|
FAMILY TOPICS
|
Simplifying
 How easy it can be to complicate our lives. Not that we don't have help, with technology
speeding past us on a daily basis, with email and cellular phones and....Wouldn't it be better if things were just
a little bit simpler? Yes, its true that the world around us has had a lot to do with the complication we find
in our lives, but there is little we can do to change the onrush of technology. Still, for many of us it is our
own approach that tends to make things much more complicated (and time consuming) than they need to be!
Standardize repetitive tasks: Find the most effective way of accomplishing them and do it the same way
every time. It's amazing the number of people who will do the same thing in a different way every day of the week.
Not only are you unable to find a rhythm when you keep varying your approach, it inevitably takes longer because
you are always learning new..... and learning is expensive in both time and money.
Example: Clean the house in the same way every time. Yes, to vary the routine may take some of
the boredom out of it, but when you have a set pattern it will seem to go much faster and you can gauge your progress
at a moment's notice.
Be efficient: Don't double or triple the amount of work you need to do when it comes to necessary tasks.
Example: You can paint a room with one coat of $20 per gallon paint or 2 coats of $12 per gallon
paint. Using the better quality not only saves you money ($20 instead of $24), it also saves you time.
Don't jump into a project: Stand back for a moment before tackling a project. By looking at a task
"from a distance" you often can find ways to break it up into smaller and more manageable pieces.
Example: When preparing a family meal, spend a few minutes getting together everything you need--pots,
pans, utensils and ingredients--before you start cooking. If this isn't your normal practice, you will be amazed
how smoothly things will progress! As you are cooking, begin the clean-up process. You'll find yourself done cleaning
up shortly after you have finished cooking, freeing up valuable time.
Dealing with the "big" tasks: There are some tasks (such as buying, maintaining, or selling a
home or buying a car) that are by their very nature pretty complicated. Before you attempt to tackle such endeavors,
spend the time to get as much information as you can beforehand. We have provided several resources that will help
to ease the process.
|
