What chore do I hate? Cleaning out my window sill & tracks.

You know why? Because until yesterday, I didn’t know you could take the sliding window out, remove the track and clean it.

How simple was that? Why didn’t I know that? Because I never asked.

So, the process I went through to the clean the window was not only a royal pain, but wasn’t really effective. I couldn’t clean underneath, and my gag reflex kicked in today when I saw what was under there (thank goodness for vinyl windows!).

So, what the heck does that have to do with simplifying your life? A lot!

Can you imagine how much easier it would have been, how many less bumps and bruises I would have had, and how much less time I would have spent on this mundane project if I would have known there was a much easier way? Well, my knuckles are all intact, but for argument sake, let’s talk about time:

• Old way: 45 minutes per window, labor intensive, hated doing it so I avoided it
• New way: 15 minutes per window, very simple and fast to do, didn’t love doing it but definately won’t avoid it in the future

What does that mean? It means I saved myself 30 minutes per window (I have 12) and I now don’t hate doing this chore, hence I will do it more often.

What does that mean for you?

Well, think about a chore you hate to do. Since one of the subjects of this blog is organizing, let’s use that one. Say you’re struggling with your home office, and good grief, it is driving you crazy. So, you cope. You stack up the papers, avoid filing and generally go day after day trying to work in an office that you basically hate. You feel hopeless because what you’ve done in the past hasn’t worked. Instead, you could:

• … ask a friend or family member for help. Chores are more fun together and they could have some awesome cleaning or organizational tips you could take advantage of.
• … go online and search for better solutions. Let’s be honest, you’re probably spending a lot of time on your phone already, so just use some of that time to see what other people have done that can make your life easier.
• … read a book like “It’s Hard To Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys,” by Marilyn Paul. Sometimes reading something motivational can help kick me into gear.

What’s something you’ve done to help simplify your life? Share with us in the comments below!