Photo courtesy of housebyhoff.com
I figured I would do this post because it’s the beginning of a new month and 2018 is right around the corner. Often times, at the start of a new year, we tell ourselves we’re going to start doing certain things differently. It’s not long before we fall back into the same routine. I personally strive for happiness and peace of mind and tell myself everything else will fall into place. There’s a lot going on in the world these days and it can be daunting managing a hectic work load, family life and personal endeavors. Here are seven tips that I can assure you, will help you move in the direction of simplifying your life right now.
1. Get Organized
Being unorganized can be a huge time waster. I found some shocking statistics on Simply Orderly http://simplyorderly.com/surprising-statistics/:
-We spend six minutes on average looking for our keys in the morning.
-On average, Americans spend one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items.
-23% of adults pay bills late and incur late fees due to not being able to find the bill>span>
The point is, being unorganized wastes a significant amount of time and can lead to stress, late fees and more.
2. Declutter
This of course goes hand in hand with getting organized. Throw out or donate items that you no longer need or haven’t used in the past year. I usually donate clothes and shoes I no longer wear to Goodwill. Some pieces, I may even take to a consignment store.
Try taking photos of your receipts and then emailing them to yourself. There’s the Receipts Plus app https://itunes.apple.com/app/receipts-plus/id473494289 or you can try Receipts by Wave https://www.waveapps.com/receipts/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=US_AGT_DSA_2017&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg7HPBRDUARIsAMeR_0hA9pE_a7K2eARi_BKeMCbjtORJLsdh0FtK015c4_C_9VZMwR5KoOEaAiUTEALw_wcB.
Up until recently, I would save all of my receipts thinking I’ll need it for later on. The receipts would accumulate in my purse and then I would eventually transfer them to a shoebox or organizer. Before you know it, there are shoeboxes, bags and office organizers stuffed with old receipts and several months (or years) worth of bills. Simply declutter and downsize. A larger home is going to take more time to clean than a smaller home because there are more rooms. Declutter on a regular basis. It will free up space and save you time looking for things.
3. Create Reminders In Your Phone’s Calendar (or any calendar)
I’ve been doing this more lately. I especially find myself placing more reminders in my phone calendar. It really helps if you’re always on your phone anyway. I find that this especially helps with bill payment and Birthday reminders.
4. Become Debt-Free
Take steps toward being debt-free. Being in debt can cause a great amount of stress whether it’s student loans or hospital bills. Set a goal that you will track all finances for the month. Keep track of where your money is going and then figure out what you can cut back on in terms of spending.
5. Have a Positive Attitude
It’s really quite simple. If you find yourself thinking negatively, immediately direct your thoughts to being more positive. Being negative wastes time and pulls you down emotionally. Get into the habit of being more optimistic and positive. Positive thoughts also attract positive outcomes.
6. Limit Your Social Media
There’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat—oh my! Before you know it, you’ve spent half your day scrolling through timelines and liking photos. I’m all for staying in the loop and staying in touch but I also know how addictive social media can be. I am working on this myself—in terms of limiting my time on social media. It’s tough when you’re a writer/blogger though. It’s what we do—being in the know. However, when you limit your use of social media, you’ll see how much more time you have for other things.
7. Save More, Spend Less
Don’t spend money frivolously. Being financially challenged can cause a lot of stress and that’s when things become complicated. Buy things when you need them. Saving more and shopping and spending less is truly one of the main gems to living simply.