Feel overwhelmed with all the demands of daily living? Feel like you are behind before you even started your day?
You are not alone. But there are ways to simplify your life to make the everyday feel easier and more manageable.
It starts with building systems.
If you have dived into the world of productivity, you have probably heard a lot of talk about building systems. Most often the advice is geared toward business and achieving your goals. But you can also use systems in your everyday life.
What does “system” even mean?
Let’s break down what “system” actually means.
A system is a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized framework or method.
I’m sure you’ve come across SOPs or processes at work. They take you along a path from beginning to end in order to accomplish the outcome you seek.
Well, your everyday life can use the same type of principles.
First, identify all your tasks, chores and responsibilities you have in a day and in the week. Write it all down in two columns with the headers Daily Responsibilities and Weekly Responsibilities.
Second, highlight the ones you struggle with the most and that you dislike doing the most.
Now, let’s go through that list and answer these questions:
- What can I delegate? Why do I have to be the person that does this chore/task?
- Why am I struggling with this task or why do I hate doing it?
- Can I find another way of doing this task?
- Are there tasks I can do while I am waiting for something else, like empty out the dishwasher while I wait for the pasta water to boil.
- Are there tasks that make more sense to do right after one another that I’m not doing now?
The systems are not going to happen in an instance. It will take some trial and error and experimenting with different ways and methods to see what works and what doesn’t for you.
Ways to build systems
For example, I hate ironing, so I don’t buy clothes that require ironing. Sure, if it is for a special occasion, then no problem, but I will not stand and iron after each wash. I also make sure to take the clothes out of the dryer as soon as they are done and hang or fold them right away to minimizes wrinkling. That is a system that works really well for me.
Another chore I “delegated” is mowing the lawn. After years of hesitating, because I was feeling guilty about spending money to pay someone to take care of my lawn, I finally said “to heck with it”. It was taking up way too much of my precious time and energy. After every time I finished mowing the lawn and weed whacking all the edges, I was basically beat for the rest of the day.
That was one of my best decisions and worth every penny. It is also a great system for freeing up more of my valuable time.
Where do I start?
Start with areas that take the most time and energy from your day or week.
I happen to like going grocery shopping, but I know people who cannot stand it. One lady told me she hates grocery shopping and happily pays the extra it costs to have a delivery service do the shopping for her. But if you don’t want to pay the extra money to do so, maybe your significant other, if you have one, could do it instead. Maybe you could trade chores or even do them together if that makes it faster, easier, and more pleasant.
Other ideas to make chores more fun:
- Make laundry day into a family pizza night or game night. Make it into a fun evening instead of something to dread.
- Play music while you mop the floors.
- Listen to a book or a podcast while folding the laundry or while commuting.
I use Thursdays as my preparing-for-the-weekend day where I reset my house as much as possible to free up time on the weekend. I do the majority of my laundry and cleaning on Thursdays. Because I frame it as reset day so I can get more free time on weekends, I actually don’t mind it at all and feel satisfaction from finishing as many tasks as possible.
Build systems that make your day flow while removing friction. Also, small daily resets prevent overwhelm from building over time.
Using the right tools for the job
Using the right products and tools for the job will make all the difference as well.
For example:
- High ceiling cobweb brush with extension pole to get pesky cobweb off your high ceilings or when you just can’t reach them with your vacuum without breaking your back.
- Damp microfiber cloths to help trap the dust particles instead of spreading them around.
- Lighter and easier-to-handle vacuum to alleviate shoulder and back pain.
- Get a Robovac to handle the everyday dust and pet hair while you focus on the rugs.
- An electric spin scrubber to help clean the bathtub and shower make this tedious task much easier. Your shoulders and back will thank you.
- Weed remover tool – cannot believe I didn’t know about this tool sooner.
- Investing in a robotic lawn mower, though pricey, could save you some valuable time and an alternative to hiring a mowing service.
Other tips to lessen your burden on housework:
- Purge and organize your house. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to find things causing less friction and less things to clean and maintain. Create realistic organizational systems that are easier to maintain consistently.
- Enforce a no-shoe policy inside the house. In Sweden and Japan people take off their shoes at the front door to keep the dirt, pollen, and chemicals from being tracked into the house.
- If you have pets, make a point of grooming to reduce hair and dander. I have cats and it makes a big difference in how much hair they shed.
- Spray down your shower with a non-toxic cleaning solution and let it sit and do its job while you go about your business. Come back later to rinse it off and you lessen how often you have to deep clean.
- Let everyone handle their own laundry. You are not the maid.
In Conclusion:
It’s all about finding ways to simplifying your life.
Build systems that alleviate friction and effort, saves your energy, works for you, your family, and how you want to live.
Create realistic organizational systems and routines that are easier to maintain consistently.
Of course, we can’t make everything completely effortless and painless, but we can make it a lot more efficient, fun, and time saving so you can spend more time doing the things you love.
What system are you going to put in place? Love to hear your ideas in the comments below.