Sometimes things really click with me. While watching a Wranglerstar called my three things I had this happen. It was a video I almost didn’t bother watching. He started talking about using it to keep his shop clean and my eyes glazed over. I am a pretty messy guy and the thought of cleaning does not appeal to me. I let the video run a bit then it sank in. I’ll embed the video for you to watch. So what are the three things, why did it click and how’s it working?
My Three Things
Basically it boils down to putting up three things when you pass them. Not spending all day cleaning. I like not spending all day cleaning. So let’s say I head into the kitchen, on my way I put 3 things where they go. Plates in the sink, trash in the garbage can etc. When leaving the kitchen I do the same, Head to the bathroom and put up three things. I almost don’t think about it most the time now and just grab things. I like the simplicity of the idea. So simple it went into my head and now is almost thoughtless. Before finding time to do serious cleaning was hard. Most days I get up go to work and come home and sleep. Cleaning is work and I don’t like this kind of work. Also I’ve not been successful finding a wife that loves to clean all day while I’m busy trying to save the world through blogging. So if you are a compulsive cleaner send your wife resume to me. Until then I have the Three Things System.
Hows It Working
Not that my apartment is a disaster normally but it is much cleaner now. I usually only make one mess at a time so by cleaning three things I beat back the mess. Once clean it will stay much better even with all my projects going on. Another thing is I’m constantly grabbing items from my kits. Bug spray here, aspirin there I’m always needing something located in my BOB. Usually it does not make it back to it in a timely manner either. Now it usually goes back shortly after using it. Everything is becoming much better organized and without any real effort. I always try to apply the 80/20 rule to things and this is definitely the 20 that gives you the 80 more clean apartment. Thanks Wranglerstar!
I do this kind of stuff as well. If I walk in the front door with a box that needs to go to the basement, I’ll often set it on the kitchen table. The next time I go to the room where the basement stairs are, I’ll move it to the desk next to the basement door. Then the next time I go downstairs to get the laundry or work out or whatever, I take the box with. It keeps you from cluttering up the front door or the easiest place to dump stuff as well as stops you from forgetting to put stuff where it goes. It also raises efficiency since you’re making that trip to the basement already for something else and killing two birds with one stone. It’s easier than walking in the door, all the way downstairs, then back upstairs and then down again later in the day. It’s almost like being lazy about being proactive if that makes sense!
Yup function stacking I didn’t even think about. The more birds I can kill at a time the better
I’m going to start doing this tonight. I let you know how it goes after a week.
It will change you’re life brother
Well, it’s been a week now and I am seeing a significant change in my ‘clutter’. A place for everything and now everything is getting back to that place. I like the feeling. Thanks for the post!!
I have been doing something like that for a while. The trick is how do you get others you live with who like to leave trails to do the same thing?