Automate The Mundane
How do we reduce our overall brain load?
Our brains are not equipped for today’s world. There is so much stuff coming at our brains that we can’t even process it all!
How do we set up our environment so that we are taking some of that overload off of our brains?
The key to reducing what our brains have to process each day is automation.
Manual processes take time, energy and brain power. I am always thinking, “how can I automate this?” It is a weird obsession I have…
The idea is to create automated systems for yourself so you don’t even have to think about “all of the things” anymore! Save that brain energy for other things...like being patient with your kids.
The Prompt
“I need to remember to ___”
This thought should immediately spark action ~~ Create a system for that!
You can even check out my blog “Top 3 Benefits of Systemizing: Part 1” and see even more reasons to automate.
Avoid putting another thing on your shoulders. How can you automate that? I use my phone calendar and reminders for everything! Something comes to mind and I immediately grab my phone and mentally say, “Here, you do this cause I’ve got enough to carry.”
The last thing I want to do is use brain energy/power to remember to do what I need to get done each day. It saves me time, money, energy, and sanity to create automated systems in my life where I can tackle my to-do list without trying to manage everything in my brain!
My Top 5 Things That I Automate:
1: Milk Delivery
This may seem so trivial, we order a weekly delivery of milk to our home, and the amount I order often fluctuates based on what we need. I was often forgetting to adjust and we would end up with too much leading to waste or we would not have enough and then I was rushing to the store to get a gallon. I created an automated reminder to pop up on my phone each week that includes the link to the milk company so that I am easily able to click on the link and update our order. Try options like dairydrop.com.
2: Home Filters
Changing up the filter in my fridge or in my furnace is something that can be easily forgotten without my timed reminder on my phone! I would see the blinking red light “REPLACE FILTER” for what seemed like weeks and I would forget to order one. Now, the filter shows up every 6 months, I replace it and Voila! No blinking light making me go “Ugh!” every time I get a drink of water.
3: My Schedule
I send a live link of my schedule for when someone wants to book time with me. That saves me a lot of energy rather than going back and forth to figure out what would work best. At first I thought I might seem impersonal, but it save so much time when setting up coffee or business meetings… and we all can use extra time :)
4: Grocery Shopping
I have set up my cart so that regular items automatically drop into my cart so that I do not have to start from scratch! This way I can do my shopping in just a few minutes and I am not forgetting the ever-important-granola bars for my kids which saves me a quick run to the store!
5: Online Payments
When I get a bill in the mail, I make sure that I have already set up my auto-drafts so that I do not have to worry about missing a due date. If it is a bill that I can’t set up for auto-pay, I set a calendar reminder prior to the due date so that I can go in and get it paid on time! Saves time, money and the brain energy!
Organize Your Physical Space
If your brain gets overwhelmed, as it usually does, our response is flight, fight, or freeze.
As you work to automate systems for all those “I need to do ___” thoughts, also think about how to simplify other daily tasks that you need to accomplish in your home. You can do this through organization and systems that create great habits!
Placement of Things
Strategically place things in your space so that they are easy to grab, this will reduce your chance of forgetting them!
Make it easy to remember the little mundane things in your life, like grabbing a mask as you head out to run errands. Choosing placement that you know will be in your line of sight and help remind you to grab or do something will make it easier to create a habit! It also makes it easier to put away when it has a specific “spot!”
If you find yourself “setting it here for right now,” then the system in place is not easy enough to make work.
Where should things live in your space to make your life easier? Where should you put them?
make your environment work for you
A system is so much easier than taking on a big behavior change. When you are working to create organization systems in your home, think about how you already utilize your space and what your daily habits look like. Then, create a system that capitalizes on what you already do, in a way where you no longer have to think about it.
Do you always spend time looking for your car keys after you generally set them down somewhere near the garage door? Add a key ring for placement right as you walk into the house and save yourself time that you would normally have to search for where you placed them.
Think to yourself : How do you do something? When? Where do you use it? What do you associate it with?
Dive into why the current system is not working and try something different!
Most people reach out because they are feeling a sense of overwhelm, and I can totally relate to that. Helping to simplify and build those systems that are often related to organization or physical space, so that our brains are not so overloaded can really make all the difference!
Remember, one size does not fit all when it comes to creating systems. The “right system” is unique to each person, as all our brains are different! Think, does this make sense for me?
Also, systems will shift and change! Embrace it when a system no longer seems to be working, and switch it up! Have fun with it!
