I learned this tip from one of my happiness gurus, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin. This was the very first “try this at home” tip she offered on her “Happier” podcast (which I love), and it’s super simple: Anything task in front of you that can be done in less than a minute, do without delay.
Whether that’s hanging up your coat, rinsing out your dish, putting your shoes back in the closet rather than leaving them in the middle of the living room, tackling these little to-dos right away makes for a more streamlined and productive life, Rubin says.
I’ve found this true in my own life. I’m the one leaving her shoes in the middle of the room, but I’m much happier when they’re put away . And if I don’t heed the One-Minute Rule and put my shoes where they belong as soon as I take them off, it’s easy for me to end up with a front room full of shoes (especially since the Hubs has this same problem).
The One-Minute Rule is the perfect motivation for rinsing out dishes, hanging up the day’s coat/clothes, rounding up and recycling newspapers or drink containers. One and done– do it immediately and don’t even think about it. You’ve got one minute.
(Find other Tiny Tips here.)