Set Yourself Up for Success: 5 (Unrelated) Lifehacks You Can Use Today

Lifehacks are strategies or life management techniques. I love lifehacks because they expand the potential of what I am already doing so that I can do life better. So, I thought I would put together my own list of lifehacks. Now, this list won’t make you a millionaire or get you a date Friday night (well, it might…), but these can definitely make a difference in your life today. Enjoy!

1. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, DO IT NOW.

Each day, we are inundated with dozens of small tasks that add up to lots of headaches. For instance, I didn’t want to get up and take the laundry out of the washer and put it in the dryer. Why not? Because. When I finally took care of the task, I timed it. Guess how long it took? Two minutes.  I spent 20 minutes doing other stuff (watching tv) to avoid it.

In many ways, we’re only two minutes away from de-stressing our lives and being more productive. How frustration could you eliminate if you took care of two-minute tasks right now? How many arguments could you avoid? How much money could you save?

So, make the phone call, return the email, pay the bill, schedule the appointment, etc.

DO IT NOW if it takes two minutes or less.

2.  Let “It” Go

If you love the song from “Frozen,” please don’t start singing. I won’t be able to hear you and everyone else is over it. Seriously, I’ve only heard the song twice and I’m okay with not hearing it again. But, I do love the message of the song.

Do you realize that the phrase “let it go” is self-explanatory? So, why do we hold onto the things we should let go of?

When we’re holding onto a hope, dream or experience that is holding us back or dragging us down, it’s often because we want to acknowledge the impact that hope, dream or experience on our lives. Failed marriage…lost job… unfilled dream…What we hold onto becomes a trophy or momento that we clutch to our hearts as a symbol of the truth of the event. This is what happened to me or what I hoped for.  I’m holding onto it so that myself or others cannot deny it’s importance in my life.

But, that thing we won’t let go is getting old and outdated. We’re like a three-year old clinging to her mangled stuffed dolly. It’s missing an arm and both eyes, but little Becky will scream like a crazy person if you try to take it away. Even if you try to give her something better, little Becky will clamor to hold onto what she knows.

Don’t be like little Becky. Let it go, whatever it is. Friends, something better waits for you, but you’ve got to let go so that you can grab onto what’s in the future, instead of holding onto the past, let “It” Go.

3. Laugh

“Sometimes life gets so difficult that you just need to laugh about it.”

Friends, sometimes life gets so difficult that you HAVE to laugh. Don’t settle for a smile or giggle, do yourself a favor and stalk a gut-busting, howling laugh until you find one. You’re life will be much better for it.

Not only does laughter force our bodies to relax, but the act of laughter makes us draw in extra oxygen and clears our mind. When they say laughter is good for you, they mean it! Don’t underestimate the power of laughter to help you cope on tough days.

By the way, my favorite go-to for laughs is watching classic television comedies. My favorite? The episode of “Friends” where Rachel and Monica lose their apartment to Joey and Chandler during the Quiz Bowl Game. What’s Joey’s favorite food? Sandwiches!

 (And that quote was from Katy Perry. Don’t judge.)

4. Stop Complaining on Facebook  

I just made some of you mad.  (Feel free to post about it on Facebook.)

Here’s the thing: People don’t care about your bad day as much has you do. Yes, that’s harsh, but here’s the reason why:  Many of your Facebook friends are having a bad day, too. They care about their bad day much more than they care about yours.

Let’s face it, all of our cars break down at inconvenient moments. We all get diarrhea at the wrong times.  (Some of us have had those two things happen at the same time, right?) Every toddler pulls an angry all-nighter and we all wish we had more money at some point or another. So, in many ways, we’re all in the same boat.

Friends, it’s okay thing to share the ups and downs about your day or make a specific ask for help, but reconsider posting just to complain or mining for sympathy. (I’m assuming that we all know the difference…)

Here’s why you might reconsider those “Woe-is-me” posts: What your social media “friends” won’t tell you is that they don’t know what to do when they see your Tragedy-Ann status updates or tweets. Your “real” friends will give you a call or text to check on you, but the for the rest of us (aka “Facebook friends”), those posts are  straight-up  awkward for us. Why? We’re not sure what you want from us. Most of us are decent folk. We care about you and we’ll help if you ask us.  Otherwise, your “oh-no-not-again” updates leave us feeling uneasy.  Of course that’s TOTALLY NOT your intention, but unfortunately, it’s the result. Yes, you just want to vent about your day. Okay, so, you’ll feel better, but you risk making others feel a bit weird.

What should you do? Great question! If you’re having a bad day, inbox specific friends and tell them what’s up and ask them to pray for you. Then, when the situation resolves itself, share the situation and resolution on Facebook so that people can cheer the answered prayer and/or your perseverance through a tough time.

By the way, it’s perfectly okay to be on Facebook and Twitter and not tell people everything that is going on in your life.  You’re not being fake, rather, you’re just being wise.

5. Do Something for Someone Else TODAY

If your life is boring or uninspired, you need to strike out and do something for someone else TODAY! Right now if you have the time! This will totally change your day (and give you something much more interesting to post about other than feeding your cat or telling us you are going to bed.)

One of the reasons that “Random Acts of Kindness” or “Pay-It-Forward” moments catch on is because people have an immediate opportunity to make a difference in simple ways. If you’ve ever been the recipient of a “Random Act of Kindness,” you know how wonderfully surreal it feels to be blessed by someone you don’t know, but appreciate. Now, imagine just how much cooler it is to be the person actually doing the act of kindness.

Some of you NEED to do this today. Why? Because you are drowning in yourself. But, if you want the direction of your life to rocket upward, then you need to start today. Goodness, opportunities are everywhere! Just do something, such as: anonymously pick up someone’s tab at a restaurant (and leave a great tip!), buy someone’s coffee in the car behind you, plant flowers in your neighbors yard, make a meal for your friends and drop it off – the opportunities are nearly endless. But, if you are struggling, here’s a link that you can use for more ideas: http://loveistheword.org/101-random-acts-of-kindness/ (Yes, some of them are a little cheesy, so if you can do better, go for it!)

So, this is my list of lifehacks that you can use today. Tell me what you think. Any other life hacks that should have made my life? Tell me your thoughts!

Thanks for reading (and if you think others might like this post, feel free to share it!)