10 Steps To Make Life Easier

Life is tough. Work sucks. Responsibilities are exhausting. Not to mention bills and traffic! Now is the time to learn how to make life easier.

We all know that life is hard, and it is only getting harder. The older you get the more responsibilities you have. So, learning how to make life easier is what you need today.

And as you get older the bills pile up, you need to see the doctor more often, pay for car insurance, worry about the planet and the state of our nation. It is no wonder you are looking for ways to make life easier.

# Make lists

I know, I sound like your mother. But, mom does know best. It has been proven that making lists and crossing things off adds to a more productive schedule.

This can be something as small as making a list of household chores or major goals for the year. What helps me is a list on my phone of all the things I need to do like make a doctor’s appointment, pick up eggs, and return something.

I consistently check it throughout the day and when I can delete a row and see the list get smaller I feel accomplished.

# Stay organized

Having clutter pile up around you leaves your life in literal and figurative chaos. If your living space or workspace is messy, your mind is messy. Start with clearing out what you know you don’t need. You can start with something small like your cupboards or handbag. *I’m talking about that CVS receipt from 2014*.

Take baby steps to get organized. Put everything in an order that will make life easier for you. Once you start working in an organized space it will be easy to keep it that way and easier to get everything done. From work to cooking dinner, knowing where everything is and where it goes makes it all easier.

# Make a plan

If spontaneity is your thing, great. But, having a plan for some parts of life makes things a lot easier. You can clear out your weekend and be spontaneous then, but try to plan out day to day errands and chores so that when you do want to go on an adventure you come back to a relaxing space.

You don’t want to come home from a spontaneous trip only to have a load of laundry to do, a full grocery list, and three past due bills piling up.

# Be early

Things get in the way, but aiming to show up early makes life easier. Leave 5-15 minutes before you know you have to leave. This gives you extra time in case of traffic or an accident. It also makes you less anxious about being late.

And when you get somewhere early you have time to relax and get a coffee or use the bathroom. You won’t have to sneak into a meeting and sit in the back, you’ll be fully prepared and prompt.

# Save money

Being bad with money makes your life a lot more difficult than it has to be. And saving money is a hard thing to do. You work for your money, you should be able to do what you want with it.

But knowing you have a cushion of savings just in case is a peaceful feeling. Knowing that you don’t have to panic when a big expense unexpectedly arrives will make the harder parts of life a lot less stressful. Save 10-15% off each paycheck if you can. Put it in a savings account that you don’t see when you log onto your bank’s website.

You’ll know its there, but seeing it will make you want to spend it. You can also have your bank round up all the money you spend to the next dollar and transfer the difference to your savings. That means next time you spend $3.43 on a coffee, $.57 will go into your savings. And it will add up.

# Stay in touch with the people you trust

When life gets hard, we can recede from our social lives. We get tired and stay home. I know. When I’m overwhelmed, I stop texting people back because it is hard to deal. But make sure you keep in touch with the important people in your life.

Your family and closest friends are those for a reason. Having them to vent to, spend time with, and just know that they are there makes all hardships worth it.

# Make a budget

And stick to it. If you want to know how to make life easier, remember that saving is one thing, sticking to a budget is another. It isn’t as easy as downloading an app or doing something once a month. You have to get all your bills together and do some math.

Figure out how much you make, how much you spend on necessities *rent, food, insurance, etc.*. Calculate how much you’ll be saving per pay period and figure out how much you can realistically spend on luxuries like clothes shopping, Netflix, Amazon Prime, going out to eat, and buying gifts.

# Be polite

When you are having a hard time, it is easy to lash out at people. Everyone from your mom to your mailman and even the poor guy trying to sell you solar panels on the phone gets an earful.

But, maintaining as much politeness as possible in every situation will keep you levelheaded, keep things from getting worse, and keep others in a good mood. No matter how frustrated you might be at a cashier or waiter, remember this is only a small portion of your day. Your energy will be put to better use somewhere else.

# Be respectful

Along with being polite, respect goes a long way at work, at home, and even on the train and at the store. When you show consistent respect to everyone around you, they show it back.

And having people respect you is always better than having them fear you or pity you. Respect is a powerful thing to have and an even more powerful thing to give.

# Tip well

If you are a crappy tipper, you are not only ruining someone’s day, but you could be lessening the money they bring home to feed their family. All workers in the service industry deserve to be tipped accordingly. In many instances, that is all the money that person brings home.

If you frequent establishments like a restaurant, hairdresser, or even a dry cleaner tipping well will encourage the workers to make you a priority. They will also respect you which will make each interaction that much easier.