When I get home from the grocery store I unpack the groceries right away.  It is important so the ice cream doesn’t melt, meat doesn’t spoil and vegetables stay fresh.  If I don’t do it, it’s an obvious waste of time and money, not to mention the lack of good food to eat.  I’ve learned to add the time it takes to unpack the groceries into planning how long the shopping trip will take.

Applying the concept of “unpacking the groceries” to every time I come home from any event helps to keep my house tidy and my stress level low.  Coming home from work: jacket gets hung, keys go in their bowl, purse set in it’s spot emptied of anything extra that was added in the day, lunch box is emptied, mail gets opened and sorted…  Then I can switch gears to the evening, if I’m lucky even relax a bit.  This “unpacking” usually takes less than 10 minutes, making my home less chaotic plus so much easier to find things and leave the house next time.

I don’t put everything all the way away every time.  There is a bin by the back door with stuff for the garage; I have a detached garage.  The action item mail, like bills, get put in the to do slot and the “to be filed” goes in the box on the shelf.  Things are in there place even if it’s only temporary.

Mealtime, playtime, even work time include “unpacking the groceries” in the form of dishes, clean up, and checking that you have the important bases covered.  Add that time into your planning…  A work meeting may only be 30 minutes but reserve at least 45 in your calendar giving yourself 15 extra to let the info soak in a bit, get rolling on tasks appointed, share info with appropriate people and/or add future reminders to your calendar.

A small investment of time can improve your quality of life in big ways.