Little Moments of Productivity
Each night, after my family is asleep and I finally find my moments of quiet, I have a little routine. I turn the stove on and heat up water in my tea kettle so I can sit and enjoy a cup of tea and relax. While the water is heating up, I empty my dishwasher, load the dirty dishes and wipe down my sink and counters.
A simple, quick little routine that makes a big difference.
It doesn’t take a lot of time. That few minutes that would otherwise be wasted away sitting and waiting is put to good use.
I find myself stealing other small moments to be productive throughout the day. Like cleaning my shower before turning the water off when I am done. Wiping down my bathroom sink while waiting for a toddler on the toilet. Organizing paperwork and bills while uploading photos to the computer. Making beds while the kids get dressed. Small moments that I can otherwise just spend waiting, I fill with small things that add up fast and make my home feel more manageable.
Do you find yourself stealing little moments like this to get things done because it works better than waiting for large chunks of time that rarely ever arrive?
I have my little routines like this, too. I figured out years ago that I needed a kitchen-cleanup routine at night before bed or I’d always be kicking myself in the morning (who wants to walk into a dirty kitchen right after waking up?). I never thought to make tea while I was doing it, though. I usually catch up on the news while I’m wiping everything down.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Julia @ Hooked on Housess last blog post..“Top Design” Finale: And the Winner Is…
I take time when I’m at a red light to use a wipe and clean my steering wheel and dashboard. It’s amazing how dirty a steering wheel can get!
Alana @ Gray Matterss last blog post..And the winner is . . .
I also wipe down the bathroom while I wait for the little one to pee.
I do the dishes while dinner is in the oven. Ideally there are only the dishes we used to eat to clean up after dinner. I also take 5 minutes and clean off the kitchen island before heading off to bed. I’m amazed at the junk that can collect on there in a day.
Ashley @ Wide Open Wallets last blog post..How do you teach value?
I a big fan of singletasking, but I do these small kinds of tasks too. If you are just going to be waiting anyway, then I would not call it multitasking. You can get quite a bit done throughout an entire day if you take advantage of all these situations. I am always carrying items, or garbage, or something from room to room as I leave them or go up or downstairs.
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
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Good ideas. I like to set up the coffee pot at night while the boys are getting on their jammies. Nothing better than waking up to a cup of hot coffee.
Kimba
Kimba @ A Soft Place to Lands last blog post..A Personalized Project and a Giveaway!
that is something i really need to work on- using in-between times to do little things. i tend to leave tasks until i have a swath of time to devote to them (I can’t tidy one surface; it has to be the whole house.) I need to be a thinker of resistance (resist clutter, resist dirt, resist the impulse to perfection) rather than of systems! i have a class war all my own on my living room floor, apparently.
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I love this kind of multitasking.
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I often use the time waiting for my tea to do a few things in the kitchen. I think with children using the “in between” moments is really the only way to keep up!
Vintage Mommys last blog post..What is Open Adoption?
you just described my entire day in a nut shell …. after all the in betweens really add up to the whole day …
My one exception - some where on a weekend I talk two hours ‘personal time’. It is my choice alone what I do with these precious two hours. The luxary of having 120 minutes in a row to accomplish something can not be overstated - cheers le
les last blog post..Christmas comes early …with love from creative Australians
I think this pretty much sums up my every waking moment. Until the weekend hits, then I tend to slow down and single task.
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I try to put waiting time to good use too. Sometimes a lot of this happens outside the home, like waiting for my turn at the post office or at some other office.
I carry something to read during these times.
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