize that name?!), I usually only pass down the really good stuff to my married daughters, because I know there are so many new things for them to choose from, and they have different students than I did :) So, I do sell my curriculum...so I can buy more..and sell it. The key is in pricing it very fairly, and trying to sell it locally (email groups, etc) so you don't have to mail it. Packaging and mailing it takes many, many 2 minutes!

Jonesey said...

Very funny. No one needs to know your rash history.

Last night while I was rinsing with mouthwash (is this tmi?) I cleaned off the vanity and wiped down the sink, so this morning it was still clean!!!! I guess that took about 30 seconds (because I can hardly handle the mouthwash)and it made a big difference in this one bathroom household.

Dayna said...

I love reading your blog. It boosts my ego, because I admire you so much, then I read your posts and find that we think so much alike. ;-) Gotta go... I must hang up my skirt from yesterday and put my camera away!

Jamie said...

I LOVE the chairs! And how precious of your boys to help you with them. Just like Dayna, I too have to go and hang up my skirts! :-)

Sarah said...

Mrs. Pittman, I have a couple of complaints: I am quite happy to find that you've read my blog (at least enough to know that I mentioned a tuna recipe), but quite upset to find that you wanted that recipe and didn't take the 30 seconds to comment and ask for it on MY blog, and that you are not following my blog (and we all know how long it takes to click the "follow" button). I think it would be safe to say that I will post that recipe (for dinner tomorrow night, no less) if you will comment on my blog and ask for it, and follow my blog.

(ok, I'll post it anyway....some day soon...keep checking back :)

Anonymous said...

I have to comment before my tea over steeps. We'll make that the 30 second rule, because tea is very important. I really don't have a comment (other than that I always enjoy your blog, and even more when you actually post) but I hear that commnenting is the blogger's love language, so here it is.

Cheaper by the Baker's Dozen said...

Let it be known by all of my 91 followers that, being duly chastised by Sarah, I did indeed take the time (45 seconds to be exact) to follow her blog and leave a comment asking for the tuna recipe. And furthermore, let it be known that she promptly posted said recipe and even mentioned me, with glowing (albeit non-verified) adjectives, in her post.

Would I make a good lawyer, or what?

Cheaper by the Baker's Dozen said...

Leah, how perceptive of you to recognize my love language even through cyberspace. I also enjoy Acts of Service ...and Gifts...followed closely by Words of Affirmation, which you always offer so generously.
Thanks!

Laura said...

I, too, love comments on my blog but not even my own mother feels I need that kind of love these days. I must be doing something wrong.

Jess said...

Loved this post! I have become more aware of how much time is saved when I just walk the "said" item to where it belongs. I have also started wiping down our boys' bathroom/guest bath while they brush teeth/take baths. As I am sure you will agree, boys=lots of misplaced pee! This way, I am not completely mortified when guests dare to go in there!