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Take a few seconds to look around you.

Are there small tasks that you need to get to? Laundry that is unfolded, vacuuming of a certain room, a couple of dishes in the sink? Is your bed unmade? Does your trash need to be taken out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, or noticed that you had some other little tasks to complete, this little hack is for you.

I used to struggle a lot with staying productive throughout my early twenties. Letting things pile up was a regular occurrence in my life, and in the blink of an eye, I would have a to-do list that was miles long.

I found out about the one-minute rule a few years ago, and while I haven’t stuck to it since then, I have been making a conscious effort to sticking to it lately.

And you guys, it’s incredible!

If you are someone who, like me, struggles sometimes with staying productive or you just like getting things done, the one-minute rule will help you get crazy organized and maximize productivity.

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The One-Minute Rule: Why You Should Live By It

Simply put, the one-minute rule means that if something is going to take you one minute or less to do, you just do it. No second thoughts, no “I’ll get to it later”. You do it now.

Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is!

Applying this rule in your life will also help you save time, in addition to keeping you productive, organized, and totally on top of your game.

How to apply this rule in your life:

How many times during the week do you not bother with picking up after yourself? I used to do it all week. By the time the weekend rolled around, I was knee-deep in piles of stuff all over my house.

Would you rather do an hours-long cleaning on the weekend, or not have a lot to do and instead spend more time relaxing? I would hope it’s the latter.

Here are some easy ways you can apply the one-minute rule throughout the week to avoid having to spend hours cleaning on the weekend:

• make your bed
• load the dishwasher
• put food back in the fridge
• put dirty clothes in the hamper
• hang your coat/jacket back in the closet
• take out the trash
• wipe your countertops
• clean your bathroom mirror
• hang your keys by the door
• water your plants
• put your shoes in their place

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What I love the most about the one-minute rule is that in addition to helping me keep an organized space, it also keeps mental clutter away.

I love being organized and often declutter my space. I mostly do it because I hate having random stuff lying around. Whenever things pile up, I lose focus and become distracted very easily.

Having a clean space thanks to the one-minute rule keeps me more focused and helps me stay on task and, in turn, I am able to tackle my to-do list in no time.

The one-minute rule doesn’t only have to apply to home life. I also use it at work, and with blogging.

Here are some ways I do that:

• tidying up my desk
• decluttering my work bag
• filing papers away after use
• organizing folders on my laptop
• texting someone back
• putting stationary away after use
• putting notebooks/planners away when I’m done with them
• writing my to-do list
• answering quick emails
• sending out messages
• setting up meetings

It’s so much better for me to do these little tasks that take no time throughout the day than to have them hang over my head until I decide I finally want to tackle them.

A trick I also like to use is to set up a timer for one minute on my Fitbit (this little watch has been my favorite thing lately!) whenever I’m straightening out my room. You’ll be amazed at how many things I get done in just one minute!

I think everybody should at least try out the one-minute rule! Try it for a few days and see how you feel about it. I’m sure you’ll find yourself less overwhelmed and more productive.

Do you follow this rule, or think that it is something you will be trying out in your daily life? If so, let me know in the comments!

If you enjoyed reading this post and learned something new, pin the image below to help others learn about this awesome productivity hack!

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