Organizational inertia is that “stuck” feeling most people get when they think about an organizational task they have yet to do, like cleaning out a messy closet or getting ahead of hectic schedules. Until you start, the mere thought of the energy and time required to deal with a task is paralyzing. So you procrastinate.

Happily, breaking through to get momentum working in your favor is actually easier than you might think. All you need is five minutes – you can get much more crossed off your list in five minutes than you might think.

Here are 10 thought starters for you.

1 Make a dent on your closet: Start by getting rid of dry-cleaner bags and setting orphan hangers aside to recycle with your dry cleaner.

2 Fold lingering laundry: If you’ve got a basket waiting, or a bunch of items in the dryer, tackle them. Just be sure to set your timer for five minutes – somehow folding this way unleashes your inner “beat the clock” competitor.

3 Pay bills online: Most banks offer very streamlined online bill-payment systems, which make crossing a payment off your list as easy as one or two points and clicks.

4 Make a meal plan: Make a menu plan for the next two or three days. 5 Tackle a junk drawer: If you haven’t touched an item in it within 12 months, don’t let it paralyze you. Simply get rid of it or recycle it.

6 Get your priorities straight: Write down your top priorities for the day or week ahead and schedule them. A great way to get in the five-minute habit of doing this is to sit down with a structured notepad each morning before you open your computer to check emails.

7 Toss/recycle your junk mail: All in, it takes probably two minutes to cycle through a stack while standing over the recycle bin. While you’re at it, get on the do-not-mail list via updater.com.

8 Give your car a pit-stop clean: Pull into a gas station. Take all of the trash out of your car and toss.

9 Prepare for your next errand run: Map your errands on a note pad before running them so that you get this week’s done more efficiently and spend less while you’re at it because you have a list.

10 Schedule a donation pickup: Log on to scheduleapickup.com to schedule a pick up of items you want to donate, from clothes to furniture.