The Tips - Part 2 (Simplifying Our Life)

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   Simplify your daily chores. Think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
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   Simplify your wardrobe. Owning fewer clothes of better quality means you'll always look good and feel good and you'll spend less time deciding what to wear.
   • Have a versatile, but basic wardrobe.
   • Choose a few basic essentials and styles.
   • Mix and match two or three colors.
   • Add different tops to black pants or blue jeans.
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   Downsize your life.
   • Have a small, but comfortable home. Less clutter, more space to move, breathe, and do the things you really care about doing.
   • Learn to live with less. Buy less, savor quality more, and put the spare money in the savings account for a rainy day or a reward vacation.
   • Rent rather than buy a home or items you need to use. Then the repairs, rates, and dry rot are someone else's problem, not yours.
   • Trade your car for a smaller one. Find something that works for your family but is smaller than an SUV.
   • Own fewer items but make sure that what you do own has greater versatility. Objects able to do double, triple, etc., duty are the most desirable to have around. Remember that working to pay for objects is not an ideal approach to living happily; review your priorities.
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   Prepare quick meals. Find recipes that are quick to prepare. Spend the spare time enjoying the meal and your family rather than over-complicating the cooking process.
   • Make use of the internet for fast recipe finds. Look in your pantry to see what ingredients you have. Decide the main ingredient that you feel like consuming for that meal and type it (and maybe some of the other ingredients) into a search engine with the word "recipe". Don't labor the search process - check up to 5 recipes and choose one for that meal. This can be a lot faster than browsing through cookbooks.
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   Simplify your parenting. Many modern day societal expectations have brought about a parenting revolution where parents are doing everything for their children, from their homework, to tying their shoelaces, to letting adult kids stay at home when they've long outgrown it. Stop doing it all for them and simplify your parenting, safe in the knowledge that in doing so, you're also raising a resourceful and resilient child rather than a child who expects everything to be done for them.
   • Teach by omission. Don't make lunch, don't clean the dirty clothes, don't put the toys away. Expect your child to start doing things for themselves at age-appropriate stages. It isn't easier to "just do it" for your child in the long run, as that teaches your child you'll always do it and that they don't have to. Do tell your children where they can find the things to do tasks for themselves, showing them how the first few times, but then let go.
   • Create a chore chart for all children to follow and complete weekly. Involve them in its creation and they'll be more ready to buy into using it.
   • Stop reading parenting manuals, books, and blogs. Other people's parenting advice can often be a source of distress and perfectionism that you can do without in your life. We have the innate ability to be good parents, and you're more likely to be a good parent if you're seeking out other people's advice than not. So trust yourself more and do what comes naturally. Your kids will appreciate not seeing "How to Tame Unruly Kids" open on the sofa!
   • Allow your kids to discover nature more often and push them outdoors. There is plenty to keep them enthralled in nature and it's free, interesting, and healthy. Many children deprived of time in nature are suffering from "nature deficit disorder", which impacts parents too because you're always on the treadmill of finding things to keep your children from getting bored or experiencing life's little bumps and scrapes.^[1] Let go of your fears and find the benefits for both of you.
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   Expect everyone in the house to pull their own weight. After all, it's everyone's home and everyone is responsible for its maintenance. Avoid letting anyone off the hook. If you have been doing so, it's never too late to change. Sit down and hold a family meeting about how the whole family is now going to simplify home life and discuss together what each person's role will be.
   • Accept that people won't change. However, demonstrate to them that this isn't about changing. It is about doing chores and tasks that are everyone's responsibility and that nobody is more qualified than anyone else to do the cleaning, clearing away, and laundry, meaning that everyone is equally suited!
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   Prepare celebrations and gifts in advance. Avoid last minute anxiety and craziness by having these things already organized well in advance. Keep a gift cupboard to help you throughout the year, along with a list of favorite homemade gifts that can be produced quickly and easily.