19 Life Hacks That Will Make You Feel Like You Have Your Shit Together

Tips and tricks that will make life a whole lot easier.

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Sometimes (OK, most of the time) it's hard to make it through a full week without feeling like you're absolutely failing at this whole adulting thing.

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But don't stress! We rounded up a bunch of simple tips that will make your everyday life so much easier and productive, so you'll indeed feel like you're getting your shit together.

OK, get started!

1. Set your alarm for 20 minutes earlier and DON'T hit snooze.

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If you're literally always rushing in the morning, just go ahead and accept the fact that your wake-up time is not realistic. So give yourself those extra 20 minutes to play around with every day.

2. Set realistic money goals that you can actually stick to.

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Saving half your paycheck every month probably isn't one of them, so don't even try.

"If you set unrealistic goals based on what you think you should be doing, you're just going to feel disappointed in yourself and overwhelmed when you don't keep up with them," Barbara Hemphill, author of Less Clutter More Life, tells BuzzFeed Life.

A few that would work: paying bills within 24 hours of when they come in, setting up online bill pay, paying at least double your minimum credit card payment each month, etc.

3. Schedule mandatory appointments with yourself.

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Like, in your Google calendar and everything. "Everyone needs some quiet time, whether it’s 10 or 15 minutes," Hemphill says. "No structure, just down time." You can use that time to reflect, journal, get a haircut, download new music, or just spend some quality time with yourself.

4. Tackle the beast that is your inbox.

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"Email is one of the biggest productivity suckers in the world," Hemphill says. "The average amount of emails in an inbox is 3,000. People get so overwhelmed by email that they want to avoid it."

Take this 5-day Inbox Cleanse so that email is no longer your worst enemy and your life is 100% easier.

5. Make your damn bed.

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If you ever have an unannounced guest, you'll definitely look like you have your shit together. "Making your bed every morning is a great way to build a small but productive habit that will lead to others," says Hemphill. And in case you need more motivation, here's why making your bed every morning will change your life.

6. Get a key holder that keeps you organized AF.

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Nothing makes you feel more like a shitshow than misplacing your keys, wallet, and cell phone. Hang up a cute key rack — like this one available on Etsy for $50 — in your entryway and make it a routine to drop your belongings in there every day when you get home.

7. Keep a piggy bank or coin jar.

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Loose coins are EVERYWHERE — all over your car, your pockets, your bags, your dressers, and stuffed in between the sofa cushions. Make it a habit to collect all those coins and drop them in a jar at the end of the day. It'll declutter your shit, while giving you a slush fund to use on what you please.

8. Declutter your bag at the end of each week.

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Take some time at the end of each week to throw out unnecessary receipts and gum wrappers, collect all your loose change, and organize all the other random crap you've got stored in there. Because nothing is more frustrating than spending 20 minutes searching for your credit card, your pen, or your subway pass that you know you just put in there this morning.

9. Assume something is always going to come up, and start leaving earlier for things.

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It's so tempting to wait until the last minute to get to where you need to go. But allowing yourself ample time to get there not only ensures you'll be there on time (safely!), but it will also save you a lot of stress and panicking in case something does come up.

10. Do your grocery shopping and meal prepping on the weekends.

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Buying and preparing lots of food on Sunday will save you time, money, and stress throughout the week. Here are some make-ahead meals and snacks for you to try.

11. Learn a handful of go-to recipes that are delicious and not super difficult.

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This way you'll always have something to contribute to potlucks, holiday parties, or just to impress the hell out of someone. Here are 26 simple foods that are easy to make and that you should definitely learn to cook.

12. Buy a shitload of containers for your cabinets and closets.

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It's so easy to shove things in a pantry and forget about them. And nothing makes you want to tear your hair out more than searching for something that YOU KNOW IS THERE but for some reason is invisible to the naked eye.

Hemphill suggests buying a bunch of simple containers, sorting through your pantry, and storing all goods with like things. It will save you from buying things you already have and it will save you the time it would take to rip the whole thing apart looking for a can of tomato soup.

13. Label all the things!

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Buy some simple DIY labels and put them on everything in your cabinets and pantry. So cute, so useful.

14. Keep a giveaway box in your house.

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"Every household should have a donation box so that anything you don’t need can go to a good cause," Hemphill says. "That way you’ll always have a place for things you're not going to keep, instead of letting them pile up in your closet or around the house." GENIUS.

15. Learn some simple bodyweight exercises.

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Regular exercise will clear your head, give you energy, and take away some of that daily stress. Here are some bodyweight moves you can do literally anywhere.

16. Sort through your mail and get rid of all clutter using the FAT system.

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File, Act, Toss! Hemphill recommends this system for going through all your physical and virtual clutter. File it if you don't know if you'll need it again (those insurance papers probably); Act on it if it can be taken care of right now (a bill!); and Toss it if you know you don't need it (coupons to that sketchy Tex-Mex place).

And check out Consumer Reports' list to find out how long you should keep specific documents and when you can throw them out.

17. Buy a planner and write all over it.

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"I've never met someone who was able to be successful or enjoy their lives if they didn’t have some sort of calendar,” Hemphill says. "Paper or electronic — you must have a way of keeping track of your daily activities and commitments. It's a non-negotiable thing based on the clients that I’ve worked with."

She recommends using Work Flowy, a to-do list app that helps you manage your daily tasks and thoughts.

18. Decorate your living room so that it reflects the badass person you want to be.

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Everything in your living room should either be beautiful, useful, or something you love, says Hemphill. And if it isn't, get rid of it!

19. Ask yourself the question, "What's the one thing that needs to happen in the next [X amount of time] for me to feel happy with my progress?"

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If you're working towards a goal or milestone, this is a great way to check in with yourself, says Hemphill. If you know what your daily/weekly/monthly goals are, you'll be way better at staying on track and measuring your progress.

Start working these into your everyday routine and you'll be on top of things in no time!

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