21 Ways To Simplify Your Life In 2019

I think it’s safe to say that life isn’t easy. You’re trying to do alll the things – stay on top of work, pay your rent on time, keep up with the bills and maintain somewhat of a social life.

If you feel like you just want to pull your hair out from all of the stress and overwhelm that comes with adulting, I’ve got you my friend. These tips will make your life a whole lot simpler, so you can finally have some room to breathe.

By living a more simplified life, you’re getting rid of any mental and physical clutter so you can focus on the things that truly matter in life. So without further ado, here are 21 tips that’ll allow you to save time, money and live a more fulfilled life.

Follow a morning routine

I LOVE morning routines. I’ve found that when I stick to a solid morning routine, I am able to be more productive for longer periods of time and accomplish a ton before the day has even started.

And your routine doesn’t have to be long either. A lot of successful people have found value in taking 5-10 minutes each morning to plan out their day.

Related post: 11 simple habits of highly productive people

Spend Less Time On Social Media

This is my #1 resolution for 2019 and is something I think we all struggle with. I always find myself checking my phone every two seconds to see if I get a notification or a text. It’s a habit that I didn’t even realize I was doing until recently.

Think about all of the time wasted checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat throughout the day that could be spent being productive. The best way to break this habit is to discipline yourself to only check social media x amount of minutes per day.

Write down time blocks in your planner specifically for checking social media, that way you’ll hold yourself accountable.

Declutter Your Life

Consider getting rid of items that no longer serve a purpose or spark joy in your heart.

Think about how wonderful it would be to surround yourself with only the things that you truly love.

It’s amazing the feeling you get when your life is no longer filled with clutter and items that weigh you down emotionally.

If you’re looking for a great book on decluttering and minimal living, you should consider reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. It’s amazing.

Related posts:

• How to become a minimalist
• The ultimate guide to decluttering
• Questions to ask yourself to declutter your home

Organize your closet

My closet used to look like a hot mess. I couldn’t find any clothes for the life of me and always tripped over piles of stuff in the walkway. When life gets busy, things often get put on the back-burner during the week. That’s why I dedicate Sundays to organizing my closet.

I’ll generally rearrange my clothes, making sure they are in order of longest to shortest. You could also arrange them from warmer to cooler colors or turn your closet into a capsule wardrobe. This makes everything laid out for you and easier to see.

Fold your clothes the Konmari Way

Marie Kondo, author of the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has a genius approach to storing clothes: Instead of folding your clothes and stacking them on top of each other, store them standing up (vertically). This way all of your clothes are neatly laid out in front of you so you can easily find them.

I like to place my t-shirts, pajamas, and pants in drawers, while my fancier, more delicate clothes are hung up.

Set monthly + yearly goals

Although I love setting New Year’s resolutions, there’s a lesser chance I’ll actually get them done unless they’re concrete goals I’ve set in place. That’s why (keeping my resolutions as a loose guideline) I set around 3 goals every month as well as 6 and 12 month goals. Any larger goals are broken into smaller chunks so they’re easier to manage. 

Create a list of 3 priorities for the day

This tip is a life-changer. If you’re a procrastinator (like me) because you’re overwhelmed by all the things you need to get done throughout the day, prioritizing is the best way to combat that.

Write down early in the morning (or the night before) a list of everything you need to get done that day. Then evaluate your list and pick out your top 3 priorities. List them in order of importance. Everything else is just extra.

Meal Prep

Not only has meal-prepping helped me cut down on costs (eating out is expensive!) but it also holds me accountable to eat healthy.

I just love how convenient it is to grab my lunch on the go instead of worrying about making it on the spot.

This saves me so much money and time so I can focus my energy on more important things throughout the day.

Manage your finances

One of the best ways you simplify your life in 2019 is to take control of your finances. If your money isn’t right, then it’s probably affecting your ability to live a simpler life.

And a great way to manage your money is by using an app like Personal Capital. Personal Capital is basically two services combined into one — a free financial tracking tool and a paid financial advisory service. You can track your cash flow and connect your accounts so you can see all your finances in one spot. And the best part – it’s free! Woohoo!

Related Post: Personal finance tips that’ll make you rich

Learn to say no

It can be hard to say no, but it’s so important because you need to reserve that precious time for the most important things in life. You can’t always be there for everyone at all times and that’s okay. Set boundaries now and make time for yourself. You’ll thank yourself later.

Let go of toxic people

Toxic people suck.

You can tell when you are around someone who’s toxic because they put a heavy emotional weight on you that’s often overwhelming.

Whether it’s a judgmental family member, a bad friend or a toxic partner – there is no room in your life for them.

You only want to make space in your life for people who encourage and support you as a person. Don’t let them drag you down to their level. It’s time to let them go.

