Make your life easier

Each month, I do an exercise where I list things that I want to get rid of, things I want more of, and things that would make my life easier. I learned about it from a life coach or teacher (I’m so sorry that I cannot remember his or her name for a proper attribute, but it may have been the lovely Amy Smith again) and it really helps to put things into perspective.

The number one item on my March list was to stick to my touch-once paper rule. (I know I wrote about breaking your own rules last week, and that still applies, but this is a good one!) I used to only allow paper to touch my hands once when it entered the house—whether it was a bill, junk mail, whatever—and then it went wherever it needed to go (recycling, filing, etc.). This year I’ve slowly broken the habit until I noticed piles of junk mail on the table, which irritates the heck out of me. So I’m going back to this rule for my own peace of mind.

I also ran across this really cool breakfast organizing station idea. I don’t need this in my home—I only have one child and we eat pretty leisurely together—but I think it would really help parents with multiples, whether you homeschool or not.

These tricks are not to open up time for other things; they are to help you relax and breathe more! As much as I love life hacks, I don’t like the idea of hacking to increase productivity. Hacking should be used to clear up more space to just be, don’t you think?

What could you do this month to make your life a little bit easier?

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia