5 Effective Life Hacks To Simplify EVERYTHING!
Life is crazy busy all the time and it can be hard to figure out how you will even start to simplify it. Trust me, I know. I’m a long time minimalist and I’m great at saying no to the unnecessary or extra and sometimes life still gets overwhelming. What do I do then? Lean into the life hacks that work!
Do Life Hacks Really Work?
Now you may be asking; Is this really ANOTHER stupid life hacks post? Do those ever really work?
I understand!
I’ve seen a million cleaning tips that are bogus, hundreds of cooking videos on Instagram that would never work, and loads of click bait articles promising that a simple vitamin will change your whole life. Those are all called life hacks but they aren’t all high quality or even based in reality.
On the other hand, quality life hacks, things that really work, should be time tested. They should actually save time, money, and energy! Why? Because you have better things to do than chores and if I have one message I will die declaring it is this: Everyone should have time to pursue interesting hobbies and goals. Noone should die having done nothing but work and chores.
Whenever I wear a dress or jewelry I have made people say; “I would like to do that but I just don’t have the time.” and yet I own two businesses and volunteer fifteen hours a week. How do I find the time? By finding life hacks to simplify everything as much as possible! What are those high quality, time tested life hacks?
Let’s dig in!
5 Legit Life Hacks to Simplify Everything!
In this article you are going to learn the value of five amazing life hacks that I have used for years! What are they?
- Meal plan and use grocery delivery services.
- Hire a cleaner or clean in less time.
- Make boring chores fun and less overwhelming with systems.
- Use a planner to stay on top of everything.
- Learn how to harness habits and microtasking.
It sounds more complicated than it is! Stick with me because by the end of this article your whole life will change!
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1: Life Hacks for Meal Planning & Grocery Delivery
I think you can agree that one of the biggest things we spend time on is food. We have to buy food, prep food, and eat food all the time! Sometimes I can’t believe that my husband wants to eat again! I mean, so do I but I just don’t want to have to do the work.
So how can we make this whole food thing easier? How can we eat healthy nutritious food without feeling stuck in a constant cycle of chopping, cleaning, shopping, and anxiety? By following two easy steps you can do in your pajamas!
Step one: Create a meal plan each week. Think about what you will make for dinner each night, what you want to have around for breakfasts and lunches and write it all down.
Step two: Use a grocery delivery or pickup service! I use Walmart+ a lot but many stores offer this service now. Don’t hesitate to try it! You will love grocery pickup because it saves sooo much time! It’s also easier to stay on budget when you can see the cart tally as you go.
I know this is one of those life hacks that seems overrated but it totally isn’t! Without meal planning you will constantly be worried about what to make for dinner, running by the store at the last minute, and picking up expensive take out. With meal planning you will always have what you need and your dinners will be delicious and healthy without breaking the bank!
2: Get Help With Cleaning
Life hacks often involve hiring services. Some services are worth it and some aren’t. I wouldn’t use a meal delivery service or a laundry service personally but a cleaning service…that is worth it!
I may be biased because I’m a cleaning lady but I know that once I start working for someone I work for them for years. I also know that when I miss a week they can’t wait to have me back. Why? Because cleaning your house is very time consuming and hard work. In fact it’s so time consuming it can be hard to fit it into a full time schedule.
But aren’t cleaning services expensive? You would be surprised! You can easily afford for someone to clean your home a couple times a month if you drop your daily Starbucks, pack a lunch, or skip your manicure. Think about it. Which is a bigger treat? Sugary coffee or a clean house?
If you really don’t want to do that you can clean your house a little bit each day with a daily cleaning schedule instead. Or you can encourage an atmosphere of family teamwork. There is nothing wrong with asking for help!
3: Create Systems that Automate Boring Chores
The next of the life hacks I’ve learned is to create systems. I learned about systems from Tanya Dalton in her book The Joy of Missing Out. Systems are things you do the same way every single time so that they no longer feel like a chore but are instead a habit.
