I’ve been an avid listener and reader of Gretchen Rubin, of “The Happiness Project” podcast for many years. I’m a sucker for anything that’s about making life a little better by taking some easy steps.

One of my favorite rules that I’ve been following since listening to is the “One-Minute Rule.” Gretchen says that, when it comes to decluttering, you should complete any task that will take less than one minute to complete right away.

Clutter in my home and work spaces is a real motivation killer, personally, so this rule made a lot of sense to me. Now, instead of letting dishes pile up and wait for the nightly load into the dishwasher, I go ahead and just wash little things like coffee mugs after using them. I also use the rule to make sure that the kitchen table stays mail- and junk-free.

But, what’s surprising to me is that I started using the “One-Minute Rule” in other parts of my life, too.

When I start the day, I write down everything I need to accomplish for the day in my planner. Once I have an idea of everything I need to do, I’ll make sure to accomplish the tasks that will take just a minute or so first so that they’re out of the way.

Even though some tasks take way more than one minute, I find that I’m likely to just get the little, mundane tasks done immediately because of the habit I created through the One Minute Rule.

Gretchen Rubin’s “rules” for happiness have been a huge part of my life for the past few years. I encourage you to listen to the podcast and check out some of her other resources if you think you could use a little extra motivation.

The Four Tendencies book really helps you understand yourself when it comes to starting new habits, accomplishing tasks and more.

Better Than Before is my favorite of her many books, which is all about mastering habits or starting new ones.

And Happier at Home delves into how to make “home” the place that you love being the most — a place that calms you and energizes you at the same time.

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