Productive Tasks to Get Done in 5, 15, 30, and 60 Minutes

If you're a long-time reader of Chic in Carolina (snaps to you!!), you probably know I'm very Type A and a big fan of productivity and organization. I always joke to my friends and family that I hate relaxing and doing nothing (although I do have my days!) as I'd rather being doing something!

I wanted to put together a list of tasks based off of the time it takes to get them done to help y'all be more productive in your day to day lives. Whether you have 5 minutes or 60, it is definitely enough to be more productive!

in 5 minutes

write a to-do list

As I'm sure y'all probably know by now, I love a good to-do list. If you have a few minutes to spare on a busy day, definitely sit down with your agenda and write down everything and anything you need to do (even if it seems somewhat pointless to write down, like showering or working out). I always feel so much more able to handle the day after writing it all out plus it ensures that you don't forget to do anything!

make your bed

If you only have time to do one thing to get your life together, definitely make it be making your bed. This is such a good habit to get into and honestly makes your room look so much cleaner even it's the only change you make. Plus, I know I'm less likely to want to get back into bed to take a nap if my bed is already made!

pick up the clothes off of the floor

This is a really quick and easy task that truly makes your life feel more put-together and productive. After a busy day, my room may be a little messy with some clothes on the floor and simply picking those up makes my room seem a lot cleaner in a short period of time.

clean your makeup brushes

I know this is one of those tasks that you should be doing often but don't always get to it. If I have a few minutes, I'll soak my brushes in soapy water and then come back to rinse them and dry them off on a towel. I'm sure there's better ways to clean brushes but this is pretty easy and gets the job done!

take out the trash/recycling

For living in such a small room (which y'all can peak inside in this blog post), trash can pile up fairly quickly. We try to take it out as often as possible but this is a great small task to be more productive as who wants to sit a room with a pile of trash bags and recycling in the corner?

respond to urgent emails

I'm pretty good about responding to emails promptly but when emails pile up in my inbox, I tend to prioritize certain ones if I'm in a time crunch or only have 5 minutes to make a dent in the pile. Definitely prioritize responding or sending those more important ones as it's still being productive given the amount of time you're working with.

in 15 minutes

update your agenda

If I have a little bit more time, I'll take out my agenda and completely update it with any new deadlines or days of important events. I keep my to-do list in my agenda as I use a day designer so it's convenient to keep everything in one place. Be sure to see how I organize it in this blog post.

delete items in your downloads folder

If you use a Mac, be sure to clean out your downloads folder. I feel like it's so easy to forget that the folder exists and is using up storage space on your computer. Take a few minutes and either delete any random or old items or move it into its "proper home" on your computer so you can easily find it later.

tidy up your room

I said that making your bed or picking up your clothes are great ways to tidy up your room in a short amount of time but with 15 minutes you have a bit more time to clean up. I wouldn't say this is exactly "cleaning" more putting everything back where it belongs and getting rid of random items lying around your room.

clean out your purse/backpack
I know on busy weeks it's so easy for your backpack or purse to become a disaster. After those busy weeks, take a few minutes and take everything out. Get rid of those old receipts lying at the bottom of your bag and remove anything you don't need for a more organized bag.

in 30 minutes

clean out your inbox

One of our 5 minute tasks was to respond to important emails but with some extra time, clean out the entirety of your inbox. Respond to those important ones, delete unnecessary ones, and file the rest away in a folder. I always try to get my inbox to 0 or as close to that as possible! As be sure to delete everything in your deleted folder as it takes up space!

organize one area

30 minutes may not be enough time to do a deep organization of your entire room but it definitely gives you enough time to focus on one area. Choose one area that has been giving you stress lately (the top of your desk, your bedside table, your t-shirt drawer, etc.) and focus on organizing just that. You'll feel so much more productive and organized without too much of a time commitment.

transfer photos from your phone to your computer
Between being a blogger and then a typical college girl who loves to take pictures, I have way too many pictures on my phone. Every once in a while, I take the time to plug my phone into my computer and export of all my pictures. This clears up a ton of space on my phone and I'm also able to better organize all of my photos in iPhoto.

in 60 minutes

run a load of laundry

Last year, laundry was such a pain as it was in the basement of my building and required a trip down the elevator or lots of stairs. This year, it's conveniently on my floor of the sorority hall so I do it a lot more often that I used to. If I have a bit more time, I'll throw my stuff in the washer so I have clean clothes or sheets!

workout

Even though working out itself isn't exactly a productive task, I feel so much more productive on the days that I make it to the gym. Dedicating a hour or even less that can have such a big difference in your day (something I need to remember as it's been a while since I've hit the gym haha!).

deep clean your room

For some reason cleaning makes me feel really productive so I try to keep my room tidy and clean for the most part. I usually "deep clean" my room once a week and by that I mean vacuum, clean the sink in my room, windex the mirrors, dust, and then wipe everything down with a Clorox wipe. This usually takes way less than a hour but it definitely makes such a difference as your room is so much cleaner and ready for you to be productive in (I hate working in a messy space).

run an errand
60 minutes isn't a ton of time but it's usually enough to cross one errand off of your to-do list. Whether it's running to the grocery store or dropping a package off at the post office, this is a good use of your time as I know usually these are tasks you put off as they take longer.

What are some of your favorite ways to be productive in a short span of time? Let me know in the comments!