The Power of Five Minutes

My black and gray fabrics organized through the power of five minutes.

 The title to this post came to me the other day after my post about list making.  I checked it by searching through Swagbucks and of course I'm not the first person to use that title!   There are also these titles:  The Power of 10 Minutes and The Power of 15 minutes.  So then the title, "Five Minute Miracle" came to me, so I checked that one as well....... Um No.  I didn't want to use that one either.  Oh well, this post is my own take on spending 5 minutes getting things done.

I don't want to come across as wanting you to be constantly hustling and working and striving.  No, not at all.  If anything, this is the lazy way to get work done.  I just know that for me I can do 5 minutes (or 10 or 15 or more) consistently and get things done.

Here are some ideas:

1. I've always loved the idea of spending 15 minutes a day on a certain project or housework job.  I first learned this trick from Emilie Barnes (Author) and then more recently from the Flylady.  (www.flylady.net)   But, honestly, some days after work, I am just too tired, either physically or mentally, or both, to even spend 15 minutes.  BUT... 5 minutes, that I can usually do.

2.  After spending 5 minutes, I often keep going because I start to feel that great feeling of accomplishment when I see the progress.  Even if I only do 5 minutes, it adds up.

3.  No need for a timer.  I just glance at the time, add 5 minutes to it in my mind, and when I reach that time, I stop.  (Or maybe keep going.  See #2)

4.  The biggest hurdle to working for 5 minutes is to know what you are going to do!  It could take me 5 minutes or more to figure out what I should do, which kind of defeats the purpose.   So I've started keeping a list of 5 minute jobs for certain areas.  Or I try to think ahead to what I can do for 5 minutes in whatever room I am concentrating on at the time.

I am currently organizing and cleaning in my sewing room and this is a list of 5 minute jobs I can do in there.

Organize one drawer or shelf
Trim scraps into usable sizes
Dust one small area
Fill bobbins for quilting or sewing
Put things where they belong for 5 minutes
Quilt for 5 minutes
Chain stitch quilt blocks
Do a quick 5 minute vacuum of the floor.
Throw away some quilt batting scraps
Organize yarn into one container.  (currently in 3 places)

Here is one drawer that I organized in 2 five minute time periods.  I just sorted them into color families and threw away a few pieces.

I use a lot of 2 1/2 inch wide strips and having them organized is a big help when making a scrap quilt.

Before:  Just thrown in the drawer.

After:  A little easier to find what I need.

I came to the conclusion that there are a lot of ugly fabrics in this drawer!  But, placed in the right  color combination in a project, they will be pretty. 

5.  Sometimes the 5 minute slot of time becomes available when we are waiting for other things to happen.  Such as waiting for the microwave to finish, oven timer to go off, or waiting for clothes to de-wrinkle in the dryer, or waiting for someone to finish getting ready to go somewhere, when you are already ready to go.  Or while in the drive through at the bank or restaurant, you can dust the area of the car right in front of you.  Just keep a dusting cloth nearby.   The secret is to be aware of these times and also to have an idea of what you can do without having to figure that out. (see #4)

6.  When you see something that needs to be done, go ahead and write it down on your 5 minutes jobs list because if you are like me, you won't think about it again until that job starts to bug you later on.

7.  You've heard of a backlog, I am sure.  Why not create a FRONT log?  Here is the definition:

1. Frontlog is typically used as a verb to indicate that you're going to do things sooner than later, even sooner than necessary. That way they are done, and out of the way. Let's frontlog this work because we know we're going to require several iterations before we get it right, so we don't want to wait for the last minute to start.
   
   

Create a list of things you can do ahead of time.  Just small things that only take about 5 minutes.   Think ahead to what you have coming up that you can go ahead and be working on.   For example, recently while at Dollar General, I went ahead and bought all the birthday cards I will need for the rest of the year.

8.   At work I have a list of little things I can do as the end of the day is approaching.  The reason for this is that I may be tired, but need to keep working.  There are always some little things I can do that don't take much brain power and will allow me to coast until the work day is over, but not feel like I am a slacker.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment to check off these small things and to make good use of all the time right up until the end of the day.

This idea is good at home too.  Save some easy 5 minute jobs for when you are tired, but want to keep on going.

9.  Delegate some 5 minute jobs.  Most of the time family and friends don't mind helping you out if the job is only going to take them 5 minutes!  And you won't mind asking them since there's not a big time investment involved.

