NOTE: MY APOLOGIES FOR THE CLICKING SOUND IN A SHORT PORTION OF THE VIDEO. MY NECKLACE WAS CLICKING MY MIC AND I WAS UNAWARE OF IT UNTIL LATER. OOPS! Onward...😀 What have you QUIT that has made something simpler in your day. I've enjoyed reading your tips and questions in the comments. Thank you for watching and sharing! 😊💖
I have tried all my life to be productive all day and I have accomplished a lot but at 82 I think I can take that pressure off of me. A puppy helps to re-organize priorities.
I'm retired and have learned to pace myself as I too cannot be productive all day long. I get up at 5 a.m. and I try to do at least 3 of the hardest tasks first by midmorning. This a.m. it was cleaning up my kitchen, laundry room and sanitizing the kitty litter area. Then i reward myself with a great lunch and a little me time ( which usually means a warm bath and a wee nap!). By mid-p.m. my energy is mellow and I do less demanding, more creative stuff. And I enjoy my evenings with reading, music, catching up with friends in person or on line. No heavy duty late night work. Befure I go to bed, I do write a list of my 3 big tasks to do the next morning 😊.
I like the way you structure your day. I don’t do any heavy work in the evening either. I’m just done by then. Lol And sometimes I’ll have a midmorning nap myself. Lol. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate you.😊
Real good comment, l found that at a certain point l need to get going with doing chores or errands, and l want to certain things done by 2pm , l need to to watch my westerns etc, l like your advice about not having to be productive all day long if l read that correctly, yes l want to be productive, I’m retired, so l can pace myself, great comment from you and inspirational!!!!
I quit getting manicures. So freeing. I also stopped painting my toenails. I stopped doing an errand each day. I just pick one day in the week to get all the errands done.
Running errands is one of the things I dislike the most. Lol. My husband will often run errands on his way home from work. I'm not a fan of getting my nails done because I don't like sitting for it or paying that much. Lol. When I'm sitting there I'm thinking of all the other things I could be doing. And I kind of like painting my own nails. Now if I can just get past coloring my hair... Lol.
@@simplifyyourlifewithgwen That's one thing I'm working on: quit fighting with my hair. It's crazy naturally curly and probably all white under there somewhere. Trying to wash and go, and come to grips with it's real color! 👩🦳
I have just started getting my nails done, with gel polish, once a month. Easier to keep my nails from breaking. Toe nails, clear gel polish only. This is the one thing I like doing. I don't color my gray hair and cut it every 3 or 4 months. For those who've given this luxury up👍🏻.
Earlier in the summer, I started neatly trimming and filing my nails and using baby oil on them. I’m saving at least $60 on the mani, pedi and tip when I do that - and they look great!
Thank you for the tips. No coincidence that I came across your video, today I woke up thinking that I need to declutter and get rid of things I don't need. Four months ago I became a widow. I live alone and I need to simplify my life. It's only me and Jesus now. My spiritual life and natural living have to be at peace.
Sandy, I'm so sorry you became a widow 4 months ago. I am happy that God sent you my way. I don't think it's by accident either. I will do my best to create content that will be helpful to you as you simplify your life in this new season. I said a prayer for you as I sent this reply. Love and prayers to you. 💖
Real good point!!!! You taught me something, don’t have to do everything ALL IN 1 DAY etc EXCELLENT!!!! I wish it could be a live discussion because there are so many great points and comments from others Thanks so much for the great pointers and advice!!!!
The problem with using debit cards is that debit cards are not as protective against fraud as credit cards. Trying to get your money back on fraudulent debit card purchases is much more difficult than getting your money back on fraudulent credit card purchases. My son, who is a vice president of risk assessment at one of the largest banks in this country, told me that I should never use my debit card because the way that debit card purchases are dealt with where fraud is concerned are not as efficient or consumer- friendly as credit cards.
You’re right. I never use my debit card for purchases either online or in person. Your bank account could be emptied if the card info was part of a data breach. I use a separate CC that I pay off before the statement end of cycle. I keep my credit utilization below 5%.
