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Have you ever heard that clutter is delayed decision-making? If you’ve ever had a pile of random papers and items sitting in your drop zone for ages, you’ll know it’s true! There’s one decluttering rule you can implement today to make your home less cluttered.
It’s called the One-Minute Rule, and it has a huge ROI.
There are a lot of decluttering rules out there, but this one decluttering rule will make a huge impact on your home. The best part? It only takes a minute!
Let’s dig into how the One-Minute Rule is the one decluttering rule to implement today.
A frustration-eliminating decluttering rule
The other evening, my family walked through the garage door and threw all our belongings in our hallway drop zone. Throughout the evening I frequented the area to find things I needed only to be frustrated by all our stuff in the way.
It would have taken us one minute to put away coats, bags, and shoes. Instead, we traded that minute for several minutes of frustration.
The One-Minute Rule is this: if it takes less than a minute, do it immediately.
With the One-Minute Rule, we’re trading future problems for one minute of decisive action.
Implementing the One-Minute Rule
Implementing the One-Minute Rule is easy once you have it set up. For it to work, every item needs a place to belong. Yes, this means decluttering and organizing each area so that it works.
Here’s how to begin simply: focus on an area that gets a lot of use, such as an entryway/ drop zone, and set it up first.
For example, set up the drop zone with hooks for keys, coats, and bags and a shoe rack. You could also include a box or basket to drop incoming mail. When it’s all located in that one area, it’s easy to complete the tasks of putting things away in one minute.
The most important thing is to put items where YOU would most likely look for them. (Learn more about this concept in this post.)
Other ways to use the One-Minute Rule
Since this is a decluttering rule, use the One-Minute Rule to throw away trash and recycling immediately.
It also takes under a minute to decide if you actually need an item. Then either discard it, find a home for it, or place it in a holding area to batch decision-making.
Benefits of the One-Minute Rule
I’ve eliminated a lot of decision fatigue using the One-Minute Rule. Our home is set up so that common objects and belongings have a place to go when we’re not using them. As a result, two things happen:
- We save time because we don’t have to look for places to put things and then wonder where we put them when we need them.
- Organizing becomes habitual because tasks are completed in less than a minute.
Getting others to use the One-Minute Rule
Getting others on board will be a challenge but nothing worthwhile is easy.
When creating systems for the One-Minute Rule, it’s essential to set it up so that it works with everyone’s current habits.
For example, if you notice that everyone leaves papers on a certain counter or table, make that the place for papers! Simply add a basket to keep everything corralled together. Work with current habits to make better ones.
If the setup is done right, others will see the benefits of putting items back where they belong once they begin using them.
Learn more about how to trigger new habits in this article by James Clear. (I recommend having his book, Atomic Habits, on your shelf. It’s a great reference!)
Make a massive impact with this one decluttering rule
Using the One-Minute Rule will have a massive impact on how your home feels. Taking action immediately will eliminate decision-fatigue, save time, and make keeping your home organized a breeze!
If you need help getting started with decluttering and set up organizing systems in your home, download the free Where To Start Decluttering Mini-Guide here >>>
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