Putting off a task? Time how long it takes.
Have you ever procrastinated on a task for days, only to find out that once you get started, the task takes a mere 15 minutes?
We humans are not the most logical creatures sometimes, and I have noticed that I vastly overestimate how long a task takes, especially when it's not a super fun job.
Also, I have noticed that a timer (and the cold, hard facts it tells me) can really help me avoid procrastinating.
How long does it REALLY take?
I stumbled upon this concept quite by accident while working out at home.
As I'm sure you know, when you lift weights, you do a set and then you have to wait a few minutes before doing the next set.
I don't like sitting there doing nothing while I wait for the timer to beep, so I started looking for small household tasks to do in between sets.
I was pretty amazed at what I could get done in 3-5 minutes. Things like cleaning the toilet, folding a load of laundry, wiping down the sink, or sweeping a room can be done in just a few minutes.
For some reason, I think I need a big block of time to clean the bathroom, but honestly, a passable job of cleaning the sink and toilet takes less than 10 minutes.
(The shower and glass shower doors take a little longer!)
As another example, I was recently waiting on something that needed to bake for ten minutes, and in that time, I folded an overflowing laundry basket (which had looked like much more than a ten minute task.)
What does this have to do with frugality?
Well, if you pay attention to how long tasks actually take, you might be more inclined to do them instead of putting them off or out-sourcing them.
For instance, I know that I can mix together a batch of muffins in the time it takes the oven to heat up (about 8 minutes).
So if I'm having an, "Ugh, baking muffins to use up these bananas will take too longggg!" kind of day, I can say to myself, "Self! It's only going to take 8 minutes. Just go do it."
If I have a few mending items sitting on my desk, I can remind myself that mending a towel literally takes three minutes.
If I am feeling unmotivated to cook dinner, I can remind myself that making _____ (fill the blank in with a quick meal) takes 30 minutes start to finish.
Related tip: pay attention to how much time you waste.
Truth #1: I tend to overestimate how long unpleasant tasks take.
Truth #2: I underestimate how long I spend wasting time.
This means that I look at a big basket of laundry and think it will require a half hour (when it actually takes 10 minutes).
And also that I think a quick Instagram check will take 10 minutes (when it actually takes 30 minutes).
In both cases, taking an actual, factual look at the time I spend on things helps me make better choices with my time, which helps me make time for money-saving activities.
So. The two tips that help me:
- Time how long your dreaded tasks take
- Time how long you spend wasting time (say, on social media!)
And I bet that information will help you spend your time better.
I am reminded of the saying "well begun is half done" but I think often just starting the job makes it well begun. What great insights. I know the internet is a huge time suck and I do much better if I don't get started on it in the morning, until after I have completed tasks I want done.
This is seriously true for me. When I get started on a task, I usually will keep going. It's the getting started that trips me up.
This is true, but it made me laugh because of a childhood association. My dad was infamous for telling us to do something we definitely did not want to do, and then adding, "Just do it. It'll take ten minutes," when it was clearly something that would take much longer.
Ha, yes, this technique only works if you don't fall out of the boat on the other side of estimation!
Definitely all of this. I'm always surprised when I launch into bathroom cleaning and even a good job only takes 15 or 20 minutes.
Also, internet. There are days when I ban myself from the computer altogether, and by the end of the day, the to-do list is ta-da and yeah. Shocking. I sometimes think that if I didn't have to do work using the computer, I'd just get rid of it.
Both of those are great suggestions.
I use my “beat the clock” method on days when I need to get a lot done. (Some of you will remember that show)
Anyhow, what I do is schedule my time based on an estimate of how long a task will take, allotting no less that 15 minutes for each task. Some tasks take way less, but this builds in wiggle room for others distracting me. Then I try to beat the clock. As I move my tasks, I accumulate the “excess” time and when I have completed everything I get my leftover time as a reward, to read or do something fun. That way, I get my stuff done, I’m efficient with my time and I don’t feel guilty when I sit down in the evening.
Example:
515 arrive home, change clothes.
530 check and sort mail
545 start a load of laundry
600 start dinner
645 dinner
715 dishes
730 start a load of laundry
745 Feed calves
800 clean a bathroom
815 fold and put away laundry
830 relax
Obviously weekends have a very different list with long task times. On a nite like this, I might actually be done by 8 o’clock.
This is a tactic I employ all the time! My best friend once told me she hated to unload the dishwasher, so I timed how long this task took to complete. Two minutes! That is not worth procrastinating. But I have plenty of my own procrastinations!
