In Which I Use Way Too Many Parentheses
by Kym on June 25, 2010
I like to play games with myself. Umm…scratch that, that sounds really pathetic. I mean, I play games inside my head as I’m doing other things…no, that’s pretty bad too. Hmm.
Anyway, one of my games is that when I pop something in the microwave I’ll see how much I can get done as the number on the display slowly counts down to the DING! This has proven to be 1) a productive use of time 2) amusing and 3) embarrassing. The embarrassing bit comes from discovering just how poorly I use my time.
Apparently I can unload the dishwasher in 2 minutes, 27 seconds (that’s my record anyway). I can scrub the counters and sink down in, oh, about 1 minute 30. Once, I swept the kitchen in 1 minute flat (I have a small kitchen, but still). Now, if I raced about and just did things instead of, you know, staring at the mess in a rather apathetic way, certain that some future version of myself will deal with it…eventually…well, things would run a lot more smoothly around here.
So I decided to conduct a little experiment using the stop watch function on my pedometer (10,000 steps a day, baby! – okay, so my average is 5,000 [up from, um, 2,000], but I’m getting there). Here are the results:
Reorganizing kids’ bookshelf = 32 seconds.
Doing breakfast dishes = 40 seconds.
Sweeping dining room = 2 minutes, 37 seconds.
Wiping dining room table = 43 seconds.
Scrubbing toilet (interior and seat area) = 1 minute 15 seconds.
Making bed = 52 seconds. (Such a time suck – no wonder I never do it!)
Tidying up DVD’s scattered around TV = 1 minute, 37 seconds
Dirty laundry gathering and transporting = 48 seconds.
Emptying vacuum’s dirt canister = 42 seconds.
Vacuuming our small living room (including edges, fireplace, and 2 stairs) = 3 minutes.
I confess to being quite shocked by how quickly I can accomplish tasks that I sometimes spend ALL DAY putting off. Now, who wants to come over to play? Because my house is starting to look AMAZING.
24 comments
Oh, I think I’m going to play because I needed this. I’m going to buy a stop watch this afternoon!
by Susan Auten on June 25, 2010 at 8:46 am. #
* Does a dance * Hahahah! I do the microwave game, too, Kim. YAY!
by Anonymous on June 25, 2010 at 10:19 am. #
That’s great! I should do that… only it might make me feel like I should clean more often and I don’t want to…
And I think you’re faster than me. It takes me 15 min to do the livingroom, hall, and stairs… maybe I’m doing something wrong…
by Sarah on June 25, 2010 at 10:44 am. #
I am always shocked at how quickly housework goes, too, when you actually just buckle down and do it. And yet somehow I have to remind myself of this every day when it’s time to unload the dishwasher: “c’mon, Beth, this takes two minutes! Just get it done already!” (Usually I listen to myself, I’m proud to say.)
I use the timer-trick on my boys and I LOVE how they suddenly become motivated! The ten-minute pick-up can totally transform a disaster area … and it makes my five-year-old SO proud of himself!
by Beth on June 25, 2010 at 11:45 am. #
I bow before you.
I can’t do anything that fast because I’m interrupted at least three times by a single word. “MOOOOOM!”
by That Girl on June 25, 2010 at 12:13 pm. #
A kindred spirit!!! I do this kind of stuff all the time! I’d like to think it’s because we’re both so intelligent that we have to entertain ourselves when we’re stuck with the mundane.
by Jane on June 25, 2010 at 12:17 pm. #
what a great idea! sometimes i give myself 10 minutes to do a task and then move on. one of my big problems in housework (besides the obvious procrastination) is that i am easily distracted. 10 minutes in each room means i make some improvements and i really try to not get sucked into another project during the allotted 10 minutes.
however, your racing the clock idea proves that we could get it done much faster if properly motivated.
and playing the mind games with yourself? completely normal. at least from this crazed person’s perspective:)
by michal on June 25, 2010 at 12:29 pm. #
I totally race the defrost function on the microwave when I unload the dishwasher. And always beat it (under 3, pleasures of a small kitchen) but somehow, when I tell a kid, or heaven forbid, all 4 kids to empty, and then leave the room? They’re still “working on it” when I come back from a shower, or a trip to the grocery store, or maybe a nap. I’m not teaching them much. But at least they know which things go in which drawers!
