I’m continuing updates on my yearlong project to spend 15-minues a day tackling projects.
Over 20 years in the house and there are many little (and big) things that need addressed.
Progress was captured in the January intention and the Q1 & Q2 summary posts.
While the goal started in the basement, it’s moved to several other locations.
Third Quarter Observations
The biggest observation this quarter is that the daily commitment to the project wavered.
The habit of 15-minutes a day wasn’t consistent.
Some days I would spend an hour or two. Some days no time at all.
While I thought that inconsistency and lack of commitment would show in a lower level of progress, reflecting for this post, I’m pleased with what was accomplished.
The Progress
At the end of Q2, my intention for the 3rd quarter was outdoor projects – garage and landscaping.
There was some progress made in these areas, but not even close to what I had hoped.
Instead, more work continued inside the house. Below are the headlines.
The Projects – Garage / Outdoors
The garage goal was a deep clean and purge. What it got was tidied up. This helped but wasn’t what I hoped. I’m not even going to show a photo because the change wasn’t that great.
Outdoors, there was a long list of projects – fix some erosion issues, new countertop in the bar area, refinish the deck, new wood on top of the retaining wall, remove an old spa.
Aside from pruning and landscape maintenance, the only progress was replacing the wood on the retaining wall. Here’s a photo of before, during and after.
The Projects – Closet Corner
Another project that came to life this quarter was turning a corner of my closet into a “workspace”.
When I do audio recordings, I like to do them from my closet where the clothes buffer echoes.
Eventually, I would like this to also be a space for making a video, but there is work to be done with the background to make this an option.
In addition to adding a table and some pictures, you can see a new rack for my nail polish. That was another project this month – moving them out of a box under the sink to a place where I can see them.
The Projects – Office Supplies
Our office supplies were in many different locations around the house – a credenza, a cabinet in the kitchen, the office, and miscellaneous locations in other rooms.
This quarter, I curated all the supplies, got rid of things we won’t use, and organized everything into the credenza so we now have one location for everything we need.
Below are two pictures. The credenza was a mess. So, this project also involved cleaning it out and starting over.
What’s Next
As we move into the 4th quarter, I’m working to get the daily 15-minute habit back.
My primary goals are working on the master bathroom, the plan is a set of DIY projects to give the space a facelift (not an overhaul). Another goal is to take on tiny “fixups” in various rooms – touchup paint, re-accessorize, etc.
Finally, I’m putting “the holidays” on the list. This will include decorating, sorting through & getting rid of unused decorations, and all the other prep. Maybe if this is done bit by bit it will seem less overwhelming.
Your Turn
Have you been focused on a 15-minute project this year?
As we move into the final quarter, are there projects you could tackle in 15 minutes?
How could you make the holidays less stressful by applying the 15-minute concept?