10.   Don't limit yourself to just 5 minutes, if you have the time and energy.  This weekend I am still quilting the "Kindergarten Art Quilt" and I found myself quilting for 20 minutes at the time.  This way I give both myself and the sewing machine a break which helps me to not get burned out on the project.  I'm three fourths of the way through with the quilting!  I hope to be binding it next weekend, since I will be quilting for short periods both before and after work.

Have a great week!

Pockets of Time

Good Monday morning to you!


I've been really busy lately, but I am trying to manage my time better in order to get more things done.  I need more "at home" time!  I've been trying to make use of little pockets of time, such as the minute or two it takes for a cup of coffee to brew, or if I can get ready for work fast enough in the morning, there might be a few minutes left for crafting or cleaning.

Recent examples of things done during that short pocket of time when the coffee is brewing are that I unloaded most of a load of dishes from the dishwasher,  folded a few pieces of laundry and started some tea bags brewing.  In the past I would jump up during a TV commercial and quilt a little.  Now we watch most of our tv on Netflix, so no commercials! LOL

Using small pockets of time works well for sewing projects.  Here are some key fobs I've been working on lately.  This one is for my daughter.

This one is for my friend and coworker.

 This is one in progress for my daughter-in-law.

I finally learned how to download embroidery patterns from the internet!  I bought this curly monogram from an Etsy shop.  This was just a practice piece, using some scrap fabric, but you can see how it will turn out.  I am going to be putting monograms on bags, and more, for gifts.  In pockets of time, I can work on them in baby steps.  The first step is to choose the fabric, followed by pressing the fabric and putting it and the stabilizer into the hoop.

My monogram on scrap fabric.

The majority of my pocket time has been used to water plants in the yard during this whole summer.  Thank goodness for some rain lately, which allowed me to skip my watering chores occasionally.   I'm looking forward to fall and winter and more time for homemaking and crafting.

Have a great day!

The "What To Wear" List and the "Menu Planning" List

I am a list maker.  I have a list for just about everything.  I can't keep all that stuff in my brain, so I let the lists do the work for me.  I make a CVS list, Food Lion list, daily to do list,   There's a list of sewing projects.  If company's coming for a meal, there's a list of each item of food and what needs to be done to it.

I guess I inherited this list making tendency because I have found dozens of scraps of paper at my mother's house with grocery lists, Christmas lists, recipe lists, what to cook for dinner lists, etc. on them.

My favorite lists in recent times are my "Menu Planning" list and my "What To Wear" list. 

A favorite "go to" outfit for summer.

I don't have that many clothes, but I mix and match things to make several outfits for work or church.  I don't want to have to think about this too much.  So I wrote down what I wore each day for a couple of weeks on a list which is on the shelf in the closet. 

Now all I have to do is see what's next on the list.  Its kind of the same idea as the menu planning list.  I just wrote down everything that was available and then choose from that each day.  Its just one less thing to think about in the morning. 

If only all those pants still fit.....

This means I can get ready for work in a flash, if I have spent too much time sewing or blogging!

The menu planning list is working and I finally feel like a success at menu planning!  Its just a list of available foods or dishes.  I bought some cheese, so on the list went "grilled cheese sandwiches".  Over abundance of tomatoes equals:  pasta salad, green salad, tomato sandwiches, BLTs.

I did a quick inventory of the freezer, pantry and fridge.  I add to it as new foods come in the house and mark off those that have been eaten.  Some foods stay on the list indefinitely because we keep them on hand and eat them regularly, such as hamburgers, chicken, pork chops, etc.

Here are our menus for this week, thanks to the list: 

Sunday:  Sauteed chicken breast, peas, corn on the cob

Monday:  Chef's salad

Tuesday:  BLTs, (Almost free turkey bacon from Walgreens, tomatoes from garden) corn on the cob (gift). 

Wednesday:  Veggie burgers (freezer), boiled and fried new potatoes (from the garden), field peas seasoned with country ham (gift), peeled and sliced cucumbers in vinegar (garden) 

Thursday:  Grilled cheese sandwiches, butterbeans cooked with turkey smoked sausage.

Friday:  Spaghetti, salad

Next week's plan will include the BBQed or roasted chicken that I froze a couple of weeks ago, some of the frozen sausage and all the fresh vegetables that are coming into the house faster than we can eat them.

