Do you ever feel that you just have too much to do and not enough daylight? Sometimes I have found myself staying up later than the family to try to catch up, but then that starts to catch up with me and I just find myself overly tired the next day. How in the world do people get everything done? I think the secret is doing things in bite size chunks.

8 Things to do in 10 Minutes

Here are 8 things to do in 10 minutes. These things won’t get your life in perfect order. Your house won’t be magically clean and things won’t be completely done, but you will hopefully start to find a better balance.

Pick it up!

When you go from one room to the other, pick up something as you go. Don’t waste a trip and miss the opportunity to return a book to a shelf, a pair of shoes to the garage or an empty glass to the kitchen.

Wipe it up!

My sister in the law is the queen of wipes! She has a tub of wipes in all the strategic places that need disinfecting or wiped up after spills. We now keep disinfectant wipes in each bathroom and under the kitchen sink. This way, I can do a quick swipe on the toilets, sink and door handles in just a couple minutes.

Enlist Help:

There is absolutely no way that one person can do it all. It definitely takes a team work approach. Find chores that are age appropriate and get the whole family involved.

Hire a Gopher:

In our house, there are times when it’s “all hands on deck”. The older kids head straight to the laundry or to clean the bathrooms, but the younger ones often do the gopher chores. These are the tasks that require someone to just be the “go for it” person; thus the name ‘go-pher’. These chores are simple and perfect for young children.

Return toys to the right room; put paper towel tubes and newspaper in the recycle bin; take shoes to the shoe shelf; put backpacks away.

Do Chores while you chat:

I love to talk to family members on the phone but don’t have time to just sit and chat throughout the day. Instead, I make the most of my time by folding clothes or emptying the dish-washer while I catch up with family on the phone.

Pick one task at a time:

There’s no way you can conquer your whole house or life in 10 minutes, but you can get one thing done. Next time you have 10 minutes, tackle one drawer, one bookshelf or one pile of clothes and bring that chaos to order. Set a timer if you need to and don’t work over the 10 minutes. Remember that you do have a life other than just cleaning, so be the master of the clock and see what you can tackle.

Think ahead:

I am not a master of this, but I am trying. I have a list of small projects that I want to do but don’t have enough time to do it all at once. I am mentally prepared with a list of things that take 10 minutes or less, so next time I have a 10 minute window, I can tackle one of these projects.

Have the right tools:

All the time in the world is not going to get the job done if you don’t have the right tools. Buy the disinfectant wipes, magic eraser, or cleaning supplies before you need them, so you’ll be ready.

How do you juggle everything and make the most of your time? I’d love to hear your tips!