Ten Terrific Minutes

Ever wonder if there is anything productive you can do with 10 minutes? You might be surprised!

Many of us avoid getting organized because we think we need a whole weekend to get started. While there are some large projects where having a chunk of time is necessary, there are also lots of small steps we can be taking throughout the day that add up to serious progress. Next time you have a few minutes to kill, rather than check the computer or turn on the TV, turn it into an “efficiency moment” and tackle one of these small tasks:

• Grab your phone and delete emails.

• Grab your phone and delete photos .

• Go to your “to shred” bin (if you don’t have one of these, establish one for any document with personal information) and shred whatever is inside.

• Go to your “to read” folder – either paper or electronic - (if you don’t have one of these, establish one for material that you want to read) and read one item.

• Empty ONE drawer, wipe it clean, remove any contents which don’t belong/you no longer want/are trash, and reload. Notice, by cleaning out one kitchen drawer a day you can clean your whole kitchen in a week or two.

• Clear off a shelf. As with the drawer, remove any contents which don’t belong/you no longer want/are trash, and reload.

• Sort through your coupons and throw away any that are expired.

• Sharpen your pencils.

• Empty your pencil sharpener of shavings.

• Clear your bulletin board of out-of-date material.

• Enter phone numbers/contact information into your phone that you have lying around on scraps of paper.

• Sort your magazine pile and throw away old issues/magazines you don’t want to read.

• Put an item AWAY.

• Update your apps.

• Throw out trash from your car.

These are just a few ideas. It is useful to keep a running list of these tasks either hanging on the inside of a cabinet door or stored on your phone. The next time you find yourself with a few free minutes, you can pick a task and make the most of it. If you have a great idea, why not post a comment and help build this list!

For more information on getting organized, visit www.theseanamethod.com or check us out on Facebook or Twitter.

Submitted by Seana Turner, founder and president of The Seana Method.