It's so interesting to me the things that each of us hate doing. I don't mind emptying the dishwasher. And I find vacuuming pleasantly mind-numbing, unlike WilliamB above, who describes it as excruciating, lol. I had a friend who detested putting away the clean laundry, and said she'd rather scrub toilets. Me? I'll put off dusting for weeks. As far as cleaning the tub and shower...I'll make up things I have to do in order to avoid that as long as possible.
Two minutes! You are awesome! I set the timer for five minutes. If I get it done before then (usually) I see if I can get all the counters wiped down before the timer goes off. And I give myself a bonus point.
I recommend this video to anyone that procrastinates (myself included). I re-watch when needed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LCRUiC9lU0
It's called Eat That Frog.
Here’s another way to use a timer to combat procrastination. If there’s a task I should do but really don’t want to do, I can set a (mental or literal) 10-minute timer. Then, I give myself permission to stop after 10 minutes. I think I really don’t want to go for a run, or workout, or clean the bathroom, or tackle grading homeschool papers, or figure out insurance statements, etc.. I can just jump in for 10-minutes, because surely I can stand to do it for 10-minutes, right? Then, I usually go ahead and finish the task anyway. Or I finish a big chunk of it. My problem was just overcoming the initiation barrier. Sometimes I will stop after 10 minutes, but not often.
This is true for me so much of the time too. I have to give myself just a teeny assignment to get started, and then usually once I've started, I will finish.
This only works for me if I'm honest about letting myself stop after 10 minutes. If my gut-feel is that I have to finish it once I start, timer withstanding, then I don't start the task.
Mostly I'm OK with these kind of things but what catches me out, every time, is how long it will be before a meal is ready. I cheerfully tell my husband " It will be about 45 minutes" but, without fail, I have underestimated the time needed for preparing--peeling, chopping,
Par-boiling, etc.. With these, plus oven time it is more like 1 and 1/4 hours. I never learn!
I am guilty of this too. I always think I will finish cooking faster than I do!
So I try to start making dinner earlier than I think I need to, because I know my time estimations are so far off.
I think a lot of this problem is due to recipe times being off. Recipes might say that it's 15 minutes prep time and 30 minutes cook time, but those times are always off. Maybe I'm just slow, but I've never had dinner on the table in 30-45 minutes from start to finish!
Love this tip! I put off chores (mostly dishes) ALL THE TIME even though a sink full of dishes probably takes 10 minutes at most.
I'll occasionally put on some music and promise myself I'll do three songs' worth...and by the time I get to three, I'm both in the zone and enjoying the music, so I do even more.
I'm always on board for another way to beat procrastination. We'll see!
BTW, do you do housework on a weekly schedule? That sort of thing can make me hate certain days.
I'm curious about the background in the second close up of the weight.
It looks, to me, like a deserted parking lot where newspapers have blown up along the fence.
I learned along time ago that household tasks are much less daunting if I do the 10 minute tasks everyday. For example who can face 6 loads of laundry or 6 days of dishes? Ugh. But once a day- nothing to it.
Oh yes, I both underestimate how much time I waste, and conversely overestimate how long it will take me to complete a task. Working from home has helped to curb both, actually. I sometimes have 15 minutes between meetings, & I'll look around & try to find productive things to do & can actually get a lot accomplished in that time period!
When I read this--"So if I’m having an, “Ugh, baking muffins to use up these bananas will take too longggg!” kind of day, I can say to myself, “Self! It’s only going to take 8 minutes. Just go do it.” ---It made me smile so hard. I love how you talk to your Self with such encouragement and gentleness. Even if Self needed to fuss a bit, that's okay. I just love you Frugal Girl. And your Self too. 🙂
Aww, I'm glad I brought a smile to your day with my self pep talk! 🙂
You brought a smile to my day with your comment!
All true! And relatedly - I found that I sometimes need to do a small reorganization, which greatly enhances my ability to get something done quickly.
For example - it finally dawned on me to reorganize my baking cabinet to make it easier to access my most-used items. Yes, it means that I have to pull out a stepping stool now to reach lesser-used things like cookie/cake making items. But I hardly ever use them, and we do make bread all the time, and now I don't put it off thinking it's a pain to get the flour out from under/behind smaller items. Why didn't this occur to me sooner? I don't know... But I guess it points to the idea that if you notice you are always putting off some recurring task, you may want to take 10 minutes to see if there's a way to reorganize to make it a little easier.
This is a really good point. Making things easy to get to reduces the friction we experience when trying to get started.
in the process improvement world, this is called "removing barriers" or "smoothing the path." It's a really powerful idea, isn't it?
You've just taken away my last reason/excuse for not tackling the weeding along the side of the house!
You can do it!
I almost always keep up on my weeding by doing little random five minute sessions. I start pulling one or two, and then I almost can't stop myself from pulling more.
And even just a few minutes of weeding, done regularly, makes a big difference.
