The six words helping millions who struggle with cleaning and clutter to finally get things done

When Christi Newrutzen finally finished a dressing table restoration she'd put off for years, she had no idea it would end up transforming the lives of millions.

The 29-year-old started making TikTok videos in March 2025 and shared the process of the dressing table project from the perspective of how long to would take to do.

It inspired her to create a series called "How long does it actually take?" complete with microphone and sunglasses.

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The series and its signature six-word phrase soon went viral, and just as they started helping others they also helped Newrutzen to get things around her house done.

"I am 100 per cent a chronic procrastinator, and have always been a messy person but I have always strived to be clean and organised, I just never could get myself to do the things," she tells 9honey Living.

The first video from Newrutzen's 'How long does it actually take?' series to go viral was about cleaning the bottom section of her pantry, which she – like many people, this writer included – had been procrastinating on for a year.

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Since being posted to TikTok on March 27 it has had 8 million views and 1.3 million likes. The reaction to and appreciation for such relatable and motivational content took the student by surprise.

"I was unbelievably shocked at the response. I was genuinely freaking out and I'm still freaking out. I realised that this really hit a nerve with people. This is something that people everywhere really struggle with – it wasn't just me."

Newrutzen hasn't shied away from tackling things she feared she'd be judged for, like not seeing a dentist in three years because she'd been procrastinating on making the appointment.

But people couldn't have been kinder and were either in a similar situation or offered advice for making appointment scheduling easier.

"I was so afraid to post that one because I was sure that everyone was going to think I was disgusting and judge me hardcore," she admits.

"But no, I realised that so many people were the same and felt comfort from me showing them they weren't alone in this struggle. I knew I had found my people. I felt like I was truly helping people. From then on, I knew I had to keep posting and there was no way I was gonna stop."

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For proof the 'How long does it actually take?' videos are helping people, you only have to look at the comments on each of the posts.

The dentist appointment clip, which has had 3.8 million views, prompted one person to say, "No lie, whenever I have a chore to do I think "how long does it actually take?" You're saving lives."

A comment on the pantry clean out video reads, "Girl you just motivated me to clean out my closet while I cooked dinner. Took 10 minutes….10."

In the comments of the junk drawer declutter video, which has been viewed 3.7 million times so far, one said, "This series inspired me to clean under my bathroom sink that I haven't touched since I moved in 3 years ago. Took 10 minutes."

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And recently singer-songwriter Becca Hess posted a video on TikTok thanking Newrutzen for alerting her to the concept, which she says has "quite literally changed my life".

"I find myself cleaning things that take two minutes that have bothered me for four months," she said in the clip.

There were more than 580 comments in response to Hess' thank you post with most agreeing Newrutzen's videos have changed their lives.

"She has become my inner voice. Even when I throw a shirt on the bed. I say 'how long does it actually take' to put it on a hanger," one said.

"She's healed my brain," a woman commented.

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When asked why she thinks so many people have resonated with her TikTok series, Newrutzen believes it's because she is leading by example, not making people feel bad about their procrastination and showing them they're capable and that these tasks are doable.

"I also think my delivery resonates with people. I use deadpan humour and report the facts kind of like the news. I don't tell them about my emotions, my feelings, the backstory, or a lot of 'the fluff' around it. Then it becomes about the viewer's interpretation of it," she says.

"I also really try to make it fun for the viewer with my editing style, kind of like a fast-paced music video, so you are being inspired and entertained all at once."

It's likely that they discovered the same thing Newrutzen did when she started recording the series: that the effort of doing the tasks is less than the frustration caused by thinking about them.

"I think I realised time blindness is a real thing. I actually had no idea that these tasks that were weighing so heavily in my mind really don't take as long as I think, and even if they do I'm always so glad that I just did them at all," she explains.

"Sometimes the mental space the task takes up in our brains is far worse than the effort expended to actually do the task."

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Two tasks Newrutzen thought would be particularly time-consuming and exhausting were tidying her junk drawers – which she predicted would take an hour and only took 31 minutes – and her garage shelves – which was expected to take three hours and actually took one hour and eight minutes.

"After starting this series, I feel like I'm much more inclined to start tasks (even if they do end up taking longer) because through repetition I'm proving to myself that it's never as bad as I think it's going to be," she says.

So next time you're struggling to tackle some cleaning, DIY or decluttering around the house just ask yourself; "How long does this actually take?", and you might find yourself finished faster than you think.

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