Timer Tips and Tricks! from Flylady

English: A mechanical kitchen timer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 A timer can also keep us from crashing and burning! Set your timer to keep you from hyper-focusing so that you won’t wear yourself out. 

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One of my favorite uses of the timer is to take care of my hotspots! Just 2 minutes doing a hot spot fire drill and your house will look clean. It is our hotspots that make our house messy. I didn’t say you had to do all the hotspots in 2 minutes. Just attack one and put out the fire. You know where your favorite hotspots are: Kitchen counter, coffee table, end table, treadmill or a rocking chair. I just told you where my hotspots used to be and some that are a constant battle to put out the blaze. This is why I do it twice a day.

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Timer game - Crisis Cleaning

Spend 15 minutes in my Kitchen, 15 minutes in the Living Room and 15 minutes in the main bathroom. Then I spend 15 minutes resting. Yes this is the most important 15 minutes of the hour. It helps me take a break and decide what needs doing next.

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Timer Game -  “Reverse Scavenger Hunt”.

In this game you set a timer for 15 minutes. You pick up one thing that does not belong in the room where you start. As fast as you can go put it where it belongs. While you are putting that item away grab another item what doesn’t belong right there. Take it where it belongs. Do it as many times as you can for 15 minutes. Then stop for 15 minutes. Do it all over again. You are going to be so surprised at what gets put away!

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Did you ever have a room that was so messy that you could not stand to be in the room? I did and this is the game I came up with to tackle this room. It is called “5 minute room rescue”. I would go into the room and grab a box. Since I would get overwhelmed in that room I would take the box and go to a clear place in the house and sort the box into a Give Away, Put Away and Throw away bags. All I had to do was 5 minutes. I did this every day with one rule that nothing could go back into that room. It was so good to get rid of all that clutter! Now I have a guest room and I have had the pleasure of several house guest this year.

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Focus in two places but not at the same time. I spend 15 minutes decluttering or gardening or cleaning; then I spend 15 minutes working on an essay. I don’t forget to take a break at the top of every hour for 15 minute to play. I can get so much done when I focus like this.

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Timer Game -  “15 Minute Day”. 

When it goes off I get up from my computer and go and do one thing. Then I sit down and go back to what I am working on. This gives me a little break and I get to stretch my legs. It also helps me to write better when I don’t allow my mind to be free for a few minutes.

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I use my timer to help me drink my water every single day! I set my timer for 15 minutes. Every 15 minutes I take a drink. On the days when I use my timer, I get a big blue star on my calendar for drinking all my water!

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Use your timer to keep you from procrastinating. Time yourself on those things that you hate to do: Fold clothes, empty the dishwasher and make your bed! They don’t take 15 minutes! Prove it to yourself. Make friends with your timer. Get creative! Your timer is going to be your friend this year! All you have to do is set it!

You can do anything for 15 minutes!

FlyLady