100% accurate. Your liability limit on a credit card is $50. On a debit card, it could be everything you have in that account and worse yet if your savings account is attached to your checking for overdraft protection. My debit card is strictly used to withdraw cash from an ATM, and only ones owned by my bank.
I never use my bank debit card... that would put my bank savings at risk... plus other issues. As far as check writing.. I keep that acount fairly low just in case it gets stolen, "washed", and the amount changed. I ALWAYS mail any check payments DIRECTLY into the Post Office fir better security. Plus, I use a special pen where the Ink can not be "washed" and altered. I DO use credit cards for Safety reasons.. carrying a lot of cash around makes me WAY too nervous. Of course.. ALWAYS pay cards OFF.. in FULL.. ASAP. 😊
first time i met a person who does not like dishwashers. i hate that automation as well. Ialways wash dishes fast as soon as i have them, dry them with a towel, put back where they should be and that's it. done. thanks for mentioning this, now i know i am not the only one.
First time listener as well. This is funny, I always wash pots and pans after dinner and I don't do dishwasher for a couple of days because there are just two of us but I will rinse everything. I hate putting away dishes from dishwasher but I do not even think, just wash the dishes and put them away!! Oh my word! And, no is a complete sentence, perfectly said. 😉 worship before prayer and Bible reading. So many ahas but those are the ones that stand out. Thank you for sharing 😊
@@ellenhofer3343 i personally do not use water when ‘washing’, only wet rug and dish soap involved. Then i rinse. And this process is much more enjoyable to me. Not everybody would like this practice and agree with reasoning behind it. Totally agree on that. :)
I like to know what's in my freezers, so I can meal plan & budget. I have 2 tips to share: I label all the containers that go in and second I keep a paper list of what's in the freezer. So much easier to plan off the paper than standing by the cold freezer.
This is a great idea! Index what’s frozen in that deep abyss especially when the labels wear off and I have to de- thaw to figure out what is in that mystery package😂
I answer all calls because of my husband's health issues. Medical offices often have numerous numbers besides the one in my contact list. If it goes to voicemail, I have to call back and 99% of the time leave them a voicemail. It's easier and takes less time to take the call and just hang up if it's not legitimate.
@@bhquilter With a lot of grandchildren, mother, daughters, sisters, and a host of other close relatively, I answer all calls because they are knowns for calling from unknown numbers.
Not explaining myself is one that resonated with me. I've been working on this. It's ok to just say "I'm not available". You don't owe anyone explanations. Another is feeling like I need to be productive all day. This is a big one for me! Even when I'm sat down I'm making notes in my notepad for what's next or going through emails on my phone. I've been trying to teach myself that if I'm feeling burnt out, taking some time to just do nothing and recharge is actually a form of being productive. Hear me out! For me to be functioning at my optimum level, recognising when I need to recharge and not wasting mental energy feeling guilty about that overall leads to being more productive. I hope that makes sense!
Amen it took me 81 years to learn that. Just last year I started to sleep in a bit and just relax. Someone once said, Relax, we will all die with a to do list!
I think the last one is probably going to be the most influential overall the rest. So often I try to tackle my life and daily chores without touching base with the Holy Spirit first. I’ve also found that if I pray the Lord’s prayer, reminding myself I only have this day to be responsible for, it puts things into a better, more balanced perspective. This is the first time I’ve listened to any of your videos and I’ve enjoyed every single suggestion. Thank you for sharing. You are inspiring me.
A capsule wardrobe is the very best. I wear exclusively black/white/red, and it's amazing how many compliments I get that I'm always coordinated. I thank them, knowing full well that I could get dressed in the dark and end up looking just as put together.
I love the idea of not cleaning all at once. I'm retired and there's no reason I can't just do 1 thing I don't like to do a day (bathrooms, floors, etc.)
