What Can You Get Done In 15 Minutes?

       When you run a ranch, you have so many things going on at once it's difficult to complete anything. Tasks need to be done timely or why bother. If you don't get your seed out by end of April, it won't get May showers to grow. Stabled horses have to eat on time or they will eat down your barn. Things have to get done when they need to be done so projects that don't have a deadline seem to sit unaccomplished.
      If you are a multitasker, I just have one question for you. Do you ever finish anything you start? My favorite part of any project is finishing it. I am not a natural multitasker because when I start something I like to focus on it and see it through to the end. If I don't, I seem to have a lot of started projects going all at once and soon I am so overwhelmed I don't want to do any of them.
     If you're a natural multitasker, you probably do not need to read any further. We can address finishing your projects in a later post. Running a ranch has taught me a lot about multitasking. Focusing on one project a time is usually not an option. You have to work with other people's schedules, wait on supplies to arrive, or stop and take care of an urgent need. When your neighbor knocks on your door to tell you your horses are on the road, it doesn't matter that you are not done setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner. It means, you grab some halters and head down the road to catch them and then investigate the fence and gates to find out where they got out.

   Projects at the ranch and in the house can easily get neglected. Every time you walk by that dirty window or pile of unfiled papers, you may tell yourself you are going to get to that. But then life happens, you spend your time meeting the needs of the most pressing tasks which are often interrupted by urgent needs themselves. So how do you make sure you can get to those piles of paper and not neglect something important waiting for you near the bottom of that stack?
   Do you have a room that you stuff everything in when company is coming? I have several. The stuff room soon becomes a make shift filing and storage room. Then  you start looking for something important by searching haphazardly through each box in order that was place in the room trying to find one small but important piece of paper or object. But you are going to get to this room and get it sorted out when you get time. How much time do you need? Not enough time today better close the door!
    Actually, you only need fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes at a time and you can tackle that room and all the other neglected projects you have been walking by and wishing you had time to finish. If you have 10 rooms in your home, you only need 2 1/2  hours a week to make a dent and finish up some old projects in every single room in your house. Start at one side of your house, set your timer for 15 minutes, and start working the most pressing issues in that space. Keep a notepad with you to jot down notes about each space that can't be completed at this time. When the timer goes off, move on to the next room. If you have 2 1/2 hours a day, you will soon finish those pending projects you've been walking by. If you don't have 2 1/2 hours, two fifteen minutes sessions a day will let you spend some time on each room or project every week.
   Today, I was waiting on a contractor to show up who was running 30 minutes late. I grabbed my egg timer and took advantage of the extra time and knocked out two rooms. I don't always set my timer to 15 minutes nor do I limit myself to 15 minutes. When I have a morning off and want to spend more time on a big project, I might set the timer to five minutes and just do a quick cleaning of the main rooms, 5 minutes each, and then set my timer to 50 minutes on my project. I am on a fifteen minute break from a big project right now. It's 11 degrees outside so I plan to spend several 50 minute sessions on my big project this afternoon as well as get some laundry done. I may even teach the cat a few tricks you never know.
    One of my favorite 15 minute lists is my 15 Minutes A Day Goals List. I want to spend time in God's word daily, write a book, train and a show a horse, spend time with my kids, and stay fit. If I don't take control and budget my time, I will waste time "relaxing" or worse spend all my time cleaning and dusting. If I don't allow interruptions in my schedule, I will miss God opportunities to meet new people or will be frustrated every time I have an urgent need, like the kids missed the bus and needs a ride. I want to be flexible so the egg timer really helps me do that. Unless I have an urgent need or a divine appointment, I set the egg timer and spend at least fifteen minutes in each area every day.
   What can you get done 15 minutes? I am going to read the entire bible, write a 400 page novel, saddle break a young filly, get rid of my belly fat and strengthen my arms, legs, chest, and back, spend time with my kids, provide home cooked meals for my family, keep my house clean, finish my basement remodeling projects, keep the laundry caught up, fix a few fences, complete my pending ranch and home projects, and still have time left over to do all the things I enjoy spending my unscheduled time doing.
   Ding! My fifteen minute break is up. I am off to another project!