LPT: 10 second rule – if it takes round 10 seconds to do, simply do it!
That dish you’re about to place within the sink? Simply put it within the dish washer
That factor that fell on the ground in a barely inconvenient place to succeed in? Simply seize one thing close by that will help you attain it
Paper towel has only a couple items left? Go seize the following one
Easy rule of life to go by. Attempt it out!
Edit: Plenty of individuals saying that is already the two minute rule, 5 minute rule, no matter minute rule. I didn’t do any analysis earlier than, simply posted it. Regardless of the rule is, I believe we will all agree on: go the additional step to do this factor that you need to do!
Comments ( 25 )
Except I’m going to have to unload all the clean dishes out of the dishwasher if I want to put this dirty dish in.
I already cleaned up so now I have to hunt down something to get this thing that fell just out of my reach.
And to reach the surplus the paper towels requires a step ladder or step stool that is down in the basement…
I heard a variation of this rule called the ‘2 minute rule’ and I find it very useful. There are few tasks that only take 10 seconds to complete, so if you really want to increase your productivity I recommend using the 2 minute rule instead.
I hesitate to do it because it only lasts 10 seconds.
Brb, going to have sex…
My ADHD says “No.” Not unless you pay me in dopamine.
You can do just about anything for 10 seconds. https://youtu.be/xSX3KG1hisk
I will be trying to teach my lazy spouse these for the rest of my life.
I’m just going to stick this riiiiiight…..here. Yes, that looks right, that looks good. Right beside the 1% rule.
In my first apartment, I had a fold up couch. Damn I hated folding that thing up, but then again, I had to look at it all day! So one day I counted as I folded it up and put the cushions back on, it took me less than 60 seconds. Once I realized I was avoiding something that took less than a minute to do, and yet annoyed me all day, I never left it out again.
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I always think to myself “that’s not going to get done until I personally do it, so just do it now.”
And when it comes to putting a new toilet paper on the roll, I remember Gary Gulman saying “it’s literally the only chore you can do while sitting on the toilet.”
^ totally this. Very good LPT. Just do it! 💪💪
“don’t put it down, put it away”
TL;DR: I’m 33 with ADHD, I tend to bounce from idea to idea “project-to-project” fluidly throughout my home. I also tend to be like a bad storm, detritus everywhere I go. Attempting to be a responsible adult, for once in my life, I’m trying to pick up after myself – yes, even in some basic ways – and while it’s difficult to form new habits, ADHD, is an added barrier.
That simple rule, is not.
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I hear you; I really do. Those of us with ADHD, doesn’t matter if it’s 10 seconds or 3 seconds, we just won’t. Even if we really want to some times, and it literally only takes a couple seconds… Nope, off to chase the chipmunk running through my brain, bye!
At 33, and with my Adderall, NOW I am at least attempting to clean up what I was doing right away. Even if I know I’ll come back to this spot in 10minutes (or 6.5 hours) to continue whatever I was doing.
On the flip side of that, I’m also trying to consciously pick up, or put away, what I’m currently doing, before bolting off (physically, or mentally) on a stray thought that caught my attention – as I’m trying to focus on Thing F, which distracted me from Activity C – something I was probably trying to do in conjunction with Thing B.
Seriously, some of us with ADHD will bounce from thing, to thing, to thing, to thing, and try doing 2 or 3 other activities as well. I’ve got 4 projects, the back half of my lawn to mow, and it’s Mothers Day, as well as celebrating my wife birthday from earlier in the week. As I bounce from one to the other – my lawn has physical obstacles and weather issues preventing me from actually completing that all at once, I’m not always THAT bad.
As I’ve been trying to be more conscious of what I’m leaving behind as I start to wander away from what I was doing… making the conscious choice to STOP! and take the TIME to actually put mt stuff ‘away’ is a grating (causing irritation or annoyance) feeling, and there is a lot of internal resistance to it. It’s really not so simple.
EDIT: Perfect example, It was my goal to step outside and work on my yard after I posted this. Not 2mins after getting out and gathering my tools, wife called out to me, a reminder to take an allergy med before moving a bunch of foliage and the like. I took it, then started doing other things. It’s been about 30mins since, and I have my shoes back on am in front of my door to exit, soon as I post this update… I could have at least 20min of progress, but that call to take a single pill, for my health. Ok, posting now.
This is legit. My rule is 2 minutes. It’s amazing how much you actually get done framing it this way.
Personally, I say “don’t walk past weeds”. It applies to actual weeds, but also anything else that requires similar effort. My yard looks pretty nice too.
I would even lift it up to a minute. I mean, whats a minute?
But I am Le Tired.
I’ve always taken this to be the 2 minute rule.
Changed my life; 2 minutes is no time at all and there are so many things that get done and have a massive impact if you follow it. if you leave them to stack up and it suddenly takes hours.
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I never used to be like this, my aging joints are increasingly meaning I need to remember this rule!!
if you don’t want to do it right now, you’re not gonna magically want to do it tomorrow. What makes you think future you will do it. JUST DO IT.
I read a similar post awhile back and it has already made my life so much easier!