3 Ways to Simplify Your Life

Is your life chaotic? Do you always seem to have more things to do than time in the day? You are not alone. Despite the technology that is supposed to make life easier and simpler for us, we are busier than ever. So how can we simplify our lives?  It all boils down to 3 things that we can do to lighten our load.

• • Delegate: Yes, delegate. Simply put, let others do it. I am not saying just give everything over to someone else to do. First off, you’d likely have resistance from others. Second, you do need to do somethings yourself.  Here is an example of how to effectively delegate. Let’s say you have a list of jobs that need to be done around the house. Laundry, dishes, organizing a closet, lawn mowing, weed pulling, dog walking, etc.  Think about the others that live in your house. Figure out which of these jobs they would likely do to your satisfaction (or at least good enough).  Assign them this job. Maybe your teenage son is a capable lawn mower or dog walker. Give him those jobs. Or your daughter can easily weed pull or do a couple loads of laundry. Maybe your spouse can walk the dog and do the dishes.  This helps to free up your time. You may find your family resistant to this at first. Change is hard but if you have help at home, use it.  This idea is great if you have others living in your home. However, if you live alone, consider hiring someone to do some of these things for you if your budget allows.

• • Organize Your Day. Make a schedule. Figure out if you want to do this daily, nightly or even weekly.  Try to plan your day in advance to accommodate everything you need to do. Make a list of what needs to be done. Do this on an app on your phone or old school, pen and paper. You can check off items as you do them. It’ll help you feel accomplished and keep you motivated to finish strong. This can work for your personal and professional life.

• • Just Say No. That’s right. Say no. This is a skill that for some, has to be honed. Often times, we have a hard time turning someone down when they ask us to do something for them. Join a group, stay late at work, carpool kids to soccer practice, run errands for someone else, buy something the neighbor kid is selling. Meet a friend for lunch.  It really is okay to say NO.  You don’t have to over schedule yourself. I am not saying to just cut everything out of your life, but you need to prioritize. Will meeting your friend for lunch be a positive thing for you overall? If this person is someone you enjoy hanging out with, the answer is likely yes. Will staying late at work for several nights be a good thing for you? Sure, you’ll get extra cash and maybe stay on your boss’s good side, but will your boss then assume you will stay every time you are asked? Will it interfere with your family time? Maybe. So prioritize and say no when you can, if you need to.

  Being mindful of your time can help you to get back to basics.  You need to take care of your physical and emotional health before helping anyone else. I am not saying you should shirk your responsibilities, but  just that you don’t have to be superwoman or superman. Give yourself a break. The overall message is prioritize. If you need a break, you can delegate, organize or just say no. 

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