The 10-Minute Manager

Not too long ago I borrowed the e-book, The 8-Minute Manager.  I was excited to read it because I love the idea of becoming better organized.  I only made it through the first chapter.  The concept is a valuable one, taking 8-minute increments each day and doing projects around the house, but the only problem was, she kept recommending that the reader purchase this and that to help organize various spaces.  Since I am on a very tight budget, that wasn’t going to work for me.  I decided I need a combo book, The Tightwad Gazette meets The 8-Minute Manager.  Instead, I returned the book and started doing one 10-minute project each day.  (Yes, I expanded my time by 2 minutes).  To be honest, I don’t watch the clock or set a timer, but I just choose a small project of about 10 minutes.  Then I squeeze it in when I’m cooking dinner or have a lull in the day somewhere.  I began in the kitchen because it was the room that was bothering me the most.  I decided that there are areas of my home that drain my energy.  I am beginning with those first.  Anything that nags at me every time I walk by is getting my attention first.  For example, I have five potted plants, and I’ll admit they don’t get nearly the TLC that my outdoor gardens get.  Every time I looked at the African Violets on my kitchen windowsill, a little voice said in my head, “Those plants look terribly neglected and just downright sad.  What kind of housekeeper are you?”  I decided those kind of negative thoughts are not good for me, so I tackled the plants first.  It took me two day’s worth of 10-minute projects to get all five plants repotted, trimmed and cleaned.  Here’s the amazing thing- now when I look at those plants, rather than feel badly, I feel a sense of accomplishment.  Now the voice inside my head says something like this: “Look how great those plants look!  Aren’t they happy!  You keep your house in good order.”  Next, I tackled my kitchen drawers, one by one.  Each day I emptied one drawer, sorted through the contents, threw half of the stuff away, wiped out the drawer, and replaced the contents.  All in about 10 minute’s time!  Little by little my kitchen is beginning to look so much cleaner and much more orderly.  That negative voice in my head is being replaced with positive thoughts.  I used to think I had to tackle a room as one huge job, setting aside an entire day to thoroughly scrub and organize.  It felt so overwhelming that I never got to it.  Now I can work on small jobs, one at a time, until the entire room is in good shape.  I’m reminded of a quote that I’ve loved for many years.  President Monson quoted it in General Conference last year, and I think his version is slightly different.  I don’t know who the author is, but it’s definitely true. 

By the yard, life is hard.

By the inch, life’s a cinch!