So true isn't it? I made myself (a most unwilling participant) spend 15 min weeding & loved it. got stuck in & did about an hour.
Well ...I have to do something to make a dent in this mess. May start to time. Thanks
This is so true for me, and I'm glad I'm not the only one to frequently under-estimate how long it will be before the meal is ready.
Like Suz says, I finally figured out I had to remove barriers to many tasks. To that end, I started stocking things everywhere I need them. I didn't do it all at once; I spread out the expense, but now I have cleaning cloths in both bathrooms, the laundry room, and the kitchen. I bought spray bottles on sale and put cleaning spray in each of those rooms. I have a mop both upstairs and downstairs, and I did have a second vacuum (that was given to me) upstairs, but it died, and I haven't decided what to replace it with.
I rearranged some of my kitchen cabinets so that most-used is easiest to reach. I downloaded my bank's app to my phone because I was terrible about never bothering to check my account, but with my phone app, I can do it on the go instead of waiting to get to the computer at home.
As far as timing tasks, I try to make each household task last no more than 15 minutes (a la Flylady). It's amazing how fast one can get things done if one does them as though guests will be arriving in 15 minutes! However, I've timed myself emptying the dishwasher and it takes me 7 to 10 minutes every time. I must cram a lot in there. Because of that, I try to never run it at night when I'd have to add that much more time to getting ready for work in the morning. I run it as I leave the house, and empty it in the evening.
I never let anything water run when I am not home. (Washing machine, dishwasher, I even make sure the toilet has stopped running before I leave the house). We had a pipe break right after we left for work one morning, and water poured into our basement for 9 hours. Needless to say it was a mess. We were out of our house for 3 months while it was being repaired.
Nancy, my husband is disabled and he's home. But you are right, that's a real danger!
This just motivated me to repair two pieces of clothes that have been needing it for a while. And of course, it took less than fifteen minutes. Thanks for the push!
This!
I overestimate how much time it will take to hang pictures or decor. Timed it today: 10 minutes for a handful of items (I rearrange frequently...another area for growth perhaps). I find that many of the tasks I dislike are because of the perceived time it takes. If I can give just 5 minutes to said task it doesn't seem that hard. I think there's a post about this idea, too.
I underestimate how much time I have between tasks (therapy and kid getting off the bus for example), but when I started paying attention to the actual time between I was able to get stuff done (quick lifting session, some church work I do, writing a note to someone etc.)
When I have to wait for the eggs to cook or water to boil, I make a habit of doing arm dips on the kitchen table, and or I do some squats. It is one of the easiest ways to squeeze in a bit of excercise in the day, at no expense to my paid (desk) work, and it is a good addition to the time set aside for excercise specifically.
I can even unload the dish washer and do some dips before the water boils 🙂
I love that idea!
I am trying to do better at FLY Lady daily routines, and it's interesting to see how much I can accomplish in the morning during the 4 minutes it takes for the French press coffee to brew. That's a nice reminder each morning that helps me remember this lesson throughout the day. Although sometimes the resting part is important to take advantage of, too! 🙂
I agree, and - sadly - my brain immediately jumped to the exceptions.
One category of exception is something that doesn't take long, but it's excruciating nonetheless. Vacuuming fits that category for me.
The other category is things that should not take long, but do. I hung a framed map the other days. I had to measure the space, the framed map, and the slack in the frame's hanging wire. Then I needed to measure the space, eyeball where the map should go (which involved several bouts of holding it up, asking roommate, swapping places with roommate, moving stepstool), measure and mark the wall for the two pieces hanging hardware, measure 2-3 times more to make sure the marks are properly placed/centered/level, remove the existing hardware (hopefully without damaging the plaster too badly), hammer in the hanging hardware in exactly the right place, hang the picture including getting the gadnabbed wire on the hardware. I had to climb down and get different tools 3-4 times and it took over 10 minutes to remove the old hardware and I cracked the plaster a bit anyway.
I have a guy who hangs exhibits for museums and rich collectors. (Just to be clear - I'm not either!) He could have done it in 10 minutes. It took me 40 and it was so aggravating that it felt like 400.
And you know what? It looks great and I feel justified in how long it took me to get around to this "little" task. ;-P
Absolutely! I dread a sink full of dishes and will set the oven timer for 10 minutes and tell myself that I will only work at the dishes until I hear that ding!!—and 9 out of 10 times that’s all the time it takes! Works like a charm with a kiddo procrastinating a chore as well.
My mother shared two bits of wisdom with me when I was growing up
1) Clean as you go. This prevents a seeming little job from becoming a big one.
2) Rather than 10 minute jobs. She had 5 minute jobs such as cleaning the sink or wiping down the appliances .
