Sunday, May 03, 2009


When our lives get chaotic, we pay dearly in stress and money. There are hundreds of things you can do to simplify your life. Here are six ideas to help you get started.

1. Carry only the keys you use every day. Clean everything else off your key ring. If you don't recognize what a key is for, toss it. If you have keys you use occasionally, keep them on separate rings in a safe place. I carry only three keys: house, car and office. They're not bulky, and they fit into a small pocket in my purse. Not only has this simplified my life, but my car's ignition is happier too. Heavy keys pull the ignition out of alignment causing it to fail eventually.

2. Downsize your purse or briefcase. Carry only the minimum essentials. If you're anything like me, no matter what size of bag I carry, it is completely filled and then some. Ditch the bag that's the size of Nebraska in favor of something small and compact. Now carry only the items you really need.

3. Cut back your jewelry to a couple of simple but elegant items. It takes a lot of energy to manage dozens of pairs of earrings, necklaces and bracelets. About five years ago, I decided I would own and wear only one pair of classic earrings. It was a bold move, but one I have never regretted. You cannot imagine how this has simplified my life.

4. Buy only white linens. Now everything matches, and that saves time and hassle. Fine hotels everywhere feature all white linens. When everything is white, you don't worry about fading, about matching up sets or whether the linens match a room's decor. Every top sheet goes with every fitted sheet, so you don't have laundry time hassles. Everything launders the same. White linens are classic, and they're cheaper, too.

5. Keep a tasteful trash receptacle where you open mail. Handle mail only once. Don't carry all the junk mail to a new location to become more household clutter. Put a waste can right where you open the mail and dump the junk the moment you identify it as such.

6. Get rid of two guilt-creating devices: Call waiting and the answering machine. I cannot believe how my life has been simplified since I no longer walk into the house knowing that I'm obligated to return 12 calls. If they want me badly enough, they'll call back. Ditto for call waiting.

We're given just 24 hours each day. So far, no one's figured out how to increase that number, but if you begin to simplify your life you'll swear you've suddenly found more hours in your day!


Presented for your consideration, the first of a series to help us all make it through these troubling times. As always, click on the hyperlink in the title for more information

No comments: