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5 HACKS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE USING SYSTEMS

June 21, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

Helping Cleaning Service

Life is hard, we all know it. The daily grind can get the best of us. It can be really exhausting especially if you are a full-time working mom living abroad with three toddler sons without a helper (Wow! That is a mouthful). Some people would ask me, “How do you manage it all?” The truth is, I prefer to simplify my life because my life is already complicated as it is. So I simplify my life by creating systems. And it works because it made my life less stressful.

What are systems? Systems are repeatable set of actions that are performed in sequence replacing motivation with routine to achieve an desired outcome. Hmmm, sounds boring? But the boring made my life way easier. It eliminates guess work and reduces anxiety & stress. I previously worked as an Assistant Manager in Quality Management at a Singaporean Healthcare company and I have learned how important systems and processes are to create a successful corporation and it allows a company to run smoothly with high quality & efficiency. Just imagine any company running without any specific systems & processes and each employee will operate under the “whenever they feel it’ or ‘ whatever they feel like it’ vibe , you can imagine a company will definitely fall into pieces. This is exactly why companies & businesses have systems, workflows and flowchart. It allows a business to work efficiently and gives employees the confidence & assurance that they are doing their job well because they have a set of work-plan to rely on. This concept of using systems can also be used in our own household for a stress-free life.

Here are 5 ways I use to systems to simplify my life:

1. Meal Planning

Natal Essentials Confinement Food Service

I previously wrote about this in my previous blog post: 10 TIPS TO SAVE ON FOOD EXPENSES.

Have you experience that scenario when a group of friends would have lunch at a mall and it would take almost an hour before they can decision on which restaurant they will eat at? I know I have been in that scenario and it can be exasperating. Because sometimes you do know exactly what you want to eat but other times, you are just too tired to decide what to eat and you just want someone to decide for you. But often in a group setting (I mean with my group), nobody wants to decide where to eat. So we came up with a system to put a little papers of all the restaurants in the mall and we would draw lots to see which restaurant we will eat at that day. It worked for us.

Meal Planning removes that infuriating scenario of not knowing what to eat for that day by having set of meals planned for a week already. Not only did it eliminate stress but it also helped in how we do grocery efficiently and save food expenses as well. Our meal choices will be based on our tried, tested and loved dishes that my husband and I make or sometimes we would add in a few new dishes we wanted to try to cook in the mix. We would create meals or have meals per day based on the type of dish: Chicken Dish, Beef Dish, Seafood Dish, Pasta or Vegetable Dish, Leftover Day. I would make the list weekly or biweekly depending on our next grocery schedule. We know exactly what we will have for our meal tomorrow and what grocery items we will buy for next week. We allow flexibility in our meal plan also. If we don’t feel like cooking Chicken Adobo for today, we will exchange it with Beef Salpicao that was supposedly schedule for tomorrow, moving Chicken Adobo for next day’s meal. Easy Peasy!

2. Clothes of the Day System

Do you wonder why Mark Zurkerberg and Steve Jobs always wear the same clothes whenever you see them? Mark Zuckerberg with his plain grey t-shirt and Steve Jobs with his black turtlenceck, blue jeans and New Balance sneaker. They have a reason for it. Mark Zuckerberg eloquently answered that question in an interview. He stated that by wearing ‘a uniform’ eliminates the decision fatigue allowing him to conserve his energy by removing small decision-making (like what to eat or what to wear) towards more important things like running a successful business empire. Can you imagine if you are like Cher from the movie, Clueless, who has to do all that digital coordinating of outfit of the day every morning before she goes to school? It may look fun for one day but in the long run, I know that would be too exhausting for me.

Tobi x Little Miss Honey

So what I do to make my life easier is by categorising my clothes to work and going-out clothes. I decided what I will wear for the next day by getting the 1st dress or top on the right most corner of the cabinet depending if it is a work or going-out clothes (it can be both). If say I am going out for grocery that day and the clothes item on the right corner is too dressy for casual outing, I will leave it for my next work day and choose the next casual clothes item on the right. The clothes after being air-dried from laundry will be stored starting from the left corner of the cabinet. So the system exactly is like first in , first out. All my clothes definitely be worn in cycle. If I will just allow what I feel like it or what are my favourite clothes, I will be wearing only handful of clothes and neglecting some of my other clothes. If it is a top, that is when I get to decided to wear with it either slacks, skirt or jeans. I also removed the decision fatigue by deciding to wear skirt in morning and slacks in the evening, at work. I also stopped wearing accessories to work when the pandemic started. Previously, accessories was my way to get creative on my outfit of the day. I just wear accessories now when I am going out (which is not often). Same goes with my home clothes, I wear the below most t-shirt and shorts/home pants in the clothes pile and storing newly laundry clothes on top of the pile. Believe me, I love this system. I just pull out the 1st outfit on the right most part of the cabinet the night before, iron them and hang them out, ready for me to wear the next morning.

3. Morning & Evening Routine

The Miracle Morning

We love watching that Morning & Evening Routine videos by Youtubers. There is beauty to having routines in morning and evening. Having a routine in the morning allows you to start the day right by getting up in a particular time of the morning and performing a series of tasks to jumpstart your day. You can create your own specific morning routine. It could be having your morning coffee, then exercise then listening to your favorite podcast or it could be starting your day with a walk in the neighbourhood followed by journaling or reading one chapter of a book. (If you want to read about My Miracle Morning Routine, click here.)

Same goes with evening routine. It is good to have set of routine as you get ready for sleep. It gives your body a signal that it is time for rest. It could be a warm shower and lighting your scented candles or drinking your nightly herbal tea while listening to soft music. You will be surprised how transformative morning & evening routines can be.

Our kids are accustomed to their evening before bedtime routine. After my shower, they know automatically that they will brush their teeth. Then they will proceed in tidying up their toys in the living room (we reminded them at the start when we introduced this practice to them, now they know it is expected of them). Once they have cleaned up the mess in the living room, we will go in their bedroom and I say the nightly prayers with them before they sleep. Even in the morning, I don’t need to remind them that they will fix their blanket and put it in under their pillow. They will then go to the dining area for their breakfast. They normally choose whatever they want for their breakfast. They have their staple favourites. My eldest son would often have his breakfast decided the night before. He would tell me, “Mommy, I would like a peanut oatmeal tomorrow morning.” He would sleep dreaming about his favourite peanut butter oatmeal for the morning.

4. Cleaning Routine

Helping Cleaning Service

Life without helper here in Oman can be challenging. But often I would reserved the intensive sweeping and mopping of floors of the house as well as bathroom cleaning on weekends. I don’t allow my mood to dictate if I like cleaning the house on that day. I know that it is my cleaning day and I will clean the house. We try to maintain the house as tidy as possible (mind you, we have 3 toddlers in the house) so there won’t be massive clean-ups daily. It helps also that we don’t accumulate or buy so many things so we don’t have a lot of things to tidy. One thing that I want to incorporate in my cleaning routine now by using habit-stacking (taken from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits) is to sweep & mop the kitchen floor after my nightly washing of dishes. I have yet to implement this but we will see if I am able to keep up with.

5. Shopping System

You might be surprised that I find shopping to be stressful which is very opposite from other people. I am not a ‘browse around and see what I find’ kind of shopper. I want to go in a mall with a purpose. If you allow me to go in a mall and figure out what I want to buy or allow me to purchase my every whim, I would either end up in a mountain of debts or totally lost with anxiety & indecision due to the daunting multitude of choices available. So I go to the mall with a specific things on mind that I plan to buy. I would have a list of those items on my Notes on my phone. I would ask myself three questions before deciding on an item:

– Is it necessary?

– Will I still want this next week/month/year?

– Do I have a budget for this?

Having a list going to the mall allows me to be mindful of my purchases. This is, however, not fixed in stone. I may buy some items that are not on the lists and may leave out some of those in the lists. But having a curated shopping list (e.g. knowing you need to replace your work shoes or add some dresses in your wardrobe) can help you guide your purchases when out and about.

What you think of these hacks? I know for some people who prefer to wing it and find doing these too laborious and may think I am actually overly complicating things. It make seem too rigid and exhaustive. But I think creating systems is a lazy girl’s hack to getting things done especially if you have the system in place already. Some productivity guru would also call this as Strategic Laziness. Believe me, creating these systems is so freeing and effortless. But then again, to each its own.

Let me know if this list has been helpful for you

Filed Under: Fashion, Inspirations, Wellness Tagged With: Atomic Habits, Evening Routine, Habit-stacking, James Clear, Meal Planning, minimalism, Morning Routine, simplify your life, Strategic laziness, systems

HOW TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE & PRACTICE MINIMALISM

March 2, 2018 by Little Miss Honey 1,402 Comments

Minimalism

 

The Minimalism Movement wasn’t new to me. I been hearing a lot about it and has got extremely popular with popular Japanese organising consultant, Marie Kondo who advocates minimalism and emphasising that less is more. Though I am a fan of her work, I didn’t jump into the bandwagon immediately. But by the end of 2017, I was so overwhelmed with the excess, the noise, the stress, the million of choices and the nagging world of consumerism & urbanisation living as an overseas foreign worker in an expensive city. I need a big pause, a major detox in life. I needed to reevaluate my life and what are my essentials . I needed to let go of the complicated and embrace the simplicity. And it lead me to Minimalism.

