10 One Minute Habits to Improve Your Life

Is it possible to pick up simple, one-minute habits that can improve our lives?

I think we underestimate how much we can accomplish in one minute and how much energy these little disciplines can bring to our lives!

In this post, I am going to break down my top one-minute habits that are going to be practical, attainable, and life-giving to you.

1. GRAB TRASH FROM MY CAR

Every time I pump gas, I gather all the trash from my car while I wait for the tank to fill up. This is perfect because all the kids are strapped into their seats so I can look around and tidy up without interruption.

Bonus points if I can grab a baby wipe and wipe down the dash and anywhere I see dust collecting.

This can all be done in one minute and it transforms the way the van feels.

2. TEACH KIDS TO BRING THINGS TO THE SINK

I have worked to teach my kids to bring their dirty dishes to the sink. The older ones have learned how to wash their own dish as well.

They will complain about this.

To make it more fun for the younger ones, I say “Let me time you!” because they love a good race.

When the older kids complain, I tell them, “Literally I bet it will take you less than one minute”.

This is worth training them to do because it makes such a difference when it comes to getting dishes done.

3. BREATH THROUGH FRUSTRATION

In motherhood, there are going to be many situations where we get frustrated.

Instead of complaining when things don’t go the way I want them to, I think about it like a birth contraction.

Stick with me.

Birth contractions last about a minute. During this one minute, it’s important to breathe and try to keep my face loose. I shoot up a quick prayer and remind myself that the “contraction” will pass.

In my birth course, I teach that contractions are working pains, not hurting pains.

In motherhood, there are these “motherhood contractions” that hit fast and hard. But in about a minute, my nervous system can regulate and I can realize that the blueberries everywhere or the poop on the wall is not something I can’t handle.

4. LAY OUT WORKOUT CLOTHES

Each night, I lay my workout clothes on the back of the toilet.

This trick minimizes the friction in the morning because I don’t have to decide to workout or find clothes in the dark, it’s already done for me.

A bonus is laying out all my workout clothes for the week and rolling them up together. I don’t get to this every week because the laundry isn’t always done.

5. EACH KID PICKS A SONG FOR OUR 10 MINUTE RESET

Every day, we set a 10 minute timer where all the kids and I focus on cleaning up floors and surfaces.

Before the timer starts, we take one minute for all the kids to pick a song they want to clean to.

They love this! They look forward to getting to be the DJ so it helps the 10 minute reset be less of a battle.

6. PUT A TRASH CAN IN EACH ROOM

I keep a trash can in each room.

There is so much stuff that ends up on the ground in our house.

Having a place nearby for my kids and me to throw these things away minimizes the friction and time it takes to walk to the kitchen trash can to toss little papers from the ground.

A couple times a week, my 4 year old will gather all the trash cans and bring them to me so I can empty them.

7. TRASH BAG THERAPY

I walk around the house with a trash bag emptying any trash cans that need it and I pick up any trash on the ground.

Maybe you don’t need this many strategies for your trash, but I have 6 kids.

You could make this trash bag therapy habit about decluttering instead.

Take a trash bag and walk around the house for one minute tossing out clutter. You might be surprised how much you get! It’s very rewarding.

8. QUICK BATHROOM CLEAN DURING BATHTIME

While the kids are playing in the bath, I will grab a rag and quickly wipe down the bathroom.

In one minute, I can drastically improve the bathroom!

I have my eye on the kids who are happily playing, and I can usually wipe down the toilet, the walls, and the sink.

9. FILL MY WATER

I aim to drink one gallon of water per day.

Each night before I go to bed, I will fill up my water bottle and put it by the bed. Then I will fill a half gallon mason jar with water.

This has upped my water intake drastically! I don’t have to think about it, I have all my water ready and I just have to sip on it throughout the day.

10. START DINNER AFTER BREAKFAST

This is nothing crazy.

After I clean up breakfast, maybe I need to get meat out to thaw. Or I will get a gameplan for starting dinner and make sure I have all the ingredients I need.

Dinner is coming everyday. So taking the time to get this settled in my mind has been a relief.

I wish I started this earlier because you never know how your day is going to go when you have a new baby.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE HOW POWERFUL THIS CAN BE

When I simply don’t feel like doing anything, the quote from Elizabeth Elliot has always helped me get the ball rolling:

“Do the next right thing.” and “Do a doable portion.”

As a mom, we simply might not have time for big habits. But we can start with micro, one-minute habits. Busting these out can give us so much energy.

Don’t underestimate how powerful it is to do a doable portion of the next right thing.

It might be just the thing you need to get your spark back and energize your home to be the place you want for yourself and those you love.