Even a few minutes matter when it comes to getting rid of clutter, organizing your space, and especially maintaining your systems. Try these:
Find 5 items to purge in 5 minutes (5 in 5). Doing this every day, or even every couple of days, can be an easy, painless way of clearing out a junk drawer, a cluttered shelf, a stack of papers, or even your closet. Remember purging or "getting rid of" can mean throwing it away, but it can also mean passing it on to someone else who will use it and enjoy it.
Set a timer. Set the timer for 3 minutes (or 5, or 10, or ??) and see how much you can accomplish in that time. Do some filing, put away the toys, or do some cleaning. An easy timer to use is the TV. Commercial breaks can range from 2½ to over 5 minutes in length.
Time yourself. Sometimes we put off doing something because it will take too long or so we think. Sometimes we schedule a task thinking it will only take a few minutes and soon the day is gone. Time yourself to find out the actual time it takes to accomplish the task. You may be pleasantly surprised or you'll find out why you can't get everything done.
Whether you use one of these ideas or find other ways to make minutes matter, make sure you have some fun and enjoy life.
Check out It's Time to Get Real(istic)
or purchase my Getting Real About Time Worksheet: 5 steps to a productive day.
I wanted to re-post my first edition of Dhucks' Tips & Tricks (July 2007) because the message is still valid today.