OUTFIT DETAILS: Sweater || Skirt {also LOVE this one} || Heels || Phillip Lim Satchel Handbag || Cuff 1 c/o Rustic Cuff || Cuff 2 c/o Rustic Cuff|| Tassel Earrings c/o Gorjana
Automate. Batch. Work Smarter.
Talk to any savvy business owner and they’ll tell you these are game changers! But what exactly are we supposed to automate? And how do you actually do it?
Here are 22 things you can implement RIGHT NOW (as in TODAY) that will exponentially pay off. Some of these are mine and some of these are YOURS. {I opened up the question on my Instagram and Instagram Stories last week. Thank you SO much guys! You’re SO SMART!}.
So, why should we automate as much as we can?
You’ll have more time to do things you actually like doing! Less running around and feeling stressed. Plus you’ll fly through life a little more effortlessly. I mean who couldn’t use a little more time, especially with the holidays coming up? OMG, I’m FREAKING out secretly.
If you try any of these ideas, let me know (DM me, email me, Tweet me, whatever floats your boat)! And if you have suggestions of your own, I want to hear those too! Just leave a comment below 👇
All right, let’s go automate shall we?
22 Ways To AUTOMATE Your Personal Life TODAY!
- Amazon Prime: You know those necessities you consistently run out of all the time? I’m talking toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, dog food, trash bags, detergent, soap, etc. Get yourself on a repeat order from Amazon. When you run out of life “staples”, it sets you back big time. This also makes your grocery store runs shorter so you can concentrate on meals and get in and out!
- Sunday Prep: Every Sunday make a ritual to look at the week ahead. You’ll remember what needs to be done throughout the week and be better prepared. For example, if you see you have a birthday party on Friday, write down to pick up a gift on Wednesday. You’ll also be aware of commitments that week and won’t accidentally over book. The result? A stress free week!
- Dry Cleaners: Most dry cleaners offer FREE pick up and drop off. DO IT.
- Canned Responses: Email is such a time suck. Most people don’t realize how much time they spend on it. But did you know you can save pre-written responses in Gmail? I know Outlook does too! Start making a mental note of phrases you’re typing over and over. Then save them as templates. You can answer and write emails in under 3 seconds flat. It’s a HUGE game changer! I use it A LOT for work, but here are some responses you can use in your personal life:
- Your name and address (you’d be surprised how often you get asked for this!)
- Decline plans
- A “let me get back with you” response
- If this, than…: Every time you ask a question through email/text, end it with the phrase “if yes… XYZ. If not…XYZ”. This cuts back on so much back and forth it’s ridiculous. Your inbox and text chains will cut in half! For example: Instead of just asking “want to grab dinner?”. Try this. “want to grab dinner? If so, what’s a good day for you? If not, want to try coffee instead?” Give it a try!
- Hire a cleaning lady. Trust me.
- I believe if you have a classic coat, one pair of nice flats, and a pair of jeans that fit you like a glove, you’ll ALWAYS have something to wear! These are the foundations to a good wardrobe.
- Run all your errands in one day. Batching tasks saves time. Knock these out in one swoop versus one or two each day.
- Say NO. The earlier you learn to say no to projects, people and activities in your life that don’t aline with your goals, the better. Easier said than done though. Remember. When you say “yes” to one thing, you’re saying “no” to something or someone else. I used to say “yes” to every coffee date, collaboration and event. Although they’re SO FUN, I realized I had zero time for the stuff that moves the needle or pays the bills! TIP: If saying “no” makes you feel super uncomfortable (hello! ME!), this is super helpful.
- Run the dishwasher every night and empty it every morning. Even if it’s only half full! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH THIS CHANGED MY LIFE (haha!). I used to wait till the dishwasher was full before washing it. But then there’d be no room to put the dirty dishes while it was running during the middle of the day. This trick allows you to always have room in the dishwasher and prevent stacking. I just learned this a few months ago and our kitchen stays SO clean and picked up. I can’t believe how easier it is!
