I may have discovered a strategy that will fire you up when it comes to cleaning and organizing your home. I had to figure out something because let me tell you, I can sit there like a lump on a log knowing full well my home would appreciate its fair share of organizing and tidying up. But, knowing and doing can feel like two different worlds.

That I’ve hit on something that works for me and am setting out to tell you about it would put a smile on the faces of my close friends, all of whom would tell you I’d be a safe bet for last choice when it comes to who they’d ask for cleaning tips. At times, I’ve had the organizational skills of a tree stump.

I mentioned in the last Senior’s Voice that I thought having my things scattered all over the floor of my room when I was a boy made them a lot easier to find. But, the truth is, I do want my home to be more organized, and cleaner. There is a calm that emerges when the world around you has a semblance of order. A bed that’s been made at the end of a hard day is a beautiful sight. Like most of us, I know the difference between grime, dust and dirt as opposed to things all a’clutter.  My house is disheveled more than it is dirty.

If you have a competitive streak, you may like this even more.  I started with a timer that rang a bell when time ran out.  I have one of those digital clocks that has a “nap” button. Tap it once, 10 minutes. Tap it twice, 20 minutes, three times, 30 minutes.

My directive to me was, tap it once for 10 minutes, and then clean and organize whatever is around. The whole idea is to keep going, until the bell goes off. Now, when the bell goes off. Stop. Even if you think, no, I can do this. Just stop.

Take a break.

What you notice is the approaching sound of the bell becomes something you compete against. Get it done before the bell sounds.

If you want to widen the terrain, pick a song you like, and clean until the song ends. 

If you do 10-minutes stints once a day, it will blow your mind how fast you feel the benefits.

It’s all in the timing.