Overestimating Ourselves

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One of the reasons I think we put off tasks (at least I know I do) is because we overestimate how long they’ll take. We feel like the job will take half the morning, or the afternoon, and we don’t want to use our time that way that day, so we put it off until later. And then a series of days goes by, and the task remains undone.

What if the real reason we’re putting it off is because we’re simply overestimating how long it will take? What if we knew it would only take a half hour at most, and five minutes at the least? Of course we can move slowly, and stop frequently, and make the job last as long as we want; or we can work hard and fast and get it done quickly.

This Messy Monday, I encourage you to pick one job you’ve been putting off because you think it will take forever, and you dread it. Err on the side of underestimating the time. Set a timer for, let’s say a half an hour, and see if you can get it done in that time. You’ll be more likely to get it done next time when you realize it really doesn’t take as long as previously estimated.


(My jobs, in case you’re wondering, are the dishes in my sink from Sunday, and the sun porch. It needs to be tidied, swept, and mopped. I will give myself 45 minutes, and see if I can do it in 30).

Happy Homemaking!