You know those little household projects you really need to do but keep putting off?

I don’t mean the big weekend projects—painting walls, making huge repairs, refinishing a piece of furniture. I mean the ones that probably wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete, but you just can’t get yourself to do them.

For me, those little projects are the ones that would make the biggest difference in the long term. I don’t know why I’m so lazy and unmotivated when it comes to them. I certainly do complain about them not being done, but I don’t take any initiative to do them.

You know what I need? Accountability.

And that’s where you fine folks come in.

Introducing the Five–Minute Fix Challenge

Here’s what you do:

1. Find something that needs to be done around your house that will make a difference in your everyday BUT won’t take more than five minutes* to complete.

2. DO IT.

3. Share about it in the comments, being sure to include how it will help make your everyday life run more smoothly.

* Okay, we can make five minutes the rough estimate. If it takes a few more, we won’t tell. Just no Pinterest–worthy weekend projects! 

Need an example? Craving poorly lit iPhone photos? I’ve got you covered.

My kitchen is small, practically a galley kitchen. There is literally one place on the counter where my stand mixer will fit. I use it at least once a week, so it deserves coveted counter space.

I have a set of canisters labeled for flour, sugar, tea, and cookies. I used to have the tea and cookies next to my mixer. The flour and sugar were on the other end of the counter.

Whenever I would bake, I would move the tea and cookies canisters to the laundry area so that I’d have room to pull out the mixer.

Then I’d lug the flour and / or sugar over to the mixer while I was baking.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

I can’t tell you how many times I thought to myself, “Self, you should just swap the canisters. You are literally carrying the tea and coffee past the sugar and flour and back every time you bake. This makes no sense.”

And then I would continue to put everything back where I’d had it originally. Crazy? Perhaps. Lazy and complacent? Without question.

So here’s my first five–minute fix:

See how stupidly easy that was? And it only took the full five minutes because I cleaned the counter and backsplash, too.

Okay, your turn. What five–minute fix can you make today?