Well, hello again!
It’s been a little while since I’ve written a blog post. My last one was back in May, and somehow we’re already in August. A lot has changed over the last few months, and I’ve been figuring out some new routines and systems along the way.
I’ve never been someone who has their entire life perfectly organized. In fact, quite the opposite. But lately, I’ve found a few simple things that have made everyday life feel a little more manageable and, more importantly, have taken some of the mental load off.
None of these are revolutionary life hacks, and I’m definitely not claiming to have it all figured out. They’re just little systems that I’ve started incorporating into my routine that have genuinely made a difference.
So, after my unintended blogging break, I thought I’d come back with something actually useful: 7 simple systems that have made my life so much easier.
1. Actually Using a Planner
I have always wanted to be a planner person.
You know the type… the person with the beautifully organized planner, color-coded schedule, perfectly planned week, and somehow enough time to accomplish everything on their list?
Yeah. That was not me.
But I’ve recently started actually using a planner consistently, and I’ve been surprised by how much of a difference it makes.
Instead of trying to keep everything floating around in my head, I’m writing things down. Appointments, errands, things I need to remember, tasks around the house, plans for the week… if it needs to happen, there’s a much better chance I’ll remember it if I write it down.
It’s also helped me look at my week as a whole instead of constantly thinking about whatever happens to be in front of me that day.
And honestly, there is something very satisfying about checking things off a list.
2. Planning My Meals Before I Make My Grocery List
This one seems incredibly obvious, but for the longest time I would make a grocery list based on whatever I thought I might need.
Which sounds reasonable until you end up at the grocery store thinking, Wait… what am I actually making this week?
Now I start with the meals.
I look at the week ahead, figure out what sounds good, choose a handful of meals, and then build my grocery list around those meals.
It has made grocery shopping so much easier because I’m no longer buying random ingredients and hoping I’ll figure out what to do with them later. It also helps me use up things that we already have that normally would just keep sitting in the fridge!
It’s also helped with the dreaded “What are we having for dinner?” question.
If it’s on the meal plan, I already know.
3. Grocery Pickup Has Become My Best Friend
Once I have my meal plan and grocery list, I order everything online for pickup.
This has been a surprisingly huge change for me.
Not only does it save me time, but I find that I’m much less likely to buy random things when I’m sitting at home looking at my list than I am when I’m walking through the grocery store hungry.
I can add everything to my cart, look over it before placing the order, make sure I haven’t forgotten anything, and then just go pick it up.
It’s one of those things that feels like a tiny convenience until you start doing it regularly and realize how much time and energy it saves.
4. Using Thrive Market for the Things I Actually Love
Speaking of grocery shopping…
I have been loving Thrive Market.
I don’t use it for everything, but I’ve found that it’s really useful for certain staples and things I specifically like to keep on hand.
What I like most is being able to order some of those things without having to make another trip to the store. It’s become one more way I’ve simplified the whole grocery shopping process instead of making it a weekly production.
I’ll probably do a whole post eventually about my favorite Thrive Market finds because I have thoughts.
5. Getting My House Back Together One Area at a Time
My house has also been getting some attention lately.
I’ve realized that when things get overwhelming, my instinct is to think I need to clean and organize everything.
Which, obviously, is not particularly helpful.
Instead, I’ve started focusing on one area at a time.
One drawer. One closet. One room. One pile that has been sitting somewhere for far too long.
It’s much easier to make progress when I’m not looking at the entire house and thinking, Where do I even start?
I’m also trying to be more intentional about giving things a home instead of just moving clutter from one surface to another.
Still a work in progress, but progress is progress.
6. Somehow, My Plants Are Actually Thriving
This one deserves a mention because I’m genuinely shocked.
I have historically been…not great with plants.
I would buy a plant, become very excited about my new plant friend, and then somehow completely fail to keep it alive.
But lately? My plants are actually thriving.
I’ve gotten better about paying attention to what each plant actually needs instead of treating every plant the same. I’m paying attention to light, watering, and placement, and I’m trying not to love them to death.
Apparently, plants do better when you figure out what they need instead of just randomly watering them whenever you remember.
Who knew?
7. Creating Routines Instead of Relying on My Memory
The biggest thing I’ve learned from all of this is that I’m trying to create routines for things that I already have to do anyway.
The animals need to be taken care of. The house needs to be cleaned. Food needs to be bought. Meals need to be planned. Things need to get done.
None of that is new.
What’s changed is that I’m trying to build those things into routines instead of constantly relying on myself to remember everything.
And that has made a bigger difference than I expected.
I’m not suddenly the most organized person in the world. My house isn’t perfect, my planner doesn’t get filled out perfectly every week, and I’m sure there will be weeks when the meal plan goes completely out the window.
But having a system to fall back on makes those weeks feel much less overwhelming.
The Goal Isn’t to Have It All Together
I think that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve taken away from all of this.
I’m not trying to create some perfectly optimized life where every minute of every day is scheduled.
I’m just trying to make everyday life a little easier.
If I can spend a few minutes planning my meals and save myself the 5 p.m. “What are we eating?” panic, that’s a win.
If grocery pickup saves me an hour, that’s a win.
If writing something down means I don’t have to keep reminding myself to do it, that’s a win.
And if my plants are still alive three months from now?
Honestly, that’s a huge win.
These little systems aren’t complicated, but together they’ve made my days feel a lot more manageable and that’s really all I was looking for.
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