4 Things that Don't Make Life Easier, and 4 Things that Really Will
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We all want to have time to relax and enjoy life, but work, laundry, cleaning, and cooking still have to get done. I'm really thankful for my dishwasher and in-house laundry room, but there are some elements of modern life that promise more ease and don't deliver it. So how can we tell the difference? What are some things that are really stealing our time and/or money, and what are some practices than can actually save them?
4 things that don't simplify life
1. Your phone
We all know this. We know our phones are time sucks, yet we don't put them down.
When I was a kid, if someone needed to contact my parents, they called our land line. Usually, someone was home and would answer, and either get my mom or dad or take a message. (No, we didn't even have message machines when I was young.) If no one answered, the caller would try again later. Pretty soon, they got through, the issue was discussed, and the problem solved. No one died if this process took a day or two.
Today, we're supposed to be available 24/7/365, or we're expected to get back to whomever within minutes. No wonder we feel harassed!
Now, I love being able to research a subject when a question occurs. I love being able to read a book or listen to music through an app, or shoot a quick text to a friend (including a picture, if I so desire).
But how often have I lost time watching videos, scrolling through news stories (which all eventually turn to click bait), or been tempted to buy something I don't need because online shopping is just so quick and easy! And how often does a game or a series of videos interrupt the time I could spend with real people doing real things?
If you want to simplify your life, you have to seriously consider how you use your phone.
2. Single-use gadgets
There are gadgets for almost any task. This one will mince your garlic. That one will slice your apples. Another one will massage your face. And a magic doohicky will practically clean your shower for you!
We buy the gadgets, and do they change our lives? Or do they wind up in the back of a cupboard or junk drawer?
Most of the time, single-use gadgets waste money and create clutter. They don't simplify our lives. Usually, your old way of doing things is just as good (or better), and for some jobs there just isn't a magic, easy, no-effort method.
Instead, choose good tools that will work for many jobs and invest in them.
3. Disposable items
Is it easier to use paper plates and plastic cups than it is to wash dishes? Easier to buy a pallet of water bottles instead of refilling a cup or reusable bottle? Easier to buy cheap fast fashion and throw it away after a couple of wears rather than going through the "hassle" of laundering it?
Washing a few plates or hanging a blouse to dry doesn't take as much effort as we think.
Exactly what are we saving all of this time and effort for? Are we more creative and more productive than our ancestors? Do we use our leisure time more profitably? And does all of this so-called convenience do our wallets or the planet any favors? I don't think so.
We really need to rethink our habits of using Ziploc bags, paper towels, and disposable mops instead of reusable storage containers, wash cloths, and cleaning rags.
4. Services
We live in a consumer society that is driven by spending. Minimalism challenges that pattern and messes it up. So some retailers have gotten tricky and started selling services that will supposedly simplify your life. They're meant to appeal to minimalists by promising them more ease and less work.
It's important to be thoughtful about this, because you could easily spend a fortune on these services. Maybe hiring someone to mow your lawn would be very helpful to you, but do you also need someone to scoop up your dog doo? Mowing can take an hour or more (though it can be good exercise if you use a push machine), but scooping takes a few minutes. Is it worth the cost of the service?
How about subscription boxes? Do you need new clothes, makeup, and toys every month? Or even new books? (The library is there... just sayin'.) Or meal delivery, instead of going to pick up your own takeout? Even meal prep boxes are questionable when you compare their cost (and packaging) to preparing your own simple meals from grocery ingredients.
If you're going to have to work longer hours to pay for the services you buy, are they really saving you time?
4 things that really will simplify life
1. Clean as you go.
A clean house is a treat. But if you don't want to hire a service to do it for you, you may sometimes feel overwhelmed with doing the entire job at once. That's why I do a little bit of cleaning each day, and I also clean as I'm doing other tasks.
I have a simple, weekly schedule that keeps me on top of basic cleaning chores, and I think it would work for anyone. It alternates jobs that require more scrubbing with less-intense tasks.
