We all want to be more efficient, productive, and successful. Yet, ironically, we let so many little things get in the way. 

These little things eat up your time and your precious energy. Left undone, they can evoke frustration, funky moods, and bouts of self-criticism.

As a young adult, I developed the habit of taking on too much, and carried it through many decades of my life. To get the big things done, I let the tiny ones slide. I lived in mundane chaos, which often made me feel scattered and overwhelmed.

It took a long time, but I eventually learned I needed to organize the small things if I wanted to live with ease and also get the big things done.

These are a few of the tiny habits I’ve adopted to simplify my life and make it more enjoyable. Some may resonate. Some may prompt you to say, “No way!” 

Whatever your response, I hope these ideas will prompt you to explore how to better manage the small things in your life so you can better achieve the big things too.

1. Create a Home for Everything

I constantly lost my keys, searched for my glasses, and couldn’t find other crucial items when they were needed most.

So, I created a home for the most important objects in my life. 

• My keys are either on my bed table or in the zippered compartment on the front of my purse. As soon as I unlock the front door, I place my keys in one of their homes.

• My sunglasses live in an eyeglass case in my purse along with an empty one for my reading glasses when I leave the house. At home, when not in use, my reading glasses sit in the same spot on a kitchen counter. I can find them even in the dark.

• My thumb drives have a special spot in a black mesh desktop organizer.

I share the thumb drive example because this little bit of organization recently saved me a chunk of time.

When I intended to transfer data, I found my stick missing. It wasn’t in its desktop home and it hadn’t been left in the zippered pocket of my purse.

I didn’t waste a moment tearing apart my office in a mad and fruitless search to find this lost object. I knew immediately the drive was in the possession of last person with whom I shared data. 

A quick call confirmed this. I had left it with him weeks back so he could transfer files at his leisure. Now, I could simple retrieve it with no extra fuss.

2. Write Everything In One Place

I used to jot down important information, appointments, and new ideas on sticky notes, the back of envelops, and half-used pieces of paper—whatever was at hand. 

These important tidbits routinely hid themselves, sometimes never to be seen again. How many hundreds of hours have I lost searching for these elusive slips?

Now, everything—literally everything—is recorded in my planner.

• Instead of taking an appointment card for my next medical check up, I immediately write the date in my planner. Appointment cards vanish easily, don’t they?

• If a creative idea pops in my head, it’s written in my planner.

• If I need to purchase a special item, I add it to a list in my planner.

I’m an analog planner, but you could do the same with an online planner or the Notes and Calendar app on your phone.

3. Buy In Quantity

I don’t hoard. But I buy in sufficient quantity that I don’t need to shop for the same items again and again each week.

For example, I buy:

• A box of 48 rolls of recycled toilet paper.

• A few 24-can flats of wet cat food.

• A pack of six boxes of my favorite green tea.

I encourage shopping locally when you can. There are many places you can buy in bulk or just get a big stash.

When you need to shop online, some stores offer subscription options, which sometimes include a discount. Your main items are delivered to you at the time intervals you set. 

Even my online vitamin shop offers this option.

4. Buy Duplicate Clothing

When I see a dress, top, or pants I love, I buy a second or third one in the same or different color.

For example, I have:

• Two pairs of dark blue baggy casual pants

• Two pairs of the same white capri pants

• Three dresses with the same design in three different colors

Some famous men like Barack Obama, Giorgio Armani, and Tom Wolfe wear the same outfit everyday. A few have decided to do so to avoid decision fatigue. They have far more important decisions to make.

You don’t have to follow their lead and be restricted to a uniform. My wardrobe is far more diverse than that. But you could save some time by grabbing duplicates when you see clothing you love.

Or you could try the popular minimalist fashion project, Project 333 which has been featured in Real Simple, Vogue, and O, The Oprah Magazine. The challenge involves wearing the same thirty-three pieces of clothing for a three-month period.

Many participants say it’s radically changed their lives.

5. Use One Purse

As you can probably tell by now, I don’t care about being a fashion plate. I don’t need to change my purse and shoes with every outfit. 

It’s not wrong to do that. I just much prefer a more simple life.

If you want to save the time involved switching from one purse to another (and possibly leaving behind a critical item or two), consider the one purse option.

I use a small backpack purse, which always contains the same items:

• Wallet

• Phone

• Keys

• Planner

• Pen

• Emergency medications

• Hairbrush

• Sunglasses and reading glasses

These items live in my bag at home too, with the exception of my phone, reading glasses, and planner.

I literally never think about my purse. It always has exactly what I need.

6. Simplify Food 

This isn’t a habit I adopted by choice. I have a little-known but not rare genetic condition called Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia. This makes for a sensitive digestive system.

I’m one of those annoying people who’s gluten, dairy, and soy free. Forget the nuts, high histamine food, and citrus fruits.

I eat pretty much the same foods each day—lots of vegetables, a few fruits, and some poultry, fish, or eggs. This simplifies shopping and meal planning.

You probably don’t want to go that far, but you could:

• Keep your meals simple by limiting the number of ingredients in your recipes

• Compile a list of your favorite simple recipes and place them in a rotation

• Repeat a few meals during the week

• Prep your meals for the week in one go and don’t give it another thought

• Have a box of fruit and vegetables delivered weekly to your door

• Eliminate processed and packaged foods

Of course, you can splurge and do something different from time to time!

7. Give Away Unused Items

I’m not a minimalist by any means. But I’m always eager to give away items I no longer use.

I don’t wait for an annual spring cleaning. I regularly scan for items I don’t use and give them to friends or donate them to a thrift store.

Sometimes, it’s a little hard to let go. I had a beautiful bottle of fountain pen ink that was too light for my use. It took me a few weeks, but I eventually offered it to friends for use in their art studio.

Giving away unused or excess items cuts down on the clutter and can create a more peaceful ambiance.

Closing Thoughts

Sometimes, we’re so busy with the big things we let all the little things pile up. That can make your life feel scattered, cluttered, and overwhelming.

If you’re in that place, it might be time to simplify a bit—it will save you time and energy on the long run.

Follow my suggestions or select a few aspects of your life that have grown to be too much. Make one adjustment. When that’s in place, move on to the next.

Simplicity creates more space, but not just physically. 

It can give you more time to connect with the ones you love. It can remove stress, increase joy, and help you reduce debt. And it can create the space you need to get the big things done.

[Photo by Timur Weber on Pexels ]

Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious!  Don’t forget to  sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self. 

You might also like to check out my  Living with Ease course or visit my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always.  With love, Sandra