Cinderella’s Hearth: Just 10 Minutes, by Kate Wolford

Note: I have a cold today, but it’s not Covid, which I’ve never had. Anyway, I thought I’d recycle an old newspaper column that still applies today. Enjoy! KW

Just the other day, I was debating whether or not I had the time to clean out the refrigerator. Todd was coming home soon with lots of groceries for company, but I wasn’t sure I could get the job done. So I gave myself 10 minutes to do it, because that’s how much time I had. The fridge was clean in eight.

So that got me thinking about what else I could do in 10 minutes. It could be any task. Here’s the list:

Ten minutes of exercise—I know we are supposed to get 30 minutes a day, but you have to start somewhere. And 10 sure beats nothing.

You can write, address, stamp and mail a thank you card in 10. That’s especially true if you keep your materials, like a pen, the card and stamp together. Putting the materials together is also a job that can be done in less than 10 minutes.

Obviously, you can start a load of laundry in way less than 10 minutes. Add cleaning the lint trap and pulling clothes out of the dryer to that 10 as well. You might even have time left to fold and put away,

Provided they don’t have lots of knick knacks on them, you can dust bookshelves in less than 10 minutes. Heck, depending on the size, you might be able to do a whole room in that time.

You can prepare and chop a bowlful of fresh veggies in 10 minutes. Ditto fruit. You’ll still have time to grab a dip to go along, for a healthy snack.

You can start a pot of soup in that time, or get started on fresh biscuits in 10 minutes.

You can water a whole lot of garden plants in 10 minutes.

You can read a chapter in a book aloud to a child in 10 minutes. It’s a great chance to entertain your child in a wonderful way and spend quality time with him or her.

You can take 10 to talk to your husband or wife, which, if you have work, kids and housework to do, might not always happen. It’s certainly worth the effort, though, to keep those important connections to one another alive.

As for connections, in 10 minutes, you can send an email or text catching up with a friend or relative in 10. 

You can pay bills and check your bank account for any strange charges in under 10 minutes. Same with checking on all of your bank and retirement accounts, provided you have online accounts—and we do.

Had a bad night’s rest? Change those bedsheets in less than 10 minutes. Fresh linens always help you sleep better.

There you are. A lot of tasks that can be done in 10 minutes. Why 10? Because we can cheerfully do almost anything when we know it’ll only take that amount of time. It’s a classic case of a few minutes of effort yielding surprisingly great results. Little efforts really do mean a lot. Your house and life will look a lot better if you can just take 10 now and then.

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Kate Wolford was the publisher and editor of The Fairy Tale Magazine for many years. She’s now enjoying being Resident Fairy Godmother.