Simplify Your Life to Make It More Manageable

Sometimes we overcomplicate things without realizing it. Simplifying your life down to something more accessible takes time, but it can be done. Here are some quick tips to help bring things back under control.

Escaping the Continual Upgrading to Large Homes

The trend until recently has always been to go upscale to a nicer neighborhood and a bigger house. The desirable option was the McMansion – as it came to be known. That huge monstrosity that shouted from the rooftops, “I’ve arrived.”

Well hold on there. What it actually meant was a huge mortgage to pay every month and property taxes to the state that would give you a heart attack.

Performing the chores and keeping the garden looking good became a full-time job or something you outsourced to lawncare and cleaning firms because was all too much. Meanwhile, you’re at work all day to pay for a home you barely see. Something was wrong with that picture…

Downsizing to a Tiny House

As the reality of life with a McMansion set in and the stories of it being not quite what was expected got published, the idea of owning a tiny house started to seem far more sensible.

Embracing minimalism and owning items for their functional purpose has to be fully accepted when living in smaller quarters. It’s all about living compact and enjoying the outdoors, rather than spending all weekend mowing the lawn, holding barbeques and keeping up with the neighbors.

Interest in tiny houses continues to grow. Indeed, there are affordable tiny houses for sale that even come on wheels so they’re ready to be towed with your Ford F-150 truck. You’ll not just save on the cost of a home, but the furnishings, appliances and a whole lot more. When you own less, fewer things tend to go wrong in life and cost less to repair or replace too. Downsizing is a great alternative option for people who are getting close to retirement. If you had a bigger family home, you may find that you can release any wealth tied up in your home, which could help with retirement finances.

Reduce the Amount of Moving Parts

Even if you’re not considering moving into a tiny home, the way to simplify your life is to reduce the amount of moving parts in it. When you’re a people pleaser trying to help everyone out, you have no time to yourself for some old-fashioned R&R.

To make time in your life, you often have to let things go. If there are kids in the house, how many of their extracurricular activities have you running around in the evenings and weekends? Are they even necessary? We claim they are and count towards their future, but does their playing in Little League matter that much? Probably not.

Create Systems for Work and Home

Create usable systems to reduce how much thought goes into the day-to-day routine. Use a calendar to remind you of important appointments, medication refills and birthdays. Automate the bill paying too. Schedule a weekend to perform home maintenance or check the oil on the automobile.

Take your mind off everything by using mobile apps to push out a reminder when it’s due. There’s too much on your plate already.

When you make everything simpler, life just gets easier.