Sometimes we need a win in a small amount of time. These small wins shouldn’t be dismissed. Today I’m sharing 10 Ways to Simplify in 5 minutes or Less.
10 Ways to Simplify in 5 Minutes or Less
Clear under the sink.
What’s under your kitchen sink? Cleaning products? Cloths? Dishwasher detergent? Grocery sacks? A mess? Take everything out, wipe down the cabinet and only put back what makes sense. Organize things in a way that makes everything easy to grab. A caddy for cleaning supplies. A drawer for microfiber cloths. A container with a lid for dishwasher pods. Clear it out and make it work for you.
Write down 10 weeknight meals.
Write down 10 meals you want to make this season. Meals that are easy to make, meals that you want to try, meals you will actually cook for your people. Use this list to meal plan this winter.
Grocery sack walk through.
Grab the Target grocery sack you got with your last curbside order and do a quick walk through your main living area. Put trash and unwanted things inside the sack. Don’t let yourself think too much on this one. Let your gut do the decision making. Throw the trash away and donate everything else.
Organize the winter gear.
If you live somewhere it gets cold, chances are it’s cold right now. Quickly go through the winter gear and make sure each person living in your home has the essentials. If there is a lot of excess, consider donating to a shelter to help someone else stay warm this winter.
Think through the laundry.
Is your laundry routine working for you? Is there something you need to tweak or change or do you need a complete overhaul? Think through how you do laundry and what you can change to make it simpler. Maybe it’s a load of laundry everyday or maybe it’s implementing a laundry day. Think about what works for you, your current season, and your family.
Purge your bag.
Grab your purse or bag and quickly look through it for trash and unnecessary items. Let go of those things to make your bag more functional.
Throw away expired food.
Do a quick check in the fridge and pantry for expired food. Toss anything you wouldn’t let your kids eat.
Declutter a bathroom drawer.
Open any bathroom drawer and pull out things that don’t belong and things you haven’t used in the last year. Be ruthless. This task gets you a lot of impact in a little amount of time.
Do a brain dump.
Set a timer for 5 minutes and brain dump everything you’re keeping in your brain. Use this list for your to-dos for the rest of the week and month. Get ready to feel a whole lot lighter.
Opt out.
This one might be controversial, but I’m going to say it nonetheless. What chore or task can you opt out of? Maybe it’s dinner duty on Thursday nights and you order take out. Maybe you need some help cleaning around the house and hire someone to clean once or twice a month. Or maybe it’s asking your spouse to take over a chore that’s overwhelming to you. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to not do it all. Friends, it’s okay to opt out.
We can all simplify something in 5 minutes or less. If you want more ways to simplify, check out this post.
What can you do today to make your life a bit simpler?