Octavia Hansen

Lazy? No, Just Incredibly Efficient



Posted: Monday, September 19, 2011

by Octavia Hansen
Octavia Hansen

Lazy is often confused with efficient. When I am lolling around, it is because everything needed to do has been done. Better yet, when there is a machine involved, it's being done right now and I may continue my lazy day. I have simplified my life to the least amount of resistance. Some people do not agree with my personal philosophy but as I watch them navigate their day, they confirm what I already know. Life can be complicated, but it doesn't have to be.

Somewhere there is a tee-shirt that reads: "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency for me." Planning is the key to being efficiently lazy. Lists, notes, reminders and being prepared go a long way. Write down sizes, birthdays, holidays, carry that burned out light bulb so you don't have to guess, and everything you do now will give you more time later. Procrastination? Even if you are not actually doing anything, have a plan to do something. No one is continually productive, you'll drive yourself crazy trying to do everything -- maybe it's not procrastinating, people are just overwhelmed. Your planning is not written in stone, schedules change, weather changes, health and situations change. You'll have to change, too, but being prepared means not being hysterical.

Thanks to many stores and long store hours, I buy in quantity. Not everything, only non-perishables and not enough to financially cut into the retirement fund or family fortune. Don't want to be down to my last dollar, even if the pantry is full.

Do not waste brain power trying to remember if there is enough toilet paper, paper towels, soap, detergent, toothpaste, shampoo and other daily necessities at the ready. Surely you know how much you use, stock up! Inventory at the once a year mark, sometimes the six month mark, but stock up!

I do a lot of price and product research, find a great buy and then it's Mormon time! No, I'm not Mormon but I had a gal friend who was, family and all, and it's part of their belief to be stocked up and ready. A great idea! She had six months of canned goods in the garage and enough clothes where no one would outgrow anything. She bought fresh stuff regularly but everything else was there. So I follow her example. It doesn't take much room since I'm not a family, a high shelf usually holds everything. When the weather turns, you should NOT have to be running to a store. And especially, if you are in a hurricane/tornado/torrential rain area, be prepared way in advance with plywood, duct tape, plastic, batteries and water. You know something's gonna happen, why are you waiting? Stocking up also means it's not a surprise to your finances, you get to choose what you buy and when, instead of standing in long lines and possibly even then not getting what you need. And there is known price gouging in a crisis.

Along this line of 'quantity' -- I do laundry once a month. No, really. It began when I lived in apartments that had a laundry room, nothing in the individual apartments. I outgrew the apartment laundry room of two washers and two dryers very quickly. At the laundromat I would use five to ten machines, half as many dryers, and be done and home in about two hours. Underthings and sox I also buy and have in bulk. I'm NEVER out of anything. Prince Charming was not waiting for me at the folding table. Even today at my own home with my personal washer and dryer, I relegate only one day to laundry. I do not spend precious evenings or weekends sorting and folding. One day is it; that also includes mending and ironing. Avoid buying ANYTHING that requires drying cleaning -- it is dirty longer than it is clean and worn so much less because of it. There will always be an exception to any of this but most of the time, I'm done.

In the kitchen, I have chosen to be a bad cook. When you are a good cook, everyone wants to come to your house for a meal. As a bad cook, everyone goes somewhere else. When people eat at your house, they do not pay for it, people rarely bring anything (when was the last time anyone brought wine or dessert?) and no one leaves a tip. A good cook spends time in the kitchen, not socializing. When I cook for myself, I follow the golden rule to make twice as much and freeze half! Means I can be lazy later and only have to clean once.

Efficiency is the art of laziness. Never make a special trip for anything. Going upstairs? Take something, pick up something. Downstairs? Same thing. Make lists, leave them on tables, taped to doors, clipped to your car keys. When you drive, do at least two things . . . drop something off, pick something up, stop somewhere, fill up, car wash, trash or recycle drop, library. Everything you do now then means free time later. If you can take someone with you, it doubles your gas mileage and makes you a great friend. I used to pick up non-perishable items early in the morning before going to work, fresh or frozen on the way home. And I could breeze through the express line -- how much ice cream can you buy?

So the guise of efficiency really is the ultimate lazy. I lounge around thinking how to make my life easier so I have more time to lounge around to . . .
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