time wasters

Time wasters

There are many ways, you as daughters, training to be future wives and mothers, can help with  your share around the home,  One way is by not wasting time.  We waste time by:

  • Doing tasks slowly
  • Doing tasks haphazardly and taking unnecessary steps
  • Watching shows or doing social media updates all day

 

There is nothing wrong with watching shows and being online checking things, but what I want you to learn is to set aside a block of time during your day to do it.  Don’t let the media world to have control of when you get things done.  You be in control.

We will start simple.  Let’s evaluate how much of your time is wasted when taking care of your bedroom.

Hands on task:

This week, take notice of how long it takes you to do simple tasks.

Let’s start with making your bed.

The first thing you do in the morning upon waking is to pull back all the covers on your bed.  Put the pillows on a chair or in the middle of your bed. Open the windows to let your room air out a bit.  If it is winter shut the door while going down for breakfast.

After breakfast, after your bed is aired out, it’s time to make it.

 

  1. Make sure your fitted sheets are pulled properly around your mattress, making a nice smooth fit.
  2. Place the flat sheet, wrong side up, so that the right sides are together.
  3. Over the top sheet place the blankets.  Fold back the head end of the sheet so that it will not touch your face.
  4. Tuck in sheets and blankets together.  Do the sides first all the way to the foot of the bed.  Then fold the foot end in last.
  5. Over top, place the comforter or bed spread.  Tucking in just the foot of the bed. Make sure it is smooth and covers the blankets.
  6. Fluff your pillows and place them at head of the bed.  If your cases are longer fold them under.  Pillows should not lay flat but against the headboard a little.
  7. Wash your sheets and pillow case once per week.  This will help keep unwanted oils off your face and body.  You can wash the blankets and comforter as needed, but they should stay clean for the most part.

 

 

Now see how time effective you are:

Set a timer and time how long it takes to make your bed.  Write down your answers for a few days this week.  Evaluate what are some ways you can cut back on those seconds?

  • Did you have bed clothing piled on a chair in a convenient spot? Or did you waste steps going to get each piece?
  • Did you take any other useless steps?
  • Did you stop to do anything else before finishing?
  • Did you make any mistakes in folding your sheets back?
  • Is the bed placed in an area where it has to be moved to make it? Example, moved away from the wall, etc

These are just examples of ways to help you to make your bed more efficiently. Think of ways of saving waste motion but be thorough.  If you study how to save time in making a bed in this way you are doing what the CEO of a company does when trying to be more effective.

After taking note of steps you can help to improve upon, time yourself again, see how you do.

 

Next step, cleaning your room.

Time yourself on how long it takes to regularly clean your room.  Is it taking you hours each week to pick up your room?  You need to help cut down on those times.  Evaluate if it is because of wasted motion steps in cleaning your room.  Do you walk in different patterns when cleaning your room, instead of working in a systematic pattern?

Learn to work in a clock pattern.  Start at 12 o clock and work your way around your room according to the movements of the clock hands.  By the time you get back to 12 you will have completed the room.

Is the reason it takes so long because your room needs to be de-cluttered?  Do you have so many things that it is hard to find what you exactly need, through all the stuff? 

Conveniently located

Another way of saving time when putting your room in order is “to have a place for everything, and everything in its place.”  This means more than merely putting your clothes in the closet.  It means working out a plan for putting things in the most convenient places.

Have you ever wanted to find that skirt in a hurry when dressing for church and then were delayed because it was at the back of the closet with other clothes on top of it?  Do you think it will be worthwhile to plan just where to hang your coat, tops, and dresses?  Where will you plan to put things which you wear every day? Things which get worn once per year?

A well arranged closet, will include keeping things off the floor as much as possible so that it can be cleaned quickly and easily.  In a well arranged closet there should be some way of keeping shoes off of the floor. You can keep them in shoe racks or on low shelves. Please make sure that when you put your shoes in your closet, you take special care that they are clean.  As soon as you put them away, check them for dirt and scuffs and remove it promptly. The next time you need to wear them out, there is not a need to have to wipe them down and waste time.

Questions to consider:

  • Do you have things neatly arranged on your closet shelves?
  • Are they accessible in times of need or do you waste time hunting for things when you are in a hurry?
  • When you look for socks to wear, do you have to sort through pairs, looking for that matching set only to discover a hole in the toe?
  • Is your undergarments placed neatly in an area, instead of thrown haphazardly?
  • What about pajamas? Do you have proper night clothes that are not run down and stretched out? You only need a few pairs of pajamas, it is something you wear to bed after being cleaned, not something that gets dirty each day.  Place them back in your drawer to wear again for a few days.