Contents
The “rule of the minute,” the Japanese method of avoiding clutter
Home
How many times have you started something with enthusiasm but left it halfway or got tired before finishing it? Effort and perseverance are essential to achieve a goal or to turn a task into a habit. It may sound harsh or tedious, but the truth is that there is a japanese method, called “Kaizen method” or “one minute rule” that allows assimilating a habit in a short time and with less effort than we think.
La “Rule of the minute” consists of performing the same daily for 60 seconds homework so that this becomes routine and that, as the days go by, it can be developed for longer and more effectively.
The term «Kaizen» it is built from the meanings of “kai” (change) and “zen” (wisdom). In short, it means “Good changes” and its objective is to achieve permanent improvement in personal, family, social and work life. At first, this philosophy began to be used in the world of work, but little by little it has been introduced in the rest of aspects of daily life.
One of its applications has to do with the home environment, because to improve our order y cleaning We just have to start by applying the minute rule on a daily basis on tasks related to those goals.
The main characteristic of this method is its simplicityBecause doing a task for one minute each day does not require additional effort or energy. In fact, as Gerardo Montoiro, manager of Bissell Spain explains, while we are adopting the routine We will also be able to overcome the laziness that at the beginning gave us to do it. It will be then when we can gradually increase the time we dedicate to this activity. These are the five steps that, according to the expert, we must take into account to apply this method.
1. Classification (the “seiri”)
The first essential task is to get rid of what is not necessary, that is, to separate what is essential from what we do not need and discard everything that does not serve us. You only have to leave what is useful and, totally essential for our day to day.
2. Orden (o «seiton»)
Once the items have been classified, it is time to order according to their frequency of use. The idea is to reduce the time spent looking for what we need on each occasion because with this gesture productivity is increased. In addition, we will avoid disorder throughout the house and without obstacles.
3. Cleanliness (or “seiso”)
Cleanliness is key in all rooms of the house. Therefore, if every day you dedicate that minute at the beginning to start those tasks, sooner than you think you will be able to increase time of realization and it will no longer be an obligation nor will you be lazy to carry it out. “It is true that if you have to tidy up a closet it will take more than a minute. But the key is that those first few minutes maybe you can dedicate them to discarding and ordering. Once everything is organized, you will be able to increase the time to improve what has been achieved, since it will only be necessary to maintain the order that has already been created, ”says Montoiro.
4. Standardization (or “seiketsu”)
Once you have completed the previous steps, it is time to create the habits . For this it is important that every day you dedicate that minute to order to create routine and not fail. This guideline will make household work easier on a day-to-day basis, maintaining order and cleanliness. As basic elements to live in a healthy and stress-free environment, it is advisable to make the bed daily, put everything in its place after use, and keep the kitchen and bathroom in good condition.
5. Autodisciplina (o «shitsuke»)
The fifth and final phase reinforces and encourages self-discipline. In fact, the order is no longer concerned so much because the habits will already be internalized. Now you just have to comply with work and in daily life.
Punctuality and regularity
This Kaizen method is a simple formula Well, with just one minute a day we will work our mind and body to be able to carry out that task that is so difficult for us to do. One of the tricks to make it more effective is to always start doing it at the same time, every day of the week.
It can also be a perfect technique to include in homes with children so that they begin to adopt housekeeping practices both at home and away. It is convenient that they spend a minute in ordering something simple or that they focus on a specific point in their bedroom and thus little by little they will create new habits in their day to day.
Basic principles
- Stop making excuses, run away from laziness, and move forward slowly but surely. The moment is now.
- Concentrate on the real and the possible. Laziness generates stress and anxiety and in the end you only think negatively. Put that mindset aside and focus on progress and positives.
- Continuous teaching. Every day something new should be learned, it is never too late to learn and keep moving forward. The world moves and our minds, too
- Without perfection we are happier, this method does not pretend to seek perfection. On the contrary, you have to abandon perfection and learn by making mistakes
- Learn from mistakes, we are not perfect and to err is healthy. The best thing is to correct mistakes, find solutions and continue with the challenges set.