Hi Gwen! Thank you for telling me about Dave Ramsey. I just paid off 2 small debts. I put everything I owe on paper and added it up . I was shocked at how much I really owe. Way more than what I thought. Besides 2 credit cards I have other companies that I make monthly payments too. Today Saturday August 31st I made an intentional plan to pay off all of my debts. I have my mind set that this will happen and make happen paying my debt off. I made budget for September and up to March 2025. Did all of this - this afternoon. I feel God had your video pop up to meet you and get help and motivation in different areas in my life. God bless you Gwen. 💜Have a Happy Labor Day weekend. 💜
Way to go Melissa!!! I'm so proud of you!!! You are going to feel so great to have these debts paid off. You can do it. 🙌🏼 I'm thankful God brought you to my channel and I'm so happy I could help. You comments made my day! God bless you and thank you for watching! 💖
Numbers 29 and 30 hit home. I feel like explaining yourself after you have said, “No.” is a form of people pleasing. And we don’t need to please everyone.
These are great. My shopping mantra, that began with my teenage daughters, If you don’t LOVE it at the store, you won’t LIKE it when it’s in your closet. This helped them to decide whether or not they should buy it. They are around 30 now, and still use this.
Just found your channel- I like cleaning and doing laundry over time rather than all in one day. Separately, laundry is never ending. Today even though I need to do it I won’t because I have other things to do that I have been putting off that are important- if I start the laundry I’ll get caught up in it. You can get sucked into all the recurring tasks and not have time to do other things like get your pantry ready for winter, clean out /organize your closets, etc. One thing I’ve noticed is I always think the next week I’ll have more time to do those kinds of things and I never do. I am dedicating a day off to those tasks that never seem to get done. Sometimes that’s all you can do.
Maria, welcome to my channel! I am so blessed that you are here and I appreciate your watching and commenting. You have blessed me. 💖 #31 is my absolute favorite! 🙌🏼
I like that! No random places!! I decided to put my phone always on the charger… I always get rid of my mail now everyday. Either pay the bill or shred the junk mail.. ❤each bathroom has its own cleaning supplies.
I think your advice to worship first before reading the Bible is excellent. I agree it would help to quiet the mind to be more receptive to God's word. I have found modern American life to be very fast-paced and a huge amount of work. I beat myself up for years for not being able to keep up with my own desires for perfection. I am trying to simplify everything these days.
I like the worship before reading the Bible. It helps change spending time with God from being just one more chore to check off the list to putting it back into being a part of my lifestyle. I can worship anytime, anywhere!
Today was the first I ever watched you and I loved it! Thank you especially for # 31😃 What a beautiful way to begin devotions, worshiping my Heavenly Father! Thank you!
One thing I don’t do anymore that has been one of the best is having friends who were too demanding … I feel so relived and hardly even even remember them, while 6 months ago I considered them almost best friends. What a waste of my time they were. Sadly, but happily!
I'm with you on the credit cards: I never feel like I own the thing I bought on credit card until the bill is paid. It takes the joy out of the purchase for me. Whereas, if I pay cash, the joy is NOW. 😊
I totally agree with 29 & 30. It was hard at first to say no to anyone. After many major health problems I learned very quickly that I had to learn to say no. Also, no explanation should be required.
@@simplifyyourlifewithgwen I’m definitely 💯 following!!! I know a lot about what you said and all of the short cuts!! Your channel must be really helpful! I love surrounding myself with successful people, you are certainly one of them!! I can’t wait to learn, listen and grow more together with you!!!
I’m a senior and it’s wonderful to find another person who does a lot of things the same way as I have been doing. #31 is exactly what I do for my morning devotions…and my favorite song to start worship is “Goodness of God” by Cece Winans! Isn’t this amazing? I totally agree with your #22. We haven’t had a credit card for the past 30 years and we’re doing fine. May I add one more thing? I have pairs of scissors by the kitchen sink, coffee station, in the drawers of tables in the dining room and living room, beside my desk, my vanity table, and the counter of the bathroom. And I have a small one inside my purse. This way I don’t have to keep looking for one when I need it. God bless your heart for sharing these tips. When we simply our lives we can focus on what really matters.
I love Goodness of God! It's one of my favorites. I agree with having scissors where you need them. Good point. I have them in my office, three in the kitchen (one for cutting up chicken which I never do anymore) and one in the bathroom. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate you!
