A 15 Minute Day

CQ in D.C. is having a tough time. It's just come to her attention that she needs to switch from the one room cure to the whole house remedy. I proposed she do a "15 minute day" and as I was typing, I realised I need to do one myself.

Here's how it goes:
Set the timer--start one task When the timer goes off, start the next thing. When that 15 minutes is over, start a third. When that's over--and this is very important: sit down and drink something. Surf the 'net. Take a break. 15 minutes. Sometimes I'll go over my list and prioritize the next three tasks, or whether I'll take 15 minutes to finish up two of the first three, whatever.

It sounds scattered--but it's designed that way on purpose. I tend to BE scattered, so focusing intensely on one task for 15 minutes and then shifting focus again works WITH the fact that I "can't" clean the whole kitchen, say, until it's done. But during a 15 minute "day" I can get the laundry done, the house picked up and the kitchen cleaned, the beds changed and made, etc, etc,etc.

My list for the weekend:

(I don't expect to get it ALL done)

but what was done on Saturday is in orange,

what was done on Sunday in green. Both days, red.

Errands: swim lessons, pick up paint, groceries, library, bookstore, pet store.

Kitchen:

paint chairs, (3/4) varnish chair (2/4).

wash ceiling

wash dishes

wash shelving and jars over stove

bleach countertop

wash floor

Dining Room:

Clean up desk

put things away!

Living Room:

clear off floors

dust

get out curtain rings that need to be stained. Stain them.

Another coat of stain for the little round table.

Clear off surfaces (Have daughter take every single toy to her room).

Vacuum stairwell and hallway.

Bathroom:

swish and swipe

wash towels, bathmat

Have daughter scrub tub.

Laundry:

Goal: three loads folded and put away, in addition to bedding and bathroom laundry. Two loads done, not including bedding and bathroom.

Seasonal:

Change all the bedding to Winter:

son's bed, daughter's bed, our bed.

Wash bedding: B's blanket, B's comforter, E's bedspread, Our blanket, Our bedspread

Unpack the winter clothes boxes:

B's, E's, Mine

Pack the summer stuff into them. Put in basement to catch the summer stuff coming out of the wash.

Have son rake leaves.

Bedrooms:

Have son pick up everything off of his floor. Vacuum and sweep.

Have daughter

--pick up everything off of her floor

--wash and put away the dishes she used today for supper (with a friend in her room).

My room:

Dust.

Swiffer

Pick up clothes.

Misc:

Take out garbage.

Wash needlepoint.

I think that's about it. I'll prioritize tomorrow and spend some of my 15 minute breaks reporting in, here. My cold is coming back, and I'll be dead tired (I have to be up again in about 4.5 hours) but I'll do this.