Ditch the overwhelm. Learn how to manage your home in 5–20 minute increments with cheerful consistency and a mindset shift from perfectionism
We often think we need a full afternoon—or an entire weekend—to get our homes in order. But when you’re managing a full life with kids, appointments, interruptions, and responsibilities, those large chunks of time rarely happen. What if, instead of waiting for the perfect day to overhaul the house, we embraced the little bits of time we actually have?
Recently, I spoke with Erika Macartney, a homeschooling mom of three and Convivial Circle member, about what she’s learned through years of managing her home, homeschooling, and staying involved in her church and community.
She shared how she has stopped trying to overhaul everything at once. Instead, she now maintains her home in 5–20 minute increments.
Let’s explore what that looks like in practice.
The problem with project-thinking
We often fall into the trap of thinking our house is a project to finish. We create chore charts, schedules, or room zones and assign them a block of time we think they need—30, 45, even 60 minutes or more. However, when that block of time gets eaten up by a toddler meltdown, a grocery run, or just normal life, we tend not to adjust the plan, but rather abandon the plan.
Erika realized her zone cleaning plan looked good on paper, but didn't work in reality. She kept assigning herself Wednesdays for one room, but it never happened. Life got in the way.
Eventually, she realized: I can maintain in five to twenty minute increments. I cannot maintain with big mountain-peak overhauls followed by long valleys of letting it all go.
This shift from project-thinking to maintenance-thinking is what keeps the house functional and the homemaker sane.
10 minutes can be more powerful than you think
So often we overestimate how long something will take. Erika shared how she assumed a task will take ten minutes—only to discover it took three. Likewise, a quick tidy-up while reheating coffee resulted in more progress than she ever expected.
When we practice doing small tasks consistently, we learn the real time costs of our routines. We get faster. We build momentum. And we start seeing that 10 minutes is enough to make a difference.
The key is doing what we can, not waiting for time to do everything all at once.
Don’t rely on the list—or your mood
We all struggle with a tension between our lists and moods.
If we rely solely on lists, we can become rigid and frustrated. If we rely solely on mood, we’ll likely avoid what needs to be done. A sustainable approach means respecting both our energy levels and our responsibilities.
Instead of sticking to a fixed schedule, Erica glances at what needs attention and asks, “What can I do in the time I have with the energy I have?” Some days, a list helps her focus. Other days, she simply chooses one obvious thing. But she stays engaged with her home, not checked out.
Treat your home like a relationship
During our talk, Erika said something that stopped me in my tracks: “It’s like we have a relationship with our house.”
Yes.
Our home isn’t a machine to be optimized or a project to be completed. It’s the setting for our lives—where people are growing, changing, learning, and living.
When we try to automate everything or perfect it, we treat our homes impersonally. But when we show up, pay attention, and take responsibility, we are loving our people by caring for the environment we all share.
Progress builds confidence
Erika shared that this shift—from big overhauls to small, steady maintenance—gave her more confidence. She’s no longer overwhelmed when guests are coming. She doesn’t dread the aftermath. She knows how to recover. She’s practiced it.
That confidence didn’t come from a perfect checklist. It came from practice and repentance, from paying attention and adjusting, from doing the next right thing, five minutes at a time.
Start your own 5–20 minute plan
If you’re ready to drop the perfectionism and build a sustainable home routine, I created a free resource to help: The Personalized Cleaning Plan Guide.
It walks you through setting up a zone rotation and daily maintenance plan that fits your house, your life, and your real schedule.
Let’s be women who manage our homes with joyful attention and cheerful diligence—not frustration and guilt.
After all, loving what must be done starts with doing what we can, where we are, with what we have.
Related posts
Written by