- Get ahead of the holidays! Prep now, start buying presents early and get ahead of your holiday attire. Given this is such a large topic (and easier said than done), I’m offering up a FREE Personal Shopping service just for you guys! Have someone who’s tough to buy for? Fill out the form and I’ll send you 3 ideas you can buy on the spot. I also have a ton of content planned for you this season that will make your life easier and allow you to plan ahead. So get excited!
- Niki Cordell, founder of Ring Hero, suggests…
- Put all alerts (bdays, dog grooming reminders, pay nanny, etc) in your email/phone calendar.
- Create gift giving list on iPhone so it’s always near you
- Set up autopay on all bills
- Sit down with the hubs every Sunday for our week-at-a-glance (nothing to do with automating life 😜, but staying organized!)
- Katie of Live Half Full suggests Amazon Prime, grocery online ordering and online calendars! But GET THIS. She gets her groceries delivered once a week EVERY FRIDAY. When I asked her “why Friday?” she said “So I feel prepared for the week and can relax over the weekend!” GENIUS.
- Sisters Marie has been using PeaPod Deliveries for years and will never go back! “It’s awesome because you can chose to repeat any of your last orders (so you don’t have to search for everything). I usually do this because we run out of the same things every week.”
- Sincerely Jennie wrote “I went to a woman’s mentoring event where the speaker said her secret to success is outsourcing whatever you can in your personal life (i.e. cleaning your house) to leave time for work, family and friends.“
- Maria Bayer, founder of Irresistible Selling, SWEARS by the following:
- Acuity Scheduling for appointment scheduling is a HUGE time-saver for me! It cuts my email correspondence in half (no more back and forth trying to figure out times/dates to meet or schedule calls).
- Blinkist for reading books fast – is one I’ve been using for awhile and LOVE it. It’s like Cliff Notes for adults! It’s basically an app that gives you 15 minute book summaries that you can read or listen to. You get the gist of a book in 15 minutes while driving in the car and makes traffic a lot more tolerable
- Text shortcuts for Mac and your phone!
- Mina from Chicago Food Girl uses Peapod for her groceries, auto pays her bills and uses iRobot to clean her floors!
- Alison from So Chic Life says “InstaCart + Sitter Service = Happy Life!“
- Tracy Ftacek of Pretty Convenient swears by Blue Apron Meal Delivery. “Comes every Wednesday. Even though you still spend 40 minutes cocking it has two yummy dinners that I haven’t tasted before. I’ve been ordering for a year now!!”
- Kayla DeLacy of Pleats and Pearls skips lines like it’s her job! “I mobile everything so I don’t have to wait in line – Panera, Starbucks, etc.”.
- Gabrielle is on board too! “I set up automatic payments for everything – garbage service, cable & internet, even my mortgage…it’s a huge stress reliever never to think about paying bills on time!“
- Katie Baumgartner of Make to Celebrate says “Cleaning lady!!!!!! It’s literally like therapy for me.”
All righty guys. How do you automate and get stuff done? The more tips we share, the better off we’ll be. Comment below and I can’t wait to hear!
P.S. Have you read my Work Smarter, Not Harder series? It’s chalk full of tips and tricks from Chicago’s leading ladies!
SHOP THE POST
OUTFIT DETAILS: Sweater || Skirt {also LOVE this one} || Heels || Phillip Lim Satchel Handbag || Cuff 1 c/o Rustic Cuff || Cuff 2 c/o Rustic Cuff|| Tassel Earrings c/o Gorjana
Love, love this list~ definitely needed this, thank you!
Great list, and further validates I should hire a cleaning woman 🙂
Such a fun list, thanks for sharing!
Love this list! I’m always looking to my life easier! I love that three tips suggest hiring someone to do your cleaning. I always have someone clean the floors (my least favorite job is scrubbing grout!) and I’ve been considering taking it a step forward but I’ve been unsure if it’s worth the money. I think this is the push I needed! I also need to be better at running the dishwasher overnight. It does make such a difference when I remember to do it! Thanks for sharing these great tips!