Love #31! Going to do that! Great idea! After all, that’s what we all do in church. We worship and praise first and then receive the Word of God! I have been doing the opposite in my devotion time. Thank you for sharing this! Have a Blessed Day!
Hello Gwen! So glad I found you today as a few things really hit home with me. 1. Clothing - only keeping what I wear and coordinating it all. I've procrastinated long enough on going through it. 2. Having one makeup (and toiletry) bag to grab and go! I'm often doing overnights with family and I spend so much time repacking each time. 3. I appreciate your take on worship and scripture reading. The heart and mindset is key to being open to listening and discernment. Thank you for sharing your wisdom here!🌼
I've learned to say "Thank you but I'll pass this time" to offers to eat out (or join in on an activity). I'm selective with the groups I spend time with, the menu/restaurant, and the expense I'll incur. Everything needs to align with my priorities at the present time and I don't feel one bit bad about it. Knowing when to say NO has been huge for me but it took me a long time to figure out it's okay!
@@simplifyyourlifewithgwen You're welcome! We all need encouragement in every endeavor!! Life is hard enough not to be positive and thoughtful toward one another, right? 😉🧡
@@margaretfrise8047 I have a friend who feels the same way. And it’s probably true. I wash in the hottest water possible and figure people have been handwashing since the beginning of time so we’re probably okay. 😁 Thank you for watching. I appreciate you.
Really good video, so I'll take LOTS of your tips on board. I've quit being with people who don't feel right to be with. I'll give them just one try and then decide, immediately. It's taken me many years to get to this point. It has saved my sanity and self-respect. :)
What time-saving, mind-altering, straight up helpful advice. You are such a brilliant speaker. This was the first time I have seen one of your videos, but I definitely want to see more. My favorites were stop spending without a plan and stop keeping things you don’t wear. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
I did many of these from my early 20s and more so now in my 30 I’m just lazy and found doing stuff like these living life easier 😅😅😅 good to know I’m not alone.
#32 Every two years give away 4 or 5 box’s of things that you thought would make you happy. Give it to someone who recently had a tragedy in their life. Thing’s don’t bring you happiness but, blessing other’s will. Don’t be a pack rat, no one brings a thing with them when it’s all said and done.
Not being a perfect teacher sounds good. Teachers are always told, by administrators, how their lesson could have been better. It’s a never ending battle. I’ll do my best.
I think our best is the most reasonable thing to give. Thank you for being a teacher. You are a blessing to your students. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate you. : )
You should transfer to another school where they respect and encourage their teachers. Not make them feel bad. Teaching is a dieing art and most are retiring or going into another profession. They are lucky to have you! Resect yourself and move on!😊
When we say "yes" to one person or group, we are automatically saying "no" to someone else. Too often, by default, that "no" is to those we care about the most.
When I went to the Caribbean, I noticed the dish drain was built into the cabinet. What a game changer. I recreated it for my tiny home. What a game changer.
I enjoyed you so much. You are so honest, down to earth just like so many of us, but don't admit these things. You gave me so many ideas that make sense like the mail, when your a senior every organization thinks you can give to all. I wish I could. Thank you, I can't wait to tell my daughter. You. Are great and very helpful.
I have 2 sets of sheets and 2 sets of pillow cases for each bed. I keep the extra set that is not on the bed in a nightstand drawer next to the bed. No more sorting through piles of sheets in a linen closet. Also, I love my QUICKZIP (brand) sheets. No more hassling with fitted sheets: You just zip off the top portion. Easy to wash. Easy fold. Easy to store. They cost a bit more, but they are so worth the ease of use!