The Five Minute Rule

I posted about the Five Minute rule 2 or 3 years ago, but its worth another look.
This is a good reminder to myself to get more organized!

The five minute rule is kind of like the rule I try to follow at work, "Only handle that piece of paper once".

This is how it works:

If it can be done in five minutes or less, take care of it now, rather than doing it later. By getting rid of little things immediately, you can focus on the bigger projects.

These are some things this rule could be applied to in the kitchen area:

1. Make a gallon of tea
2. Declutter the "junk" drawer
3. Unload the dishwasher
4. Plan a meal
5. File a recipe clipped from a magazine
6. Wipe off the counters
7. Clean out the coffee pot
8. Clean the kitchen sink
9. Straighten the silverware drawer and de-crumb. LOL
10. Organize the spices
11. Take out the trash
12. Wash out the pet's dish
13. Set the table for the next meal
14. Take out items for the nightly meal from the freezer
15. Fill Water pitcher for fridge
16. Straighten up cookbooks or recipe box
17. Shake the dirt out of a rug and sweep around it
18. Go ahead and freeze that meat so it won't get old! (can you tell I have failed to do this before?)LOL
19. Prep the veggies for this week's salads.
20. Start a grocery list

Some of these things can be done while waiting for someone to get dressed, or while you are chatting with your Mom on the phone. If you've got a minute (or 5) before you have to leave the house or start some other project, you can get a small job done.

You could even make a list of five minute jobs to have available for when that five minute slot of time becomes available.

Doing these small jobs when you think of them, if they take 5 minutes or less, will help to make your life much less stressful!Take it from someone who tends to procrastinate!

Menu and Schedule Revamping and the Front Log

Sometimes I get my priorities out of order and must confess that even with the broken screen, my laptop has been my first priority in the mornings for a while now. My new self-imposed rule is that the first thing I will do in the morning is to read my Bible. I am telling you this, not to pat myself on the back, but to let you know that I must do first things first! I am constantly seeking the best form of Bible study for myself, but the important thing is that I do something every morning and if I don't do it first, it usually doesn't get done.

And sometimes.. well in fact lots of times, I do not cook what was on the menu that I posted here! I hope that doesn't shock you, but there are times when the posted menu just doesn't work out, there are leftovers that need to be eaten or what I planned doesn't sound good.

This happened last night. I ended up cooking oven baked pork chops AND meatloaf. I decided that while I was in the kitchen and the oven was hot, I would make two meals. The reason I changed the menu was the fact that the date on both packages of meat were about to expire. It didn't make sense to freeze them since I was going to cook them in a couple of days. Macaroni and Cheese and French Cut Green Beans rounded out the meal. Hubby and I took a small portion of each meat. He couldn't decide which was better, since he loves meatloaf and pork chops.

It also occurred to me that this was a very efficient way of cooking. I'm still not a freezer cooking fan, but I keep tweaking the kinds of meals I can freeze. What works best for me is to cook ahead for the week. With leftovers from my meal last night in the fridge, I won't have to cook at all for a day or two.

I also wanted to let you know that cooking pork chops in the oven with those french fried onions sprinkled on top is delicious! They were some of the best pork chops I have every eaten.

This post is being categorized under time management. One of my favorite time management tips is keeping a "front log" instead of a back log. Anything that you can do ahead of time is a front log. What can you do today that would help you keep a front log? Its the same thing as "don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today". This tip is amazingly helpful at my workplace and also at home.

Keep a Frontlog, Not a Backlog

TIME MANAGEMENT

I am summarizing the book I am reading called "How to Have a 48 Hour Day", by Don Aslett. The chapter that has been the most inspiration to me is called BE EARLY.

Another topic in the chapter, "BE EARLY", is called "Keep a Frontlog, Not a Backlog". The author states that "High Producers don't have backlogs. When you work from behind you never really catch up enough to be able to go back and pick up. Producers maintain a frontlog, a list of things to do ahead. When you're always working ahead of yourself, pushing things ahead of you rather than pulling them along behind you, you have twice the control."

I love the illustration on this page of an elephant pushing some logs ahead of him. I keep remembering this image as I go about my day. So, what can we do to create a front log?

1. Make a list of the things you can do ahead of time.
2. Carry the list with you at all times.
3. Work on the list in the little snippets of time or larger chunks of time you may have.
4. BE EARLY!