- Monday – laundry
- Tuesday – dusting
- Wednesday – kitchen
- Thursday – sweep/mop and/or vacuum
- Friday – tidy and declutter
- Saturday – bathroom(s)
I clean the oven once a month during the months I use it (I never turn it on in the summer). With laundry, I do the nicer clothes first, so I can pay more attention to their drying times while the non-wrinkly, less-nice clothes are in the washer. I hang nicer things up while they're still a bit damp, and I almost never have to iron anything. Then I put the less-nice clothes in the dryer, and simply make sure I fold and put them away before I go to bed.
I also clean while I'm doing other tasks. For example, I clean the shower while I'm in it. While coffee brews, I empty the dishwasher and put clean items away. When I'm cooking, if I spill something, I clean it up right away. While something simmers or bakes, I wash the utensils and other things I've already used, so there won't be so much to clean up after we eat.
2. Microtask.
My dad always said, "If it only takes a minute, do it now," and even though it really annoyed me when I was a kid, I took it to heart when my own children were small.
So instead of letting all of those little chores like sorting the mail, hanging up your jacket, or putting your breakfast dishes in the dishwasher pile up and make a huge mess, just do them right away. They only take a minute (or even less), and keep your space pile-free and more pleasant to live in.
Teach your children to do the same, and you won't have every single toy they own left to put away at the end of the day!
Today, when we have tiny pockets of time, we turn to our phones for distraction. Instead, use those little moments to make life easier. And if your free pocket is 10-15 minutes long, use it to read a few pages in your book, write a few sentences in your journal, or make some small progress on your hobby. You could crochet a couple of rows, fill a few squares in your crossword puzzle, play a few scales and practice that hard part on your flute, or do a few stretches or bodyweight exercises.
3. Structure your meals.
We have to buy food, prepare food, and clean up over and over. It's a big, necessary part of life that takes a lot of time and effort. You can simplify the process by limiting variety, planning your meals, and making a grocery list.
Choose just two options for breakfast, two or three options for lunch, and a half-dozen dinner alternatives that can be rotated through the week (with one night for leftovers or takeout). Make a list of ingredients for all of those meals, with a checkbox next to each. Make several copies of the list, and simply check off what you're running low on each week. Voila... automatic grocery list!
We don't eat as many different dishes as we think we do, and admitting that fact will let you simplify meal prep and save time and money, reduce decision fatigue, cut down on waste, and make it easier to stick with a healthy diet.
Instead of wondering what to fix for dinner, running to the grocery store at the last minute, or resorting to expensive takeout, simplify this basic need and make your everyday life better.
Related article: Why You Should Embrace a Diet of Less Variety
4. Use a planner.
We all have busy lives full of changing elements. It's impossible to just remember everything!
Now, maybe you're better at managing your electronic calendar than I am, but there's something about laying out your week and being able to see it all at a glance that is really helpful. It's easier to add small tasks and change appointments as necessary. You have fewer rings, dings, or buzzes that may just get ignored. And there's something satisfying about checking off a task as you do it.
A paper planner lets you manage chores and appointment, birthdays and other celebrations, exercise, diet, budget, habits, and anything else you want to use it for. It's a roadmap for each day that helps you be prepared, and also boosts your confidence as you see how much you actually accomplish.
Be smarter
Instead of going with what everyone else does and wind up actually complicating your life, incorporate some better ideas that will save you time, money, and aggravation.
Our society bombards us with messages about how we need this or that product to find happiness. Pretty soon, a different message says that now with need this other, newer, supposedly better thing to be really happy. And that pursuit never ends.
My book, The Daily Minimalist, is packed with practical ideas and inspirations to help you be a rebel who challenges the more-is-always-better beliefs and values of our culture. Minimalism won't solve all of your problems, but it can give you the mindset and momentum to start tackling them yourself. Let The Daily Minimalist help you design a simpler, more satisfying life.
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