Even though I’ve been on a minimalist journey for years, I’m pretty sure a few years ago I decided I was “done” minimalizing and was simply in maintenance phase. After going through a very hectic and high stress cross-state move last year, I can tell you that idea was very wrong.

When I moved from my apartment to my first house, it took me an entire day to move. I had 3 other parties with their vehicles helping me. Even then, there was still one load of large furniture items that had to be moved about a week later. I didn’t think I had that much stuff in my 2-bedroom apartment, but after 14 years there, I did.

In my first house, I was determined to minimize, but of course, you spread things out and acclimate to the space you have. In addition to numerous donations runs to various donation drop-offs and the animal shelter, I got rid of two truckloads of stuff before moving out of my first house.

It all paid off last year when the men I hired to load the moving truck were able to fit everything into the 15-foot cube truck with room to spare. Not only was there floor space to spare, but there weren’t any boxes stacked more than two high. Almost everything was on level with no stacking involved.

In the new house, my goal has been to be a good steward of my space. I need to be a strict gatekeeper on what comes home. This house is about half the size of my old house. Even though I fit everything into a 15-foot cube van, I still have a LOT of stuff for such a small house.

To decrease clutter, I use one room upstairs for storage. It should also be noted that there are no closets in this house (well, there is technically one upstairs, but that’s not usable and another story). The first floor is our living space. I try to keep our living space as neat as possible. My goal anyplace I live at is to leave as much open floor space as I can for the cats to run and play. I try to only have furniture items I really need.

I have a seasonal box I use to rotate items between summer and winter, as needed. The cats have their own seasonal box. I try diligently to keep everything contained to its space. It the blanket box is full of blankets, then I obviously don’t need anymore.

To keep things minimized and organized in our new house, I have brought back the idea of 15-minute projects. 15-minute projects are perfect for this house for many reasons.

First, we are now in the foothills of the Adirondacks. This is a great area to be outside, and I love being outside. I don’t want to be stuck in the house. For many of us, in the North Country, home is our launching pad for playing outside. We are stuck inside when buried under 6-feet of snow, but that’s another story.

I don’t want to waste my time on home projects. We are very happy here. I want to live life and optimize my time. 15-minute projects are perfect so that I can get things done and still enjoy my life. Especially with Jude and Flower passing away roughly a year from each other, I want to spend as much quality time with Simon and Jolene as I can.

A second reason why 15-minute projects work so well for our new house is because this house is so small. I have almost the entire house sorted into zones. For example, in the main room of the house, the living room, there is an entryway zone, a couch zone, a work zone, and an entertainment zone. That’s 4 zones in one room. Using 15-minute projects, I can attack one zone at a time, so things are not overwhelming.

That second reason gets to the meat and potatoes behind the 15-minute project concept. Sometimes the idea of minimizing one room can be overwhelming, even in a small house. By setting a 15-minute timer and focusing on one area, you can make a huge difference in your everyday life.

Here are some examples of some 15-minute projects that can make a huge impact in your living space:

The junk drawer. Admit it. We all have one. It’s typically in the kitchen. Mine is the one that has the plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, etc. I also pulled out a pen, scissors, a screwdriver, mason jar lids, and space blankets. Set the 15-minute timer and attack the junk drawer.

Your workspace. Whether you work from home or are just looking at the desk where you pay your bills – clean it out. I know, we all hate paying bills. We want to leave work at work. It’s an area easily cluttered because we don’t want to deal with it. Just set the timer for 15-minutes. Go through the drawers. Make a shred pile. Relocate things that have been shoved in those drawers that don’t belong. They are pits of items you don’t want to deal with just like the kitchen junk drawer.

Your entryway. The entryway is the drop point for everything that comes into the home. Yes, there are hooks. The coat and keys are hanging. But there is also a table, maybe a chair? Some sort of surface? Yup, and it’s cluttered. This is the drop point for library books, mail, and whatever else comes and goes from the house. Set the 15-minute timer and attack your entryway.

A separate 15-minute project can be your purse. 15 minutes. Clean that out. It’s full of old receipts and maybe some melted gum. Cleaning out your purse can be its own 15-minute project separate from the entryway.

The entertainment area. If you are in a harsh climate like we are (yes, we did get 6 feet of snow last January), then your entertainment area is needed for winter. Set your 15-minute timer and be sure you are ready. Books you’ve read can be donated to the Little Free Libraries. Do you have enough books, puzzles, music, etc. to get through this winter. Don’t just stare there when you are buried in snow lamenting there is “nothing to do.” Now is the time to turn your entertainment area into a 15-minute project to be sure it is organized and stocked for the coming winter.

The medicine cabinet. This is another great 15-minute project before winter. Do you have enough Tylenol, band-aids, etc. for the winter season? Better stock up now in case you are not feeling up to going out or physically can’t get out due to snow. Is everything fresh? Are there any out-of-date items that need to go to medication disposal?

I tend to do a lot of my minimizing in winter when I am stuck inside. Then, in the spring, I take all the items and donate them where they need to go. I have a donation box upstairs all the time that I can put things in as needed.

One 15-minute project that I did recently was to go through that donation box and pull out any clothing or sort item to be put in a plastic garbage bag instead of the box. We have two clothing drop-off points in my area that require items to be dropped off in plastic grocery bags. So sometimes I spend 15-minutes going through the donation box and packaging things how they need to be packaged for where they are going.

I have a separate box upstairs for donation items that I think the animal shelter can use.

15-minute projects are also a great way to break up your day and provided variety. It only takes a short burst of energy to complete a 15-minute project. Sometimes that’s all you need. It’s something different to do. 15-minute projects are just another way to turn minimizing and organizing into a game.

The other way I am implementing 15-minute projects is with cleaning. Yes, I clean my house. I keep on up it. But there are some parts of the house that need to be deep cleaned every once in awhile.

I know, I know. We see the phrase “deep clean,” and collectively groan inside. The idea of “deep clean” is both unappealing and overwhelming. So instead of thinking, I should really deep clean my bathroom instead of maintenance clean it, I am tackling one extra item as a 15-minute project.

Examples of 15-minute cleaning projects:

Deep cleaning the shower head.

Cleaning one wall to prep it for painting.

The microwave. Yeah, I know, you wipe it out with the dishcloth every once in a while, but set a 15-minute timer and deep clean it.

The coffee maker. Again, I know you wash it every day but set the 15-minute timer and do a deep clean.

The ceiling fan blades. Especially if you are reversing their direction for temperature changes, clean the ceiling fan blades. Set the 15-minute timer. Yes, they are typically done in maintenance cleaning but admit it. You forget. I know I don’t get to them every time. I forget to look up if I’m cleaning in a hurry.

Right now, 15-minute projects are my favorite thing. We will see how long this lasts. But for now, it’s working for both minimizing and extra cleaning items.

Do you have any ideas for 15-minute projects?