For example, I have a laundry system and I do it the same way every time because if I don’t laundry can easily become an overwhelming ball of procrastination and self-loathing. What is my laundry system? Well, I always put my non-wrinkly less nice clothes in first, then I do my nice clothes last so that I can pull them out and hang them up right away. At that time I get my headphones and my audiobook, I tell my family I’m folding clothes for awhile and I don’t come out till it’s done. I don’t consider laundry done till everything is folded and put away.
If I had kids I would make them put their clothes away and fold them when age appropriate.
The beauty of my laundry system is it helps me get it done and it also turns it into “me time”. I don’t get overwhelmed because I stay on schedule, the same day every week, and I don’t loath it because I have my book to listen to!
What else can you create systems for? Almost anything! You could pay the bills on the same day every month with a cup of tea at your computer, you could mow the lawn every weekend and call it your exercise for the day, you could set a timer and throw on some happy music every time you do the dishes.
The thing about systems is you still have to do the work but because you make it habitual you don’t procrastinate until the problem is bigger and because you make it a little bit fun you don’t hate it as much.
4: Plan It!
The next, best of all life hacks that will simplify everything, is the simple act of using a planner! Why? Because we all have busy lives full of changing elements! Why would we trust our overwhelmed brains to remember everything?
You may think that your phone is enough and maybe you are better at managing your electronic calendar than I am but to me, there’s something special about laying out my week and being able to see it all at a glance. It’s easier to add small tasks and move appointments around.
A paper planner helps me track my exercise, my diet, my personal growth habits, income, and more. I even use it as a sort of mini journal. Using a planner has changed my life by reducing the stress of trying to remember and juggle everything while also building my self esteem as I see all the things I’m able to achieve in a day! There is nothing more satisfying than checking off a task!
And remember what I said about doing more with your life than work and chores? Remember how I said that everyone should have time for fun hobbies and creative interests? Well, how are you going to do anything fun unless you plan it? Yes! Make time for fun and interesting growth projects! When you have a planner you can find those tiny pockets of time to make it happen.
5: Microtasking & Habit Stacking
And that brings me to the last of my top five life hacks! Tiny pockets of time don’t have to be used doom scrolling, watching junk tv, or even gossiping on the phone with a friend. Those tiny pockets of time can be used to change your life!
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that atomic (tiny) habits can be powerful and you can build these tiny habits by stacking them against things you already do.
For example, I’ve wanted to learn Spanish forever so I stacked my Duolingo habit against my morning coffee habit! I’ve been learning Spanish (and other languages for various trips) for over four years without missing one day!
Another way to use tiny pockets of time is microtasking. One example of this is when you decide to put something away instead of setting it down. In fact, if something will take less than a minute to do you should always do it right away.This could mean washing a dish or putting away a pair of jeans or sorting the mail.
You can also microtask your hobbies! Instead of finding huge chunks of time to do your favorite creative hobby just do one step when you have time for it.
For example, if I have fifteen minutes I might just insert a zipper or sew a hem on my current sewing project. Almost all my writing happens in 10-20 minute increments.
What is your hobby? How could you break it up into micro tasks? Maybe the key to doing it more often (or at all) is fitting it into your life instead of trying to fit your life around it.
Use These Quality Life Hacks to Simplify EVERYTHING!
What did I say? Didn’t I promise you quality life hacks? I know that if you apply these life hacks you will find minutes if not hours opening up in your life! I know that your household chores will become more manageable and you will start opening up time for more fulfilling growth! I can’t wait to see the you that you will become in the next year!
The ultimate of all life hacks is really all about simplicity! In fact, embracing the minimalist lifestyle is all about getting the most out of life by clearing out the things that don’t matter!
How can you embrace the minimalist lifestyle though? Does it sound overwhelming? Don’t worry! It really isn’t that hard. I wrote a book to get help you simplify your home, your chores and even your goals so you can live the life you have always dreamed of. It’s called Doable Simplicity (minimalism for normal people) because simplifying shouldn’t be complicated and it really isn’t. Grab your copy today!
