Being lazy at unimportant tasks is a good thing. I do not say that to please you. I believe that some adequate laziness can improve your quality of life like it improved mine. Why? Your laziness will free up more time for you, so you'll be less stressed by unpleasant tasks and have more energy for things that matter. Some of the tips below may also help save you some money.
Intelligent people do not waste energy on ineffective and pointless activities. They free up plenty time for themselves so that they can enjoy life and think more. If you perceive yourself as not clever, try taking the time to ponder, and if you do it I bet you'll be able to make better strategic choices in your life.
Keep in mind that you can be a sloth and a productive person at respective appropriate times during the day. Having a lazy and productive life is awesome. You don't need to wait for the retirement age to enjoy life daily.
Here are the ways I save energy in my daily life:
- I gave up ironing. I only use clothes that do not require any ironing. I wear comfy sports clothing 99% of the time. There are even shirts made of special textile that have no wrinkles or folds after washing. Moreover, owning no ironing equipment saves space and money.
- I don't dry dishes. Why would I wipe them dry when they can be dried by ambient air?
- I don't peel potatoes. I usually cook them whole. At the cooking in water, the soil that was on the potato skins has deposited at the bottom of the pan.
- I use furniture, flooring, clothes, accessories, etc. that don't get dirty easily and that are easy to clean. This involves, for instance, avoiding white surfaces, because they will get grey or brown and look dirty. They are too much work for me.
- As a minimalist, I avoid buying new objects. Why? Because the money I spend is actually time I wasted working to get that money in the first place. While most people work more to buy more, I work less to buy less. I have also got rid of many objects I had acquired in the past. Having less possessions makes the cleaning much easier. Why would I work hard for expensive useless objects that cause me stress, because they could get damaged, broken, stolen, etc.
- I only keep the objects I use on a regular basis, preferentially efficient multi-purpose objects. I get rid of the items does not meet this criterion. I don't want to have a cluttered living/working space, because I am too lazy to clean a messy place and I do not want to look for my lost stuff for hours. As a result, my room and my kitchen are almost empty, but it is zen and compatible with my laziness.
- comfortable sneakers for sports, working, commuting;
- a smartphone because it does the job of a laptop, camera, calculator, GPS device, torchlight, web browser, scanner, basic phone, planner, calendar, clock radio, Mp3 player, etc.;
- a multi-tool, to have several kinds of screwdrivers and wrenches, a can opener, scissors, a nail file, pliers, etc. in the same place;
- a rice cooker, because it enables me to boil water and so many foods, like rice, pasta, noodles, broccoli, potatoes and sweet potatoes;
- a backpack instead of multiple unpractical fashion handbags that cause spine imbalance.
- knick-knacks as they are dust catchers;
- expensive brittle pretty ornaments;
- rollerblades I have used once in 3 years;
- objects I dislike and kept so far to please people who offered them to me;
- duplicates. I don't need 2 bicycles or 2 beds;
- CDs, DVDs, vinyl records and other outdated storage media.
- I have been inspired by many minimalist youtubers and bloggers. By taking steps living more like them and being creative, I ended up being freer than I ever dreamt of. I have an online job, I do not lose my time on transports. As I am my own boss, I can accept or decline any job offer, depending on how much money I want to make or how much I want to rest on the moment. On average, I work 30% of the time a usual employee works in a year. It gives me plenty of time to chill, exercise and contribute.
- I don't prepare complex dishes in my daily routine, as they takes too long. I cook simple and healthy dishes that take me only 2 minutes of work. I usually boil starches with vegetables and add an oil-free sauce. Or I simply eat sweet fruits. It's so easy to clean dishes after a low-fat meal, it requires a simple rinsing only. When I want a gourmet meal on the week-end, I eat out at a local vegan restaurant.
- I stopped doing favors to people who abuse my time and do not value me. I also avoid spending time with draining complainers or people who stress me out. My time is precious and is better spent with people who lift me up and appreciate my time. I tended to put myself last, then I realized I had to be my own first priority. I believe that everybody needs to thrive first before being able to help others efficiently.
- I learnt to use shortcuts on my computer to get work done quicker. Less clicks equals less cramps. Keyboard shortcuts have saved me lots of time. The internet can also be considered as a shortcut to get knowledge and tips faster than we would get them from people in the real world. There are plenty of tutorials out there on the internet. Chances are somebody has already had and solved the problems you're having now and made a video or an article about it. Seize these opportunities!
By saving so much time in my daily life, I can chill so much. I can spend my free time resting on my bed, do an adventure ride on my bike, see my "lazy" boyfriend, take a stroll to buy the tastiest fruit in town, write spontaneous articles on my blog, make videos to contribute to a better world, cuddle pets, watch educational videos online and, most interestingly, stop being active for the sake of being always busy, in order to zoom out and assess what I've been through and where I'm headed.
These listed tips are not comprehensive, I mentioned my favorite tips only. If you want to share more tips, feel free to comment ⇩⇩⇩