by Becca on June 25, 2010 at 1:56 pm. #
So funny! I agree that so many things I put off can actually get done quickly. Good for you!
by Kazzy on June 25, 2010 at 5:46 pm. #
Haha! What a fabulous idea!
by Summer on June 25, 2010 at 6:29 pm. #
I want to say in Kim’s defense, that her living room and stairs are not huge. There’s lots of hardwood there. :)
I might try this tomorrow on the kids now that we have a stop watch.
by Eowyn on June 25, 2010 at 7:44 pm. #
Kim, that is so interesting! I would never have thought to use popcorn popping in that way, other than to think of apricots LOL. Love it.
by Jewel Allen on June 26, 2010 at 4:29 am. #
Great. Now what’s my excuse? :)
My biggest one is that I have a lot of kitchen floor and it FEELS like sweeping it (not to mention CLEANING it) takes freaking forever. But I’ve never timed it. I’m guessing it takes far less time that I imagine.
Dangit.
by Annette on June 26, 2010 at 11:48 am. #
LOL – I race myself too. It makes the most mudane tasks more fun. :-)
I wanted to let you know I borrowed the ‘stats’ idea off your about page for mine. I credited you at the bottom. Hope that’s okay?
http://corramcfeydon.wordpress.com/about-corra-mcfeydon/
Best to you! :-)
- Corra
The Victorian Heroine
by Corra McFeydon on June 26, 2010 at 2:55 pm. #
I LOVE THIS.
yeah you guessed it…ME TOO. I do the microwave timer thing. And the race-around-and-pretend-the-MIL-is-coming-over thing.
AND…okay, that’s all I’m sharing…I seem less crazy if I just stop now.
Off to try to beat 2 minutes 27 seconds.
by Heather of the EO on June 26, 2010 at 3:18 pm. #
There’s an award over at my blog for you, just to let you know :)
by Brownpaperbaggirl on June 26, 2010 at 3:25 pm. #
I have never timed myself, but years ago a woman told me she cleaned the toilet every day. As I looked at her incredulously, she told me it takes less than a minute so why not just KEEP it clean instead of dreading it once a week (or less often). I actually think you are pretty smart for doing this, and I’m thinking I should try it!
by Erin on June 26, 2010 at 7:52 pm. #
First, I don’t think you can EVER have too many parentheses — (or dashes, for that matter). You have made me feel like a sloth, so I will now go brood upon my inadequacies. Thank you. (Great post!)
by average girl on June 28, 2010 at 3:46 am. #
It is interesting to see how little time is needed to do mundane tasks that we sometimes spend days putting off. The other side of the coin is that there are times when the best thing we can do for ourselves is to allow the mundane tasks of life to wait.
by Mark on June 28, 2010 at 7:37 am. #
You are lightning fast my friend! Or maybe I am slow … or maybe I just think things take longer than they do :) !! Guess I will have to get a timer out and see how long it takes me to do things! Thanks for the inspiration!
by An Ordinary Mom on June 28, 2010 at 1:51 pm. #
Maybe I should do this and I’d have a cleaner house.
by Marilyn on June 28, 2010 at 2:30 pm. #
I just stumbled upon this and I love it. Good to know I’m not the only one! http://tesovitch.blogspot.com/2010/01/racing-microwaves.html
by Tess on June 29, 2010 at 11:48 am. #
The Fly Lady (a pop culture cleaning guru/teacher/inspirational chic) suggests setting your timer for 15 minutes & hitting a “hot spot” in the home & seeing how much you can accomplish. I need to do that to my computer desk…badly.
Love how you timed yourself doing household tasks. A lot can be done in so little time. Isn’t it amazing? As are you!!
by Terresa Wellborn on June 30, 2010 at 1:23 pm. #
Whenever I time myself I am shocked how long it actually takes me to get some things done. But then I feel extra productive knowing how long it has taken me.
I’ve never broken down into individual tasks before, great idea!
by Charlotte on July 2, 2010 at 12:47 pm. #