How To Make Life Easier: 15 Simple Ways
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Life can get complicated fast. Especially these days. There seems to be a constant overwhelm of jam-packed schedules, having way too much stuff, and never taking out time to enjoy things. If there were just some way to make life easier…
Well, there are actually quite a few things you can do to make your life easier! I'm working on doing these things myself. So, let's dive into this terrific list of different things you can do to start making your life easier.
15 Simple Ways To Make Life Easier
If you are wondering how to make life easier, here are 15 simple ways that will help!
Make a simple weekly schedule
Is your schedule a free for all, or is your schedule so full you run out of lines in your planner for things? I ask as I slowly raise my hand…Well, it's time for us to make a simple weekly schedule!
Simplifying your schedule and prioritizing your tasks is one of the top ways to make your life easier. But how do you simplify your schedule and fit all those things in it?
Well, the truth is you probably can't fit everything you want to into your weekly schedule. However, you can learn how to get the more important things in there by using the rock, pebble, and sand method.
How the rock, pebble, sand method works
This simple method is based on the illustration of an empty cup and trying to fit all of the rocks, pebbles, and sand into it.
If you put the sand in first, aka the less important things, it fills up the cup, and there is no room for the more important things, aka the rocks.
BUT if you put the rocks in first, the pebbles and sand fill in around the rocks, and you are able to get everything into the cup. PRETTY COOL, HUH?
It's the same with your life or schedule. If you put the more important things first, the rest will fit. But if you are busy with unimportant things, it will suck up all of your time.
So the next time you are filling in your weekly schedule, block out the more important things first and fill in the rest around it.
Prioritizing your schedule with this method is a simple way how to make life easier.
2. Batch your tasks
What's another super simple way to make life easy? Batch your tasks. Batching tasks is when you block out a specific amount of time and batch similar tasks to work on in that time frame.
For instance, rather than responding to emails randomly throughout the day, you allot a 30-minute time limit and answer all of your messages at once.
This is a beloved tip by many Virtual Assistants because it helps them allocate their time more efficiently.
Batching tasks is one of the most productive things you can do with pretty much anything you're trying to get done.
Multitasking is a myth. In fact, studies show you actually lose productivity by multitasking. So focusing on one task at a time and batching the types of tasks your doing will make your life easier and increase your productivity.
3. Declutter your home & life
Decluttering your home is how to make life easier and less chaotic. Clutter is chaos and can cause stress, anxiety, and disorder. Trust me; I know all about being overwhelmed with clutter. So, make life easy and get rid of it!
To simplify the process, find a decluttering method you find easy, and use these decluttering questions to help. Finding a method that doesn't overwhelm you is the key to decluttering your life easily.
Grab the free decluttering Checklist below to get started!
4. Simplify your finances
Finances can be overwhelming. Especially if you have multiple credit cards, bank accounts, and loans. Of course, you need to have separate accounts for your business and personal accounts, but could you perhaps simplify your other accounts?
Rather than having ten credit cards, downsize it to three main cards you have. Then only use one and have the other two as backup cards.
The best thing to do is get out of debt asap, but if that’s a ways off you may want to make your life easier by consolidating your debt into one easy payment.
If you do decide to go that route, be sure that you do not get into a high-interest loan. Otherwise, you will end up paying way too much in interest.
One of the best ways you can simplify your finances is to automate everything—your savings, investments, and bills. Put them on auto-pilot, so you don't miss due dates and make your budget easier to manage.
5. Create a capsule wardrobe
If you spend too much time trying to get ready or have an abundance of clothing you don't really wear, then creating a capsule wardrobe will make life easier for you.
A capsule wardrobe is where you have a limited number of pieces that can be mixed and matched for a variety of outfits. These pieces are normally neutral colors that are a timeless, stylish look that you can wear for many different occasions.
You can jumpstart creating a capsule wardrobe by participating in the Project 333 challenge!
This challenge has you pick 33 items for your minimalist wardrobe and wear them for three months. (Creating various looks with just the 33 items)
This can make trying out a capsule wardrobe fun and help you test the waters first.
6. Downsize Your To-Do List
I am so guilty of having a mile-long To-Do list. It's ridiculous. Then if I don't get it all done, I feel guilty, lazy, and discouraged.
So, if you are the same way, let's try to downsize our To-Do list so we can actually tackle tasks without overwhelm.
You can have a running To-Do list, but pick three pick tasks a day from it and focus on those. This way, you don't feel overwhelmed, making your list much easier to get done.
7. Tidy your home daily
Tidying your home every day makes life easy. It prevents things like dishes, laundry, and clutter from piling up.
