So, a big part of this whole game is to get into the habit of doing things in such a way that it becomes easy, routine and fun. It’s a big ask, but it’ll pay off. The key to making a habit of things is just to do them over and over until it becomes just part of “the way you do things” – so fully integrated into your routine that you don’t even think about it, it’s just part of your own personal culture. I’ve got ideas for what I;m going to call the “59-Second Fixes”. These are going to be a set of habits that you can integrate into your life in less than a minute, that will go on to make a huge difference. Yesterday you probably spent ages cleaning your toilet. As of today you’re never going to spend more than a minute cleaning it again.
Setup Mission 12 : Start your habits page in your notebook and commit to the 59-second toilet fixing habit
Completion Points : 10
Turn to the back end of your notebook. So far you’ve used 5 pages back there for your crunch time checklists. Turn to the next available page and head it “Habits”. This page is only going to be used to write down habits that you truly, in your heart of hearts, promise to stick to. Don’t write anything in there without thinking it through and properly committing. Of course, we all slip and you shouldn’t ever beat yourself up about it, but you should always be intending to stick to these as it’ll make your life so much easier. Any you don’t agree with or like as we go along, just don’t write them in.
Underneath your header, write down the habits you’ve already agreed to:
- Turn off my screens and lights and go to bed on time
- Get up with my alarm
- Complete my 5 daily crunch time checklists
- Follow my schedule
And then, we’re going to add in the first 59-second fix, which is to clean the toilet every time you use it. Now, before you tell me that sounds like loads of unnecessary work and hassle, hear me out… I guess yesterday’s scrubbing was time-consuming and not a great deal of fun. You’re never going to need to do that again if you spend less than a minute cleaning it every time you go. Here’s what you’ll do:
- After flushing, send the toilet brush quickly around the bowl and under the rim. This should take a few seconds, since it’s only been gathering mess for a matter of hours at most.
- Now grab a square or two of toilet paper and run it across the top and sides of the cistern, around the outside of the bowl and along behind the seat. Use a moist cloth or flushable wipe to wipe down both sides of the seat and lid.
- Dispose of any rubbish generated.
- Run some cleaner around the bowl to soak in if you want.
If that takes longer than 59 seconds, you’re doing it wrong!
By the way , if you have more than one toilet, just make sure you alternate which one you use when you need to go. And if you’re still thinking “it’s someone else’s job” – look back at setup mission 11 and change your mind!
Life Game 101 