Something not mentioned was jewelry. I read a tip that having two nice pairs of earrings (hoops & posts) with two nice necklaces is all one needs. I’m not really a jewelry person so this resonated with me. 👍🏻
First time seeing your channel - subscribed now. So many of these make so much sense and I have done many of them, but need to take care of several more!. I do have a tip for you - there is a way on your phone (at least there is on my iPhone) that any call coming in from a number that is not in my contacts will not ring, but go automatically to voicemail. If it is a legit call, they will leave a message and I can call them back. Also, all my appointments are kept in my phone calendar. I always have it with me, so I pull it out whenever I need to schedule something. No way could I remember all the "things". I am a retired widow, Bible study leader and prayer warrior - not necessarily in that order!
I absolutely love and needed to hear the one about not trying to be productive all day. The next would be trying to be perfect and you’re talking about number 31 right now and I really believe that that was they could change for me as well.
Wow! I love #31....I have experienced that worship puts me in a condition to receive deeper meaning from the preaching of God's Word. But I never thought about it in that way in my personal time. I am going to implement this in my personal time with the Lord. Thank you so much for the good advice.
Great stuff Gwen. You could have entitled this "How To Live Your Life". I relate so much to many of your points but being male I can disregard all the the things mentioned for the ladies. Organization, yes; clothing issues, yes;credit card use, yes, and so on. I have a system I call the " X theory of organization ". Everything goes on the X! Keys, glasses, drivers license, back scrathers, body brush, etc. At 81, time is my most precious " thing". I don't want to waste a minute of it, hence the desire to make every motion count. Cleaning? I choose to be neutral in thought. Just do it! And love the result! Scissors? I have recently bought 4 more pair to place on X's where needed! One of my best ideas (I think) is my "door buddies". Boxes I have made that go beside main doors so that there is always a resting place for packages, groceries, miscellaneous items so that your hands can be free to open and close the doors. No bending over! I capture water when doing dishes in gallon jugs then I can use that waste water to water my garden. I have a gym membership and go every other day to shave, sauna, spa, and shower. Eliminates ALL cleaning. Enough for now, but there is more!
This was so good! I just stumbled upon you. I really resonate with just being able to say no without necessarily giving an explanation. Also, not feeling like I must read every word of every book! And breaking down cleaning to daily chunks! Oh, and I always feel overwhelmed with stacks of mail! That one is huge for me! Lastly, love your reminder to put worship before Bible reading!! Thank you for sharing! I’m a new subscriber!😇
@@virginiabaker4471 Same. And I refuse to feel guilty about it, even if my car is in the driveway and they know I'm home. My family and friends know to text first to see if I'm available. Several of them are also now doing this.
I need to quit saying yes, and I don’t answer unknown callers. Actually I need to take a number of these suggestions to heart. I really like #31. I need to do this.
Great tips, and I will definitely use some. I also worship before reading my bible. I am more intuned with the word if I worship first. Thank you for sharing your tips.
I put almost everything on one credit card. I pay it off every month and I have the protection given to me by the credit card company, and I also have a record of my spending throughout the year. I understand not everybody can do that, it's just what I do.
Thanks for explaining the clicking sound. I thought it was my cat. I kept trying to figure out what she was doing. 😅 I love your videos. Thank you so much! I do one or two things a day, + put off other household chores for another day. Sometimes, my hubby says, you've done enough, go sit down. I also prefer to cook dinner in the morning + be done with it. I am considering getting another crock pot. I'm undecided because I have an instapot already. Thank you also for sharing your faith! I too am a woman of faith! ❤ I sometimes enjoy time singing to the Lord.
I just recently quit being so productive so I could enjoy caring for my infant granddaughter. It was an adjustment but my love for her and wanting to enjoy her more than one day a week has made me reassess priorities. So I still work, but more efficiently and get to care for her 3 days a week. Love it. 1. Had to quit being so over productive. Making more, I was spending more and paying lots more in taxes 2. Quit worrying about people pleasing and avoid negative, ill intentioned people even if family. 3. I quit trying to fulfill the perfect wife role therefore takes lots of stress off and makes me a happier, fun wife😁 to be around. * I love the purse idea of having everything in bags * I love the travel makeup idea as well. Great tips
I quit everything.😁 I only do what I feel like. Some times I can go for days not doing nothing, and I'm fine with it. I hate when I tell hubby, DON'T answer the phone! He answers. Sometimes I DON'T want to talk to anyone right now, he STILL answers the phone. I swear at him cause he HAS to answer the phone. He retires soon. It's gonna be so much fun.