Have a daily cleaning list along with your weekly cleaning schedule. By keeping things under control every day, you will not have so much to do at the end of the work week.
So start tidying daily and grab the Simplicity & Sunshine Ultimate Planner Bundle that features a FREE CLEANING CHECKLIST!
8. Meal prep for the week
Meal prepping is a magical way to make life easier and saves you a ton of money. Eating out is expensive; I've wasted way too much money simply grabbing take-out instead of eating at home.
However, I'm not alone; the average U.S. household spends over $3,000 a year eating out!
Plus, you save time and aggravation by preparing your meals ahead of time. Meal prepping is when you cook a batch of meals for the entire week, so you don't have to cook much or at all throughout the week.
It's really nice to have your meals prepped and ready to go when you feel too tired to cook. Meal prepping will make your life easier whether you are single, a couple, or have a family.
9. Create a morning and evening routine
Having a morning and evening routine can make your life easier. It helps you establish good habits and stay on track for the day.
For instance, you could create a morning routine that includes waking up with a gentle yoga practice, journaling, and enjoying some delicious coffee while saying your positive affirmations.
You can also use your routines to take time out to practice mindfulness, enjoy a hobby, or incorporate a bit of Hygge into your day.
Try out a morning and evening routine, and you will see that it definitely makes life easier and much more enjoyable.
10. Identify stressors and get rid of them
Stress is known as the silent killer. It damages your emotional well-being, and chronic stress can also take a toll on your physical health. So, in this case, removing stressors not only makes life easier but is essential to your health!
Make a list of things that are stressing you out and make a plan on how to rid them from your life.
For example, is your job causing you too much stress, or are you overwhelmed with too much stuff?
Once you see what is creating your stress, you can plan accordingly on what to do to change it!
11. Set boundaries with others and yourself
Many feel guilty about setting boundaries, but it is necessary to make your life easier. It's easy to get caught up in trying to help people and put yourself on the backburner.
Or perhaps you are demanding too much of yourself. So you may also need to learn how to create boundaries for yourself too.
Once you learn how to set boundaries with friends, family, and yourself, it will get easier to do as you go.
12. Establish SMART Goals
It's wonderful to have big goals. You can make them easier to achieve by setting what are known as SMART Goals. SMART Goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
This method helps you be very specific about what you want to accomplish and gives you a goal deadline to keep you motivated!
So, rather than just making a goal of saving more money, you make it much more specific, list how you’re going to do it and by what date. For instance, perhaps you could say, “I want to save $20,000 in 3 years.”
Now you have a specified amount and a goal date. The next thing to do is to break that big goal down into achievable goals/steps to make it easier to achieve. It would look something like this… $20,000 divided by 36 months (3 years) is $555.56 a month.
Go further to make it more achievable by breaking it down into a weekly savings plan, which means you would save about $128.20 a week.
Focusing on that smaller number will help you stay motivated and help you accomplish your big SMART Goal!
13. Set time limits on social media and phone use
Setting limits on social media and phone usage is the secret to how to make life easier and stop wasting your precious time. These are time suckers and are massively distracting!
Don't believe me? The average American checks their phone 344 times a day, according to Reviews.org. That's once every four minutes!
The average daily social media usage is a whopping 2 hours and 27 minutes! Holy moly! Just think, that is a total of over 34 days a year. :( What could you do with an extra 34 days?
Start limiting your phone and social media use with screen-time apps or by using a good-old fashion timer.
It's tempting to spend more time than you should, and this will help remind you to take a break.
14. Slow down and simplify
I'm on a journey of simplifying and slowing down, and I highly recommend it. The transition may take some work, but the reward is so worth it.
Simplifying your life frees up time to do more of what you love.
Slowing down helps you appreciate the little things in life and take time for the more important things, such as spending time with your friends, family, and fur-babies.
Living in the moment helps you truly live your life rather than being preoccupied with other things. Check out my post "Why a Simple Life is a Happy Life" to get started!
15. Stop putting things off
This is hard to do, but if you learn to stop procrastinating and stop putting things off, it will make life easier in the long run. You won't have a mile-high list of unfinished tasks; you take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and get things done.
There's a quote by Mark Twain "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first."
Basically, it means to get the thing you are dreading the most done first, then it's done and over with. You will feel accomplished and spend less time worrying about it!
This can really help you quit procrastinating and achieve all those dreaded tasks.
Make life easier with these simple tips!
Life will always find a way to throw you curveballs, but you can make life easier with these simple tips. You can start with one and work through the list or try them all at once!
Whatever system works for you is the best one to use.
Remember to give yourself grace because even a good change takes time and effort. Ultimately, all that matters is you figure out what makes life easy for you.