By using this clever trick, keeping the sink clean will become a doable (and perhaps even enjoyable?) activity.
When you next empty your cereal bowl and spoon into the sink, take a moment to consider whether you can wash just those two little dishes in two minutes or less. Do it now if the answer is yes. Right there and then, wash them. If the response is “no,” then why is your cereal bowl so large?
Let’s face it, we’ve all been guilty of allowing the dishes to accumulate in the sink for a day or two. Humans tend to put things off. It is simple to walk past a sink full of dirty dishes with the intention of washing them right away. Soon becomes later, which then becomes meh.
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Sometimes it doesn’t occur to you that the dishes in the sink need to be cleaned until your roommate, partner, or, in the worst-case situation, an unobtrusive house guest notices it. Then you put on your scrubby clothes, crank on the hot water, and start cleaning. So. Much. Scrubbing.
But this whole issue can be avoided if you wash as you go. Given a busy schedule, that may seem ridiculous, but if you get into the habit, it’s actually not, I promise. As with any tiny duty in life, putting it off continuously just results in an overwhelming mountain of labor; yet, if you only do a bit at a time, that’s not so bad.
This takes me to the extremely effective anti-procrastination technique: the 2-minute rule.
The 2-minute rule is a time management method that forces one to start working on the task at hand right away if it can be finished in two minutes or less rather than making excuses. You may prevent a number of jobs, like cleaning dishes, from becoming into more time-consuming and dreaded by applying the 2-minute rule to any possible “to-do” as it arises. For all you procrastinators out there, the next time you feel like neglecting the condition of your functional kitchen sink, think about using this clever tip.
Years ago, I read about the 2-minute rule for the first time in a newsletter written by James Clear, a writer who researches and writes about successful people’s routines. The headline immediately prompted me to click to learn more: How to Use the “2-Minute Rule” to Quit Procrastinating. The idea behind the rule is not to fix every issue in your life; rather, it is a simple approach that enables you to begin with little chores and achieve incremental success.
Little successes inspire optimism and self-assurance, which fuels the pursuit of medium successes and, eventually, major objectives. When it comes to cleaning up after yourself, you wash a dish here, a couple there, and eventually, you have a clean sink every day. What a beautiful sight that is. And before long, you might even go overboard and clean the stove, wash and mop the floor, and toss out expired food from your refrigerator.
Once you start something, it’s easier to keep doing it. Starting with cleaning one dish in under two minutes, there are many small ripple effects that lead to brilliance in the kitchen. Although I’m sure there are some doubters out there, what’s to stop you from trying the method for a few days to see whether it works for you?
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When it’s time to prepare dinner for the evening, the two-minute rule also applies. Every day, I set aside two minutes to consider what I might like to eat when I come home. If I decide on chicken, I quickly explore Allrecipes or Pinterest for dish ideas. I think about the ingredients I already have and the extras I need to pick up when I go to the grocery store. In roughly 15 minutes flat, I want to be done.
Although I do think about food throughout the day (OK, I do), planning out what I can eat later in the evening when I’m hungry makes the chore seem less overwhelming. I can start a pot of water to boil or mince garlic in two minutes and before I rest my feet for a minute, dinner is done before I know it. Everything hinges on the visualization.
You are more likely to cook frequently, to become better at it, and to genuinely enjoy it if you divide the cooking process down into manageable pieces. Hence, the next time you want to put off doing something until a later time, think about the 2-minute rule and just do it.