An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. — Benjamin Franklin

This is a familiar phrase, but what does it mean to you today?

There is truth in that statement, and we could come up with lots of examples from past experience. But often the realization comes after the fact…

Let’s take a few minutes for practical ways to save time and prevent headaches.

Cleaning
A daily routine of base tasks takes a few minutes but saves later when it’s time to deep clean. You won’t be as intimidated by the layers of grime that accumulate, and it won’t take as long to mop because you’ve swept the floor every day that week already. For instance, wiping down the kitchen counter after every meal only takes 1-2 minutes, but it prevents spills from hardening and staining, which saves elbow grease when you formally clean the kitchen.

Putting trash in a trash bag in the car as it appears only takes a few seconds, but the accumulation of trash in a vehicle after a week or two will be a full-blown task to clean-up.

Driving
You have 5 errands to run. Did you take a minute to think through your route before you left? It’s so easy to get 2 down and then realize that the 3rd was closer back a ways or closes in 5 minutes (when you’re 10 minutes away at a red light). Or the moment you realize that you just bought fresh meat and still have 2 stops you must make today… A couple minutes of planning as you pull out of the driveway can save time and gas and frustration.

Don’t be afraid to take a deep breath and make a plan for your next task. The minute or two invested will pay off very soon down the road.