I love the idea of the bags that go inside the purses so it’s easy to switch purses! I’m definitely doing it. I’m tired of forgetting stuff I need. 🎉thank you!
You’re so right about worship before Bible. Otherwise my mind tends to jump to awaiting tasks. It’s part of “being still and knowing that He’s God,” as the Word tells us. The Lord communicates such sweet or vital insights or directives to me during that worship time.
You are so right. Worship is life-giving! I love how God reveals truths in His Word after I worship. Thank you for watching. Your comments blessed me. 😊
First time watching. Great tips❤❤ I don't tolerate a lot of clutter so many of these things are already in place for me but I totally love the idea of putting my food storage bowls upside down in fridge. I have never heard of that one and I love it!! Thank you for sharing.
@@DanielleBatog Thank you for watching and comment Danielle. I appreciate you. 😊 I came up with idea of turning the bowls upside after letting too much food go to waste. I FINALLY realized we forgot about it because we couldn’t see it. 🤦🏻♀️😉
I buy a roll of yellow painter's tape & label everything that goes in my fridge and freezer, including "use before" date. Cheap, takes a second, and tells you all you need to know.
I read through most of the comments after watching this video. Your #31 made an incredible impact! I am a night owl, so hearing you get up at 4am blows my mind...lol. It might be 9am that I get my coffee and read whichever devotional I am on and then read a chapter or so of the Bible. I do tell God good morning from Florida when I wake up and remind Him that I want to say and do whatever He has for me to say or do . I ask that the Holy Spirit help me NOT to say or do what does not please God. Having my quiet time talking with Jesus before talking with anyone else is a day changer. I have purged 80% of our stuff of 40 years married and keep a bag going all the time for donation. Having a place for things we use everyday, like keys is essential. Process that mail and spend the extra few minutes to unsubscribe from emails that you don't want actually saves time overall. I use my phone's google calendar for any event, appointment and things I need to do. Girl, I like all of your 31 things...but using credit cards still works best for us. We all have to find ways to reduce the stress we put on ourselves. Thank you.
Absolutely love tip 31!! So true! I’ve been doing the 2 small bags in my purse to make it easy to change purse for a while now, so brilliant… working hard on not laying things down in random places and hav dedicated landing place for certain items… if only the fam will get on board lol ~ great video 💖
I use clear bags (usually double zip locks!)for my purses to quickly transfer. Lipstick, lip balm, gum, etc in one, meds in another and so on. I need to see what's inside.
Thank You!!! You pointers are some I never thought about and believe me My mind is always running on how to make things easier! You took a lot of guilt off of me today!! Can you make a video showing your home? I love what I seen on this video so far! My first time here! Love this!!
Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you. I do so much better with my budget using mostly cash. I use my debit card for online purchases and I have so much better control.
I like the simplicity of one account and knowing I'm spending my money in real time and not paying for it later - even if it is without a carryover balance and interest. I'm a fan of "as simple as possible". Lol.
I quit cleaning the house all in one day as well. I did it out of necessity though. I physically cannot do it anymore but I like doing it this way far better. I should have done it this way all my life. I've cleaned my shower while I'm in the shower for quiet some time now. It just made sense to me. For the other two showers in the house, I still get in them and clean them. Makes it easier on my back to do it that way. I just leave my clothes on. 😂
Hitting the UNsubscribe button on those unread accumulated emails is advice I practise and it feels so liberating too see 👀 those emails instantly dissappear 😅
Many , many years ago I told myself I ONLY buy it if I love it! I also have been working on the capsule wardrobe. My two base colors for shoes are navy and black. From those two colors I have built my wardrobe. Now packing for a long weekend is so easy. I usually only take two pr shoes ; sneakers and sandals in the same color and all clothes that go with.. That way everything goes together..Black shoes , gray, black , khaki and white clothes . Navy shoes, navy, Kahki, and white clothes.
