The 10/30 Rule Gave Me a Cleaner Home, a Healthier Budget, and Made My House More Efficient

By JAMIE BIRDWELL-BRANSON

Image Credit: Marisa Vitale

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With more to take care of at home but less time to tend to all the home things, this summer seemed to me like a good time to take a (literal) crash course in productivity.

Image Credit: Joe Lingeman

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I needed a reset.

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All of my usual routines and the tried and true ways I kept up with our household of seven had crumbled into a useless heap at my feet because our whole lives were upended in lockdown.

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Jordan Page’s 10/30 rule is exactly one of these.

The tips from the productivity course that stood out most were the little getting-things-done-mantras that can turn into new automatic ways of doing things no matter what the situation is. 

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What is the 10/30 Rule?

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It’s a mantra that will keep you accountable, motivated to bring every task across the finish line. As a productivity expert, Page touts the benefit of taking “10 extra steps or 30 extra seconds to do it right.”

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I love this idea because, when put into practice, it eliminates all the little undone tasks that hang over you. Whether these things are “invisible” items on your to-do list or physically visible, being able to call those tasks finished is such a relief.

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The best overall outcome of putting this tip into practice has been that my house is, on the whole, much more in order than it was before.

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When I take the extra steps to make a decision about what to do with my worn clothes and then act on it, I don’t have a pile of clothes to go through when it’s time to clean my bedroom. The efficiency makes a visual, mental, and emotional difference and I’ve loved it.

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Here are a few ways I’ve put this tip into practice, which might help you get thinking about ways you can incorporate the 10/30 rule into many aspects of your own life at home:

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Putting things away where they go.

While you may not immediately notice that you’re not surrounded by little undone things anymore, you’ll be happy when you have time to pick up your book in an orderly room rather than search frantically for the field trip permission slip the day it’s due.

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When you have an important piece of paper, make a digital copy right then. Taking those 30 extra seconds will save you time and frustration in the long run. Apps like Dropbox and Evernote allow you to make good quality scans from your phone and add the security of having your files password protected.

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Saving a copy of important documents.

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Completely finishing the
organizing project.

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To do it right, requires doing it all the way.This means finishing the last bit of the project, those dregs that are the hardest to deal with because they require a decision or extra cleaning, etc.

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Image Credit: Joe Lingeman

A dirty dish in the sink these days turns to a mountain of dirty dishes in a flash. But it only takes an easy 30 seconds to do it right. Putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher is an investment that, with everyone on board and a bit of luck, is clean and ready to roll when it’s time to cook dinner.

Keeping the kitchen clean.

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Checking budgeting discrepancies in the moment.

I used to just jot down things I needed to look into once I was done with my budgeting session. But I’d either give myself a break and forget about seeing where that mystery charge came from or put it off until later and end up with an overwhelming, grouch-inducing list…

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Now I open up the account in question and take a closer look, or ask my husband on the spot what a certain charge was for. This keeps my budget in order, saves me money, and allows me to know that I’m completely finished when I close my budgeting app after a session.

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Image Credit: Magali Saberian

Add Stripes

Vertical lines can be slimming because they elongate the silhouette. That same logic can apply to a living room when you roll out a striped rug or use striped curtains. Just make sure the lines are running vertically to maximize this effect with minimal effort.

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For more home tips, visit apartmenttherapy.com 

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