Ultimate guide to “high maintenance to stay low maintenance”
Think of your life as a garden: a little extra weeding and planting now can lead to a beautiful, low-maintenance oasis later. Here’s your ultimate guide to making that happen.
In this guide, we'll explore how putting in a bit more effort upfront in various aspects of life—from personal care to home organization—can lead to a smoother, more efficient, and low-maintenance lifestyle in the long run.
What Does "High Maintenance to Stay Low Maintenance" Mean?
Okay, so let's break this down. "High maintenance to stay low maintenance" might sound like a bit of a contradiction at first, right? But here's the deal: it's all about putting in a bit more effort and time upfront so that later on, life is way easier. Think of it like setting up a smart home system. You spend some time installing all the gadgets and learning how they work, but then you get to enjoy the convenience of controlling everything with just your voice or your phone. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
Why Bother with the Extra Effort?
You might be wondering, "Why should I put in extra effort now? Can't I just take it easy?" Totally fair question! The magic here is in the payoff. By going the extra mile initially, you save tons of time, energy, and stress in the future. Imagine not having to scramble to find your keys every morning because you set up a dedicated spot for them. Or think about having smooth, glowing skin with minimal daily effort because you invested in a great skincare routine. It's like future-you giving present-you a big high five.
Real-Life Examples
Let's get into some real-life examples so this all makes more sense.
The Wardrobe Overhaul: Picture this: you spend a weekend decluttering your closet, getting rid of clothes that don’t fit or that you don't love. You then organize everything by type and color. Now, every morning, picking out an outfit is a breeze because you only have pieces you actually like and can easily find.
Meal Prepping: Imagine dedicating a few hours on Sunday to meal prep. You chop veggies, cook proteins, and portion out meals for the week. Yes, it’s a bit of work upfront, but then you have healthy, delicious meals ready to go every day, saving you from last-minute fast food runs or scrambling to figure out dinner.
Digital Declutter: Think about spending some time organizing your digital life—sorting your emails, setting up folders, and backing up important files. After this initial effort, finding what you need is a snap, and you avoid the stress of a cluttered inbox or misplaced documents.
By now, you’re probably getting the idea. It’s all about that initial investment paying off big time in the long run. I'll show you how to apply this principle to different areas of your life for maximum ease and efficiency!
Personal Care
Skincare Routine:
High Maintenance: Investing in quality skincare products and establishing a consistent routine. I keep a little card with my nightly routine stuck to my bathroom mirror (habits and routines are hard for me).
Low Maintenance: Achieving healthy skin that requires minimal daily effort.
Haircare:
High Maintenance: Regular salon visits for cuts, treatments, and possibly color - I get lived-in color so I can stretch appointments to 12 weeks. I book my next visit before I leave the salon!
Low Maintenance: Easy-to-manage hairstyles that look good with minimal styling.
Makeup:
High Maintenance: Brow lamination, lash lifts, self-tanner contouring. I have a little spreadsheet that tracks when I do these things so I can stay on top of them.
Low Maintenance: No need for daily brow filler, mascara, or bronzer!
Home Organization
Decluttering:
High Maintenance: Investing time in thorough decluttering sessions. I try to set aside one day a month to focus on one decluttering project.
Low Maintenance: Reduces time spent cleaning and organizing daily. Enjoying a clutter-free, easier-to-clean home.
Storage Solutions:
High Maintenance: Installing and organizing effective storage systems.
Low Maintenance: Easily accessible and organized belongings.
Cleaning Schedule:
High Maintenance: Establishing a cleaning routine and deep cleaning initially. I batch all of my cleaning tasks on Mondays. Doing “a little bit every day” has never worked for me, so loading up one day with all the cleaning tasks has been a game changer. It’s almost like a game - I try and time things out so I’m doing them as efficiently as possible!
Low Maintenance: Regular, quick maintenance clean-ups. Don’t have to think as much about it during the rest of the week!
Financial Management
Budgeting and Planning:
High Maintenance: Setting up a detailed budget and financial plan. I use YNAB.
Low Maintenance: Effortlessly tracking and managing finances with established systems.
Investing in Quality:
High Maintenance: Researching and purchasing quality items.
Low Maintenance: Long-lasting items that don’t need frequent replacement.
Set it and forget it bill pay:
High Maintenance: Spend a day setting up automatic bill pay for everything.
Low Maintenance: Your bills are paid on autopilot. No more late fees!
Technology, Work, and Productivity
App and Tool Setup:
High Maintenance: Investing time in learning and setting up productivity apps.
Low Maintenance: Increased efficiency and streamlined workflows.
Automations:
High Maintenance: Spend some time setting up shortcuts on your phone or tablet to batch tasks that you usually do together.
Low Maintenance: Enjoying automated task management with minimal intervention.
Weekly Planning:
High Maintenance: Review your calendar, set goals, and plan your tasks for the week.
Low Maintenance: Increases productivity, reduces decision fatigue
Email Organization:
High Maintenance: Weekly clean out your inbox, respond to important emails, and categorize others. Set up filtering and sorting systems if your email provider allows.
Low Maintenance: Reduces the daily amount of time necessary to take care of emails.
Workspace Organization:
High Maintenance: Tidy up and organize your workspace. Set up an inbox/outbox system for important papers and mail.
Low Maintenance: Reduces time spent looking for things, scrambling to find space, and minimizes losing things
Family Schedule Management
Family Calendar:
High Maintenance: Review and update the family calendar with appointments, activities, and events.
Low Maintenance: Reduces daily scheduling conflicts
Chore Chart:
High Maintenance: Plan and assign household chores for each family member.
Low Maintenance: Ensures everyone knows their responsibilities
Activity Prep:
High Maintenance: Prepare for upcoming activities (pack bags, set out clothes, etc.).
Low Maintenance: Makes mornings and transitions smoother
Health and Wellness
Meal Planning:
High Maintenance: Plan meals and snacks for the week, create a weekly shopping list.
Low Maintenance: Reduces decision fatigue, allows for more efficient meal prep (and helps promote a healthy diet!).
Meal Prep:
High Maintenance: Batch cook meals, chop vegetables, prepare snacks, and store them in the fridge or freezer for easy access during the week.
Low Maintenance: Reduces the amount of time required to cook on a daily basis, makes meal ingredients more visible and more likely to be used
Exercise Plan:
High Maintenance: Plan your workouts for the week at the beginning of the week.
Low Maintenance: Reduces decision fatigue, helps establish a regular routine so you don’t have to think about it quite as much
Health Appointments:
High Maintenance: Set aside one day a month to schedule any necessary health appointments (doctor, dentist, therapist). I keep a spreadsheet with dates of previous doctor appointments to make sure I’m going however frequently I’m supposed to!
Low Maintenance: Reduces stress, frontloads phone calls (a frequent ADHD trap), keeps you on top of health needs,
And there you have it—your ultimate guide to being high maintenance to stay low maintenance. By investing a little extra effort and time upfront, you can enjoy a smoother, more efficient lifestyle that saves you time, reduces stress, and boosts your overall well-being.
Remember, the goal is to make life easier and more enjoyable. It might seem like a lot of effort initially, but the payoff is worth it. Imagine waking up to a clutter-free home, effortlessly finding your favorite outfit, enjoying a healthy meal you prepped in advance, and having more time for the things you love.
So why not start today? Pick one area to focus on and make a plan. Trust me, your future self will thank you.
Have you tried any high-maintenance strategies to simplify your life? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below! Don’t forget to subscribe for more tips on living your best, low-maintenance life.
