How To Get Your Life Together Using 10 Minute Tasks

There is nothing more overwhelming than seeing your to-do list pile up and having no time to tackle it! You feel like your life is spiraling out of control one house chore at a time. You can’t remember the last time you actually cleaned the bathtub or went through the junk drawer. The reality is: you are not alone! Life gets away from us all and it’s so easy to feel out of control. The good news? You can get your life together quickly by using 10 minute tasks!

If you are thinking that getting anything done in 10 minutes is impossible I’m going to have to stop you there! There are so many tasks that can be done in a short time and then guess what? A few 10 minute tasks add up!

Before you know it half your list will be completed and all that stress and overwhelm you were feeling will be in the past.

The struggle of getting everything done 

We live in a busy world. The expectation is that you should be busy all the time and if you aren’t well, that just means you’re lazy! 

I never realized how much I felt I needed to be busy all the time until I moved out of my parent’s house and felt bad if I slept in on Sunday or felt like I wasted a day if I just relaxed on the couch. Half the stuff I was doing was not even *important* or urgent… I just felt like I needed to fill in the time. How sad is that?? 

So when we are all just filling in our time with extra work, social events, side hustles, online courses, and everything else that we need to do every day… it’s no wonder we feel like our mental health, home, and life is out of control. 

The first step to getting your life together is understanding and accepting that you can’t do it all (and shouldn’t do it all). It’s just not possible to do everything, make every deadline, and make everyone happy. Eventually, something has to give. 

Your mindset needs to shift from “I have to do all the things” to “I have to do the things that are important to me.” See the difference there? That is where your life really starts coming together… when you can prioritize yourself over all the rest! 

Related read: How To Lower Your Stress Levels When You’re Always Busy

The 10 minute rule 

10 minutes may not seem like a long time but you can get a surprising amount of things done. It’s also short enough that the task doesn’t seem too daunting or overwhelming. Everyone (including you) has 10 minutes to spare each and every day. Maybe you don’t have 30 minutes but you do have 10! 

The idea here is not to pile up tons of 10 minute tasks but instead, to complete one or two 10 minute tasks every day. The power of 10 minutes is great when it comes to completing tasks. 

Not only will you be more likely to actually do a task or two but if you do have some extra time once you start something you probably will just keep going. They say getting started is the hardest part and I 100% agree!

Creating 10 minute tasks 

Now, this part involves you creating a list of the 10 minute tasks and not just a vague to-do list. 

If you have a to-do list that has tasks like cleaning the house, meal prep for the week, car maintenance, or gift for Lucy’s birthday those are going to be too vague. Also, how overwhelming is it thinking about cleaning the whole house? No thanks. 

Take whatever to-do items you have on your list and start breaking them down. Yes, it will initially seem like your list just doubled in size but relax, it hasn’t! You are just creating smaller, actionable steps. 

For example: If I have clean the house on the to-do list, I would break it down into rooms. Clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, clean the living area, clean the guest room, etc. You could even break it down into tasks like clean the fridge, vacuum the floors, dust the blinds, etc. Whatever you are hoping to accomplish, make sure it’s on the list.

So, step 1: get your to-do list going. 

Then, step 2: break the list down into 10 minute tasks 

How to schedule in the tasks daily 

So you have your list! Great news! However, we all know that creating a list and actually crossing items off the list are two completely different things. It’s time to get to work. 

Believe it or not, fitting in 10 minutes will be easier than you think. 

If you currently get home from work and immediately sit on the couch to watch TV. Take 10 minutes right when you get home and do one task. 

Or maybe you are a morning person. While your coffee is brewing every morning start a new task. The best option would be to keep it around the same time every day so it becomes a HABIT. 

Habit stacking is a super easy way to add something into your routine. Adding something before or after a task you already do every day makes it super easy to remember. Like doing some housework while your coffee brews or doing a 10 minute task after you shower. 

You could also use the 10 minute tasks as a way to break up your day. If you work from home instead of taking a 10 minute Instagram break go tidy up the kitchen instead. If you do that every time you need a little brain break you may get 2 or 3 tasks done each day! 

20 tasks you could do in 10 minutes 

Need some ideas on what you could get done in 10 minutes? Here are 20 tasks to add to your list! 

Tasks around the house:

• Clean out the fridge 
• Wipe down all the counters 
• Wash the windows 
• Clean out the junk drawer 
• Do a load of laundry 

Related read: The Best Ways To Spring Clean Your Closet

Tasks for your body & mind: 

• Stretch 
• Create a meal plan for the week 
• Go for a quick walk 
• Journal 
• Read 3 chapters of a book

10 minute personal tasks:

• Pay a bill 
• Clean out your purse 
• Declutter your email inbox 
• Wrap a present 
• Make a phone call or make an appointment 

Related read: How To Totally Declutter Your Digital Spaces

The paperwork:

• Shred some older paperwork
• Sort through the mail / extra papers
• Organize notebooks and other stationery
• Put any new documents in the family binder 
• Check that your planner and calendar are up to date/ update it

What kind of tasks could you do in 10 minutes? Do you think this is a helpful way to get more done? Would love to hear your thoughts + ideas in the comments!