Have one GYST day

A GYST day is one day out of the week to Get Your Sh*t Together, such as all of the things that fell behind during the week like doing dishes, washing bedding, meal prepping, etc.

My GYST day is always on Sundays because that is the end of the week and the only time I have to organize and clean everything.

There is no better feeling than a freshly-clean house, free of clutter and worries.

Related Posts:

• 21 Sunday Habits For A Productive Week
• 13 healthy habits that will change your life

Listen to motivational podcasts

If you’re someone who retains information better through audio than reading OR you are looking for a way to learn while doing boring tasks (i.e. commuting), then podcasts are the perfect way to do just that.

I am such a nerd for self-help and business podcasts. I will pop them on in the car on the way to work, while I’m in the grocery store or taking my dog on a walk.

Some of my favorites are the Lavendaire podcast by Aileen, Coffee Talks by Kalyn Nicholson and The Influencer Podcast by Julie Solomon.

What are your favorite podcasts? Let me know in the comments section below this post!

Make your outfit the night before

This is a tip I wish I would’ve adopted much much sooner. Every night I line out my outfit for the next day. This way I don’t spend the morning frantically running around my room piecing my outfit together last minute before rushing out the door.

Schedule time for Self-Care

When life gets busy, it can be easy to forget about self-care. But it’s so important for your mental health and well-being.

That’s why I make it a priority to block out time in my planner for daily self-care. Even if it’s 10-15 minutes, giving yourself time to rejuvenate and refresh your mind is so rewarding.

Related posts:

• 50 simple ways to practice self-care
• How to start a self care routine

Coupon + Rebate Apps

I am ALL about saving money and rebate apps are an easy way to do that. All I have to do is shop online like I would normally and I get cash back. How cool is that?

It’s especially nice to have some extra money for gas, holiday expenses or coffee. And although these apps certainly won’t replace a full time income, the money does add up pretty quickly and next thing you know it, you’re paying for all of your groceries for the month.

Here are some of my favorite rebate apps that I use religiously:

Ibotta – My favorite money saving app for groceries, hands down. Not only is Ibotta easy to use, but it regularly has offers for basic necessities that I’m already planning to purchase (like milk, bread, eggs, etc.)

All you do is take a picture of your coupon and upload it on the app – easy-peasy!

Ebates – Another rebate app I love. They make getting cash back so easy, some stores do double cash back and you get a $10 welcome bonus just for signing up!

All you have to do is find the stores you normally shop at online through Ebates and start shopping.

Related post: 30 genius ways to save money

Automate Everything You Can

This saved me so much time this year, it’s insane. From managing finances to scheduling social media, so many of the things that I used to get stressed about are now running on autopilot. I don’t even have to think about it.

Here are some things you can automate for a simpler 2019:

• Finances – Have your employer direct deposit your paycheck and set it up so x% goes into a savings account. This way you’ll have money saved by the end of the year. You can also set it up to auto pay bills or auto pay your monthly credit card payments.
• Social Media – If you feel like you never have time to post to social media, you should consider getting a social media scheduler, especially if you’re a blogger or business owner. I am in love with Tailwind and use it to schedule all of my pins and Instagram posts.
• Editing – Whenever I’m in a rush to get a paper done, my go-to app for checking spelling and grammar errors is Grammarly. It is definitely one of the more advanced editing apps out there and gives me detailed suggestions to improve my writing.
• Shopping – I like to use Amazon Subscribe and Save to have essential items (like deoderant, toothpaste, etc.) delivered to my door on a reoccurring basis. That way I don’t have to think about reordering them when the time comes.

Follow the 80/20 Rule

The 80/20 rule is basically the idea where 20 percent of your time should produce 80 percent of your results. You can apply this to work or your own business. When you have this rule in mind, you naturally start to streamline your workflow so you can focus your energy on more important things.

For my own business, I write down exactly what needs to get done throughout the day and I think to myself, “how can I simplify these tasks?” By doing this, your brain will automatically start to find solutions to your questions.

Use Calendar apps to stay on track

I like to use Google Calendar to plan out my month, a paper planner for weekly and daily tasks and the Any.do app to set reminders so I am always on top of my A-game.

You can even create sub-calendars within your Google Calendar for different events. I have a calendar for 1) work 2) doctors appointments 3) birthdays 4) bills 5) family get-togethers, etc. This is the most efficient way for me to be organized and stay on track for a stress-fee 2019.

Start investing

If you start setting aside money now, you’re setting yourself up for a simpler life in the future. You’re opening yourself up to more opportunities like retiring early and becoming financially independent. Plus, the earlier you start, the more you’ll end up earning because investing is a long-term game.

Slow Down 

The biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is to slow down.

I used to feel so guilty if I let myself break away from work for even a little bit, as if I was letting myself down. It’s easy to rush in life that we miss out on important things and forget to take care of ourselves. That’s why it’s important be more present in the current moment.