Living Simply: 5 minute increments

I hear busy young adults say they don't have "time" to become minimalists or live simply. They say they would have to have an entire weekend off just to clean out their bedroom closet, another weekend for the kitchen and living room, and even more time off from school, work, and other obligations just to get to a good starting point. Is it me or does that sound crazy? You have so much stuff you can't even throw it out without days to plan for it? You would need weeks to go through all the stuff you have around your home? To me it sounds like too much stuff - but I'm not here to tell anyone how to live - just to offer help for those who WANT to make changes. Here's a question to those young adults: How much time are you actually using or enjoying all those things you don't have time for now?

Today I'll give you some things you can do in 5 minute increments throughout your day, throughout your week, and throughout your month, that over time can add up to much more simplicity than you'd expect.

Daily:

5 minutes of stretching
5 minutes to eat breakfast at home, even if it's instant oatmeal, toast, fruit and yogurt, a smoothie...
     (if you don't, you'll be more tempted to eat junk food or skip breakfast & over eat at lunch)
5 minutes to just breathe before you take your first step out of bed
5 minutes to plan your day's most important things, or maybe just 5 minutes to glance at a planner
5 minutes to take the stairs, or park a little further away, to work in some quick "extra" exercise

Weekly:

5 minutes to toss out junk mail, old magazines, stacks of papers, just a quick sweep through your
     office, living room, or kitchen counter
5 minutes to plan a few meals cooked at home or 5 minutes to pack a lunch of leftovers saving money
5 minutes to message a friend/relative/neighbor who may be lonely, just let them know you're
     thinking of them
5 minutes to do something nice for someone: carry groceries for a neighbor, hold the door open for
     someone, thank the janitor for what they do, encourage someone who needs it, etc.
5 minutes to make plans to do something you've been putting off that's fun - plan a day with friends,
     make reservations for dinner out, plan a friends game night, plan a quick weekend getaway

Monthly:

5 minutes to go through an area looking for unused things to toss or donate. This could be in your
     closet, movie or book collection, kitchen dishes/utensils, shoes & purses & belts, extra stuff in
     the linen closet, old makeup/perfume/lotions, anything that needs cleaning up
5 minutes to straighten out that one area that always gets cluttered: entryway, counters, desk, etc.
5 minutes to just think about if there's a new hobby or class you'd like to take on
5 minutes to consider if you should cancel plans/meetings that you really don't want nor need to do
5 minutes to think about how your health is doing and what changes need to be made