Hi Neighbor,

Happy 2023!  It’s a new year, a clean slate!  It’s an opportunity for a fresh start.  It might be time for a commitment to vegetables, to recoup and recover from the sugary and buttery treats of the holiday season.  It might be time to finally tackle the messy garage or basement.  It might be time to get reacquainted with a treadmill or some dumbbells. It might be time to commit to journaling, or meditation, or screen-free bedtimes, or…

A few weeks ago, I saw a post from a woman I follow on Instagram that got my wheels spinning about the new year and the opportunity to start something new.  Her post was dedicated to the power of “just 5 minutes.”  She spoke of how she often felt overwhelmed by all of the household tasks that piled up as she and her husband juggled work, mom/dad life and regular life.  Full laundry baskets.  A dryer that needed folding.  A sink full of dishes.  A dishwasher that needed emptying.  Carpets that needed vacuuming.  Toilets that needed scrubbing.  Plants that needed watering.  A junk drawer that needed to be organized…

After one particularly hard and tearful day, she brainstormed a strategy – the “just 5 minutes” strategy.  Essentially, she realized that many of the tasks overwhelming her could be tackled in “just 5 minutes.”  So, she set her microwave timer and committed five minutes here and there.  In five minutes, she vacuumed her first floor.  In another five minutes later in the day, she wiped down all of the bathroom sinks and counters.  Just five minutes here and there and the piling up and to-do became less daunting.

I chewed on this post for a while.  It spoke to me.  We’re just a few days into the new year, but I’ve used the “just 5 minutes” strategy a handful of times, and I think it’s the winner for my “new thing” for 2023.  I walked past the floor length mirror at the top of my stairs and saw some little smeary handprints smack dab in the middle of it.  I continued to walk past, then stopped in my tracks.  I went right back down the stairs, grabbed my glass cleaner and paper towels, and cleaned the mirror.  Then, I did the bathroom mirrors and the mirrors in my kids’ rooms.  Five minutes (or less), and every mirror in the house had a much-needed shine.  Easy peasy.  If I see a “to-do” item that can be done in five minutes, I’m going to tackle it right then and there, instead of letting it live on the ever-lengthening list.

Whatever “new” the new year brings for you, I wish you the willpower to follow through and the joy of the reward.  2023, here we come!

Best Wishes,

Kim