I discovered the beautiful peaceful world of Minimalism and its many wonderful benefits. Especially with the extensive consumerism and overflowing digital information, our system is crying for some space to breathe and enjoy the luxury of being immerse of the what are the essentials. I began watching a lot of Minimalist YouTubers like Pick Up Limes, Madeleine Olivia, Meghan Livingstone, Zoey Arielle and many more. I got loads of tips from them. I also found this gem of a book, L’art De Simplicite: How To Live More With Less by Dominique Loreau. If you want to embark in the journey of Minimalism, I urged you to get a copy of this book.

Minimalism

Minimalism as I mentioned has so many benefits. I am still just starting my journey to this movement. I am not quite there yet but so far, I am loving this kind of lifestyle. You get to save money as I mentioned in my previous blog post. It can also make you lost weight. You also get to have less anxiety, less stress, more time and more happiness. You get to have more focused in life. You get to evaluate what you value in life and you don’t need to waste your time, effort and money on things that is not worth it.

Most successful people have followed the minimalistic principles in their life, one way or their other, like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, etc. Some sentimentalists, hoarders and collectors would probably have difficulty in choosing this lifestyle. For me, it wasnt too hard. I don’t like too many choices and therefore prefer only wants a manageable about of stuff. Plus I do hate clutter and prefer to have less knicks knacks visible at my home. It also encourage my sort-of obsessive compulsion to create systems in doing things. Having that give me less anxieties because I have routine and checklist to guide me. Many things about minimalism resonates with my tips in saving money. Read my blog post here.

So if you are interested in jumping into the bandwagon of Minimalism, here are 10 Ways to Simplify Your Life and Practice Minimalism:

1. Declutter. Let Go of the Unnecessary and Keep the Essential

One of the main concepts of minimalism is Decluttering as popularised by Marie Kondo. Minimalism is all about removing the unnecessary clutter, finding joy in tidying up and only keeping the essentials that is worthy of your space, time and money. You will feel a sense of peace after discarding, selling and giving away the things that doesn’t bring you joy and just adds to the anxiety & clutter in our home. I love tidying up my home. I have always been a thrower which is, I know, not a good thing. But I have lesser attachment to things even before. I also love organising garage sales to earn a few bucks way before minimalism was a thing.

Decluttering also means letting go of toxic relationships and investing more precious time with the people who matter. Stop wasting time on pseudo-friendships with people you don’t like. You don’t need to create superficial connections to those people who don’t really matter.

2. Have a Morning and Evening Routine

Minimalism strives on systems which I likes and somehow grounds me. Having a morning and evening routine simplifies your life. It always you to have a constant activity to start and end the day without giving you anxieties and give you leeway to waste time. Successful people are known to have a morning and evening routine which composes usually of self-care and self-growth activities like meditation, reading books and exercises.

I have recently discovered this My Miracle Morning routine which is a definitely game-changer. I woke up an hour earlier than my usual waking time and I didnt mind at all. I realised when I started doing My Miracle Morning, my mood became was more positive like no bad thing can get me down plus I was more productive, energetic and happy. But there were a few straight mornings that I failed to do the morning routine and my days totally sucked big time. I will share with you soon the Miracle Morning Routine.

3. Stop buying the unnecessary.

Besides throwing, selling and giving away the unnecessary, minimalists also does a careful review in their lifestyle, which are the things they should stop purchasing. They would realise that there are lots of things that they can do away leading them to stop accumulating useless stuff, save more money and maintain their uncluttered relaxing space. Borrow or rent if you must but avoid buying. Examples are books or gowns, etc. I will blog soon on things I stop or minimised buying.

4. Build a Capsule Wardrobe and Have an Outfit of the Day System

I mentioned in my 20 Way to Save Money Blog Post that one way of save money is to create a capsule wardrobe.

Capsule Wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. Some say the magic number is 37. Yes, 37 versatile pieces that you can mix & match and you truly love to wear. Though some numbers vary. It is usually between 30-40 item. Pajamas, accessories, fitness apparel and special occasion gowns are not included in the list.

One of the things that I have been doing eversince to simplify how I choose what to wear for work everyday is by my personal wardrobe system which my helper is familiar with. I pick what I will wear for the day from my work clothes / dresses hanging in my closet from right to left. If it is a dressy blouse, I would look into my drawer what I feel pairing it with a skirt or slacks. Then my accessories would just match whatever I wear. I would mind wearing any of the clothes since I like all of them. Newly washed clothes will be hanged by my helper on the most left portion of the closet so that its is first in, first out and I get to wear all of them. I have this childish magical thinking that some stuff get upset when we dont use them & ignore them inside the closet. I have to say I have been doing this system even before the minimalism movement or the popularisation of using a “uniform” by Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. For my casual going out outfits, it is kept in a drawer so I would choose the clothes in similar matter or if piles on top of each other like my home & sleeping clothes, I get the one from the bottom and newly washed clothes are placed on the top pile.