I wish I could say that I was as organized as she was, but I can’t. However, I do try.
I do okay with not wasting time and with doing little chores while I am waiting for something else (like the oven to heat up). But I am not good with awful chores that I know will take a long time because they have in the past (like cleaning the oven or painting our chicken coop or cleaning gutters). So now I have "Do one icky chore" on my list five days a week and that works best. I get up, eat the frog first (apologies to Mark Twain), and then the rest of the day is mine to enjoy because I did the horrible chore right off. Sometimes the chore does only take a short amount of time, while other times I labor half the morning on it, but this is the only tactic that has worked for me. Before I started eating the frog first, I would endlessly procrastinate horrible chores.
For me, the challenge is putting away something I used once and might but probably won't need again soon. For instance, the sewing machine has been sitting in the corner since I used it a few weeks ago for mask making. It would take 30-40 seconds to haul it into its allotted space in the back closet in the other room. It is stored there out of the way because it is used only a few times a year, if that.
A former colleague said that things that sit out for two weeks become invisible, and it is true. Magazines, shoes, supplies, greeting cards, almost-empty shampoo bottles, ugly end tables-- all become invisible.
I shall go deal with my mini-mess now; thank you for the push!
Oh man, I need to put away my sewing machine too. Off to do that.
Ahh so true that's why I can't see my pristine clean and tidy home - it's covered by all the invisible items….
- It's true you get used to your environment, I actually have been decluttering slowly for a long time but recently decided -like really decided- I don't want to live with this much stuff anymore & had an epiphany watching a utube vid that said finish what you start & realised most of my mess is due to the build up of unfinished jobs. I have started putting in place systems to prevent some mess & to finish some jobs eg I bought two extra laundry baskets - one for lights one for darks so no sorting on laundry day, & when I use a jar of sauce or a can of tuna etc I pour it in the dish, rinse immediately & straight in to recycling bin - no more dirty jar/tin on the bench with caked on food residue to rinse.
Check out "supersets workout" 🙂
No more wasted time while doing weights!
I will check this. I’ve never heard of needing to wait between sets or anything like that. I wonder where that came from. I would never finish a workout if that was true!
Same! I would not have the patience. But what she's talking about is taking time "off" between two sets of the same exercice/muscles. The beauty of supersets is it's non-stop, a.k.a like a circuit.
I don't know if this will help anyone but throwing it out there in case it might. We went through all our household chores and assigned each one a 'frequency' card (ie. we sweep the floor daily, dust the ceiling fans every 2 months, and so on). Each chore has a card which are filed under the dates of the month. Each morning we pull out the days allotment of cards/chores and we both know exactly what needs to be done and I'm not nagging DH to help out. We have reserved the right to shuffle a card to another day but only once. Surprisingly our household chores are pretty much all done inside of half an hour each day AND by doing things regularly we don't look up when we have company and realize there's two year's worth of cobwebs swaying from the dining table light (not that it's ever happened...ahem).
Hi, Kristen!
I found that the more I procrastinated, the bigger the job became in my mind. That is a lot of garbage to remove from the brain. So, doing little jobs to finish quickly, putting things where they belong or just washing down the kitchen counters and table after dinner just made the next day one I could look forward to.
Yes, your system really works! Thank you for sharing.
Two things have helped to be more consistent with cleaning & dreaded tasks. 1. Kristen's post about great being the enemy of good. 2. Learning to set the timer for 15min & just see what you can get done in that time.
Teenage me - enormous mess, procrastination, burst of enthusiasm, tidying/sorting/cleaning - ooh look how dirty my windows are, clean windows, ooh look how grotty the wall around the window is, clean wall around window, etc ending in my mum saying 'wow you could eat off the floor in here' & me being exhausted & putting off cleaning my room for 6 mths.
Some version of this made its way in to my adult life but so freeing to learn its ok to do 'a quick whip 'round as my mum would say. This is far more practical & way more achievable, & much more effective.
I also find it helps me to form habits so some jobs are more automatic & I do some things on a certain weekday - I have Toilet Tuesday, Sweep & vacuum Saturday, & I try to do dishes straight after dinner - doesn't always happen but happens a lot more than before.
I love this column--so true. A friend told me about hearing his mother talking to her plants when she was hoping for them to bloom. He would hear her, all alone, saying "You can do it." I took that up for my mantra when I am putting things off, or have something to do that is a challenge, for one reason or another. "You can do it" is my self pep talk!
Thanks, Kristen.
I am the biggest procrastinator ever. Anything that relates to housework, deadlines etc are done last minute. But I adamant always being on time to work, appts etc. I love to relax and just hang most of the time.
Thank you so much for this reminder. It has helped me re-evaluate certain tasks at home. I definitely feel more productive.