How to make life easy for yourself…

7 Ways to make life easy for yourself!

Guess what, it’s easier than you think!

1. Shop once a week – not one item at a time

This one really gets me but think about it. If you go to the shops a few times a week or even every day, as some people do, what are the odds you end up buying stuff you don’t need? Like that extra two slabs of chocolate. 

Shop once a week and you’re more likely to eat better and save money.

This brings us to systemization.

2. Systemize your life!

The more you begin to think systemizing, the easier your life will be. Take it from me – I work as Head of Content for a company that’s made it’s mission to help companies systemize. 

It applies to business and it applies personally. 

“Systemization, the process of setting up a routine or process that helps you approach your tasks more efficiently, not only changes how you perform but also reduces mental workload, overwhelm, and burnout.”

Examples of how to systemize?

• Do the laundry as you’re having your morning shower and hang it up before you go to work. That way when you get back, it is done.
• Cook up a storm on a Sunday and pack the freezer so you have some ready-to-grab meals for work.
• Stop for gas on the way home on a Sunday so you don’t have to worry about it during the week.

These little things make a BIG difference!

3. Mix exercise with friends

Move your body, move your life!

But who’s got time to go to work, see family, watch all the episodes of The Bridgertons, read, go out AND exercise? 

And besides time? Who’s got the motivation to exercise?

If you find exercising tough and barely have time to meet your friends, why not mix the two?

Every Wednesday afternoon I meet my friend Violetta for cycling and it’s great! We chat up a storm for 2 hours and I get home feeling great!

4. Manage your money like a grown-up

When you manage your money like a grown up are some super easy ways to make your money work for you.

Silly things like some of the following can make a really BIG difference;

• Keep the money for different things in different accounts e.g. Have a travel account, a food account, a taxes account… N26 makes this really easy with their Spaces.
• Save the cents on every purchase. Some banks give you the option to round up a purchase and save the cents in a savings account. You’ll be surprised how much you save.
• Negotiate your home loan – did you know you could save ALOT of money doing this. 

5. Sleep

Honestly, this one is hard for me because I try to pack so much into a day. 

But the days I sleep better, I just have better days.

Set yourself a time by which you need to start winding down and also make sure you put a sleep function on your phone to block out notifications and grey out the screen. It’ll reduce that silly bedtime scrolling time we all do so well. 

6. Get the veggies in

Unlike my sister, I’m not a natural veggies lover. Give me some ribs or a steak any day but veggies, well I have to pack them in. 

So I’ve found some easy ways to do this so I’m still getting great nutrition;

• Add a salad to your meal
• Try making a green juice
• Add onions and tomatoes to scrambled eggs
• Make a stir-fry

I’m going to make this quick (and easy) and start with a story. For weeks now I’ve been wishing and pleading with myself to drink a fresh juice every day. The way I see it, drinking your veggies is a cool way to pack them in. Here’s the thing though; I get up and train 5 times a week in addition to work, to Spanish lessons, to friends… there’s just no time to juice unless I wake up before 5am and that is just not happening! So here’s what I did instead which most of us end up doing; I ended up berating myself.
It’s so strange how we end up punishing ourselves even though circumstances play an aspect in our behaviour. More about that in another post. Back to the story;

I was sharing my dislike towards celery juice and how difficult I was finding to make it with my dear friend Derryn;

“Not only is it disgusting but I have to get up early to make it!” I complained.
She instantly and matter of factly replied;

“but Lis why don’t we have a juice party on a Sunday afternoons so you can make it for the week and you can just make yourself another flavour?”

Well d’uh, of course! It was one of those moments when you feel like the heavens open up and the light shines down. How ridiculously obvious. I’d never thought of that before.

So for the past two weeks on a Sunday, we’ve spent an hour (post MotoGP and F1 of course!) catching up and making 5 juices that we freeze in our respective homes ready for the week. Derryn with her beloved celery and me with a delicious concoction of carrot, orange and ginger. Soooooo each morning I take one out the freezer and ‘voila’ I’d had veggies before lunch!

Try it and trust me, your body will thank you for it.

7. Get help

We naturally tend to try to do everything ourselves but we really don’t have to.

• Outsource your tax
• Get someone in once a week to clean
• Find a therapist (like my amazing sister) to help you work through your challenges
• Get a coach to help you train for that sports event or for that skill you’re trying to perfect

The bottom line is that you don’t have to do it all yourself!