5. Simplify Your Beauty Regimen by using only your Holy Grail products or Create DIY products.

I stopped piling too many junk on my face plus I stopped the urge to try any new beauty products that are being hyped in social media and women’s magazines. I sticked to the products that I have trusted throughout the years. I would take note of my Holy Grail products, products that you have sought after that fit your specific (a.k.a. Hard To Find) and stick to it. It has done me a world of good and my skin is thanking me for it because now I have less breakouts from trying too many products that didnt suit my skin.

I also been recently creating my own skincare products like body scrub, deodorant and facial moisturiser. I am loving it! It is chemical free, cheap and great for the skin.

6. Learn to say No. Make Time for those that truly matter.

Being a minimalist would often mean letting go of pleasing people too much. Learn the art of saying No politely to things that is not worthy of your precious time. When I get invites, be it in a personal level or say for work or blogging opportunities, I would ask myself if the time I spend in this worthy of the time I will be spending away from my loved-ones or time to spend for my relaxation or self-care. It must be something that truly want to go to and not just because I feel forced into it.

It also means learning to say No to obligations if you know you cannot commit wholeheartedly. It is important that you dont overcommit to everything that is laid out before you because you are afraid of missing out, being labeled as a byotch or just because you are shy to say No. When a saleslady offer a discount by adding more items in your shopping bag, say No. When a creditcard dealer offers new attractive deals or loans, say No. Say Yes only to those that aligns to what you value.

7. Practice Mindfulness & Meditation

Minimalism also advocates grounding yourself and learning how to focus. Two of the best ways to do this are practicing mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. You can practice while you are walking, eating, and just about everything that you do. Try reading the book, Search Inside Yourself by Chade-Meng Tan to have a little insight on this.

Meditation also goes hand in hand with Mindfulness. It is the silencing of the noisy mind and unearthing the beauty of focused silence mental state which allows inspiration to flow freely.

8. Schedule a Digital Detox

In a very digital-dependent generation, we badly need this. We are almost married to our phones than to our spouses. So give your phone a bit of rest. Schedule a digital detox, be it once a week or maybe a certain portion of the day, like early morning or once going home, you put your phone in a little spot at home & ignore it for the rest of the day. I try to do the latter and give my undivided presence to my kids which is still in a work in progress since the gravitational pull of habit of my phone to check on notifications come most often than not.

Another trick is turning off your phone notifications. Also you should hit unsubscribe to useless emails and make a habit of deleting emails you dont need any more. Streamline the apps in your phone. Also schedule a quarterly detox of your Facebook. Check your friends list and see which are those you need to unfollow because their feed give you negative vibes or check if some of the people on the lists are truly your friends or just acquaintances who wants a glimpse of your private life. Reserve your Facebook to people who you enjoy engaging with.

9. Minimise the multiples

We dont realised we have multiple items in our possessions: multiple scissors, multiple strollers, multiple super glues, multiple aprons, multiple cars, multiple boyfriends or girlfriends at the same time, hahaha. For items , stick to 1 or 2 only. But for spouses & romantic lovers, relieve yourself with the anxiety & exhaustion and stick to one.

10. Downsize your lifestyle

Minimalism is all about simplicity. It is not boastful or flamboyant. So reexamine your lifestyle and do the necessary downsizing of your lifestyle. Transfer to a smaller apartment. Having less cars or switch a more reliable car than a eye-catching sports car. Having a career that you rather than chasing prestige, glory and power. Going to fewer parties and staying home with a hot cocoa & a thick book instead. Investing in experience like travel instead of buying the less latest gadgets. And there are many more ways to downsize your lifestyle.

The road to minimalism may seem boring and challenging but I guarantee you, it is worth it to try.

There are many more ways to practice minimalism besides the few examples I mentioned. And minimalism can be in many different ways to some people. I believe that there is no strict rule. Many argue on the technicalities of minimalism which should not even be an issue as long as people who embarks in it understood the core value of it.

Let me know if you are also in your minimalism journey. I would be happy to learn from you and exchange tips with you. For now, I am happy that I have discovered the minimalism lifestyle.

Filed Under: Inspirations Tagged With: how-to, minimalism, simplify your life, tips


Hi I'm Honey! I am a Filipina who has studied & lived in Saudi Arabia for a few years, worked in Singapore and is currently based in Oman with my husband & our three little boys. I am a medical doctor, a lifestyle blogger, travel junkie, a foodie and a bookworm. I hope I can drizzle a bit of sunshine and inspirations whenever you drop by my blog. Thanks for dropping by! See ya soon.. :)
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