Have you heard the saying ‘Little by little becomes a lot’*? (*traditional Tanzanian proverb).
It’s the idea that small, sustained effort will eventually compound to noticeable results.
I wanted to test if that thought would also work for housework.
So for the month of September, I decided to conduct a little experiment. I worked on a cluttered part of my basement for exactly 2 minutes every day for the month, just to see how much progress I would make.
Here is the before and after:
(note: if you would like to see the whole journey, I documented it everyday on social media. You can check it out on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok).
The physical space is evidently clearer, but this challenge also gave me the room to reflect on why this advice worked for me, and how I can apply it to other areas of homemaking.
Why it worked for me
The two-minute time limit was key
There was no particular reason why I chose this time. I just assumed it was the shortest amount of time I could get something done in.
I accepted that I wouldn’t get too much done in 2 minutes, and then was always surprised by how much I did get done.
2 minutes doesn’t feel like a long time, and I think the perceived lack of time forced me to make quicker decisions.
Also, on days I didn’t want to work in this room, I would tell myself ‘it’s only two minutes’. As I knew that was literal, I was usually able to get myself to work on the room.
Breaking down the task
On day one, I walked into the room, and was absolutely overwhelmed about how much needed to get done.
After freezing for a minute, I decided to start on just one shelf, and see how much progress I could make.
And I found by focusing on one small area instead of looking at the whole room felt much more manageable
Having a strategy and tactics
As well as breaking down the task, I realized having a strategy and tactics was helpful.
After a couple of days of getting into the swing of things, I decided to focus on clearing the shelving around the room first, so when I eventually went through the stuff in the middle, there would be space for it.
I also had a dedicated area where I keep my donation boxes, and a spot for trash, so I felt I was some what automated in my actions.
2 minutes meant I had to be efficient, so having a strategy helped.
Being the only one who goes in the room
As the area I was working on is in an unfinished part of the basement, and holds our seasonal decor, I’m usually the only one who goes in the room.
That was really helpful. If my kids went in there, I would spend at least 90 seconds trying to stop them from being chaotic.
If needed, I could lock the door, but that hasn’t been necessary so far.
When I initially looked at the space, I was convinced I would need help. But being in a position where I had to work on it alone meant I was forced to make decisions, and the process went a lot faster without second guessing my opinion.
What I struggled with
Getting started
Having to confront the sheer size of the clutter was overwhelming. The first couple of days were pretty hard in terms of getting started, but I eventually started getting used to seeing a giant ball of mess.
Thankfully, it was also slowly shrinking on a daily basis, so that helped.
The emotional toll of de-cluttering
I thought going through family heirlooms and kids crafts would be the emotional part, but it ended up being going through my kids’ baby clothes.
The act of going through them itself wasn’t hard. It was when I picked them up and suddenly had a key memory unlock of when they wore the outfit.
And as I was going through the things in 2 minutes, it wasn’t enough time to process my emotions.
Which was great for getting things done, but on the days I went through the baby clothes, I was emotionally exhausted.
The timer going off when I started building momentum
Usually, if I am doing a timed clean but have started building momentum, I ignore the timer and keep going.
For this challenge, I was strict with myself and stopped when the timer did (save one day, where I worked for an extra 35 seconds to make sure a suitcase where I stored baby clothes would be emptied).
I’m glad I stopped, because it gave this experiment clear parameters to test. But also irritating because I felt so motivated in the moment to keep going.
I wasn’t able to declutter, clean, and organize in one session
I was convinced despite the time limit I set myself, I was going to be able to declutter, clean, and organize this whole section of the basement.
I quickly re-learned that those are three very different things (link to previous blog post about this), and there was no way I was going to get it all done in two minutes.
This did force me to decide that my focus for the month would be decluttering instead of everything. I wish I could have got it all done though.
How I will be applying lessons into other parts of homemaking
Cutting down on possessions
I don’t think I will ever be a minimalist, but having fewer things is really nice.
As well as having more physical space, it means having less things to think about. I don’t have to think about storage and maintenance of said item.
I also don’t believe in saving things to use for a special occasion, so unless the item is something I will be using on a regular basis (maybe with the exception of certain seasonal decor), I will be getting rid of it.
Accepting interruptions
Toddlerhood currently means I am being constantly interrupted.
I find it frustrating, so I find myself spending most of my ‘free-time’ going back to catch up.
Somewhat like my zero-battery days, I think I just need to accept that for this current season of life, I am going to get interrupted a lot.
As long as I am doing something, I think I am going to stop putting so much pressure on myself to get it all done.
Decluttering on a regular basis
Something I used to do is have a dedicated box that I threw items I wanted to donate in, and when it was full, I’d take it to the thrift store.
I’m not sure why I stopped doing that, but this experiment reminded me that to keep the overwhelm at bay, small, consistent action adds up. So I’m hoping a quick, regular declutter will help.
What’s left to do
Two minutes wasn’t enough time to get everything done, so here is what is left to do in that section of the basement:
- Sort out bedding and blankets
- Creating a storage system for seasonal decor (though Christmas is sorted)
- Clean the area
Overall thoughts
Though I didn’t accomplish everything I initially set out to do, I don’t think I would change anything about the challenge.
My initial goal of getting everything done in the smallest amount of time was a little too ambitious, and this challenge was a great reminder that regular sustained action does amount to results. It also felt a lot healthier than a day long rage clean.
Getting the physical space back is great. I have an easier time thinking in a clutter-free space, and I feel that in order for the cozy magic of my home to flow, it needs room and space.
And that feels like my biggest win from this whole experience.
Homemaker’s Observation Journal
What homemaking task seems too big to start? What is the smallest action you take towards that today?
Until the next magical mess,
Amrita
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