These are some examples I'm applying the front log to:

1. Working on Christmas Cards
2. Paying Bills
3. Cooking meals
4. Buying gifts for occasions in the future
5. Sewing projects
6. Blog Posts

There are lots of ways to use a front log!

When to Prepare? EARLY!

TIME MANAGEMENT, PART TWO

I am summarizing the book I am reading called "How to Have a 48 Hour Day", by Don Aslett. The chapter that has been the most inspiration to me is called BE EARLY.

So, When should we prepare? Early!

The author states that there's no such thing as too far ahead and that being ready in advance is sure fun and comforting.

So how do we apply this to our day to day lives?

As soon as we are aware of something looming in the future that we will have to prepare for.... start preparing. Several things come to my mind.... Christmas, Tax Time, the baby shower I promised to help with, a Sunday School Class to be taught, an annual anniversary trip, a family member's birthday, etc. These things could be a year from now, a week from now or tomorrow. Start preparing now!

This is a good idea not only for bigger things, but the day to day little things we do. For example, prepare everything you can for a meal ahead of time. This past weekend I was in a time crunch and had a few hours available on Saturday morning. I boiled chicken, cooled it and deboned it for use in Chicken Pot Pie and chicken salad to be eaten the next day. I cooked a cake, cooled it, decorated it, placed it in the cake plate and refrigerated it. I got out the bowls, baking dish, ingredients, etc. needed for the chicken pot pie and had them ready with the recipe book open to the page I needed. This way there were no surprises. If I was out of an ingredient I had time to purchase it.

These are examples the author used for preparing early:

1. When he was going on a trip, he put his suitcase out a week before and casually started putting things in it all week. When the day of departure came, he had no stress.

2. When he was a boy it was his job to feed the cows. Every night he would go ahead and get the hay out and ready, so the next morning, when it was dark and cold and he was in a hurry, all he had to do was spend 3 minutes feeding them.

3. If he had a book deadline 2 or 3 years away, he started working on it immediately a little bit at the time over time and when he reached the deadline date, voila, done!

4. His father ran a ranch 4 times bigger than his neighbors' ranches without any hired help. How? They never went to bed without knowing what they were going to be doing the next day. The tools and equipment were laid out for the next day's work. The machinery and equipment were serviced 6 months before they needed it, while the neighbors waited until the equipment was needed to get it serviced, thus having to wait in line at the service center.

What kinds of things can you prepare for early starting today?

Time Management 101

If the rest of the week is as busy as Monday was.... then wow! I would describe it as floating in the edge of the ocean waiting for a wave. You can't really do too much while waiting for the next wave to come. BUT, you can see it in the distance growing in size. You know its going to hit you eventually, you just don't know exactly when. Finally it gets closer and closer and knocks you under!!!

The two time management books I bought from Amazon are turning out to be favorite reference books. I'm sure I'll be going back to them again and again. They are "How to Have a 48 Hour Day" and "Getting More Done in Less Time". The one I was most looking forward to, "Shopping For Time" never arrived. Evidently the seller had some kind of problem with it and I was refunded the purchase price. I plan to order another one soon.

If I could give an overall summary of the book "How to have a 48 hour day", it would be: Work hard and be early! I kid you not, there is an entire chapter called "BE EARLY!" The author has the best work ethic I have ever seen. I have been implementing his suggestions into my life for about a week. In fact I don't think I could have survived Monday without them! They certainly helped me to get all the things done this past weekend that I needed and wanted to do.

These are some of the topics in the chapter about being early:

1. When to prepare? EARLY!
2. Work ahead, not behind. (toss the word "later" out of your vocabulary)
3. Keep a frontlog, not a backlog.
4. What time of day is best for doing?
5. Early Eliminates Deadline Stress.
6. Waiting - Give it a Shot of Early.
7. Fixing - Do it Early
8. A whole list of things that achieve the "Magic of Early".

I hope to go into more detail on these topics and others from the book in future posts.

If I could give an overall summary of the book, "Get More Done in Less Time", it would be: "Make an organizing notebook". I have updated and nipped and tucked my notebook to the point I finally am actually using it and enjoying it! This has been a work in progress for me for several years. I'm also planning a post about what is in my notebook soon.

Have a great day and remember, BE EARLY!