Strike while the iron is hot!

This was one of my aunts favorite quotes. There will no doubt be post's with others!

     Yesterday I was cleaning off the kitchen counter and picked up a couple of sprouting potatoes.  My first thought was what can I make with these last two potatoes?  But  it is March, I looked outside, thought about it, and went on outside.  How long does it really take to plant a few potatoes?  I had cut them into pieces so each had at least one eye.  I cleared the weedy overgrowth from along the fence and turned over the soil in six or so spots and planted the pieces.  It probably took ten minutes in all.  Minor success in a world of unfinished projects and goals.

   Normally I am more inclined to set aside those potatoes with the intention of planting them when I " do the garden project".   How many times does a project get put off until it is a last minute rush or not done at all?  For me, too often so I am surrounded by bits and pieces of projects waiting to be done.

    David Allen of "Getting Things Done" fame recommends performing a task if it takes two minutes or less to finish and if it takes more time, then put it on your to-do list . (That is a major oversimplification of a small part of his plan.)  But I am finding with myself, that the best laid plans often lack motivation or discipline to start or finish.  So I try to grab any spark of encouragement I can to get some things done I may not really look forward to doing.

   Therefore I may change my personal guideline to 10-15 minutes instead of 2.  If I can accomplish a task that has been brought to my attention in 15 minutes, instead of put it off, I think I shall get more accomplished.  Obviously this won't work when you are in the midst of an important project, but for much of our daily routine, a ten minute timeout here and there will increase productivity rather than side rail us too much.

  Frugal-wise I have invested ten minutes and two old potatoes, with the potential gain of several pounds of new potatoes.  Also I cleared the kitchen of  two bits of counter clutter without turning them into garbage.  A frugal and environmentally sound ten minutes.