Most People Make Life Harder—Here’s How to Make it Easy
Most people set their lives up in a way that makes everything stressful: debt, rigid schedules, expensive choices, and constant competition. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve designed my life to be easier, more flexible, and less stressful—and it’s not by accident.
The secret? Intentional choices that eliminate unnecessary stress and give me more control. I don’t just hope for an easier life; I make decisions that create one. Here’s how.
Table of Contents
The Biggest Choices I Made to Make Life Easier
These are active choices—not luck, not random chance. They’re decisions that make life easier.
1. I Chose Not to Have Kids
This isn’t about saying kids are bad—it’s about knowing what kind of life I want. I value flexibility, and for me, having kids wouldn’t align with that.
Some people thrive on parenthood, but I know that it would make my life harder and the pros simply don’t outweigh the cons. I knew since I was a kid that this would be my decision—I just didn’t know what type of impact it would have on my life back then.
This is literally one of the TOP “easy buttons” for me, and every day, I’m further cemented in my choice.
2. I Don’t Have Pets (Yet) Because I Know the Reality
I want a dog or a cat, but I also know it would make my current lifestyle harder. If/when I do get a pet, it will be a planned choice with a setup that makes it easier.
I’m not going to adopt an animal on impulse and then struggle with travel, housing, and responsibility.
3. I Live Below My Means—Even When I Make More Money
Just because I earn more doesn’t mean I spend more. I don’t upgrade my lifestyle every time my income increases.
This means fewer financial obligations, less stress, and more freedom. Living below my means isn’t about deprivation—it’s about maintaining control.
My partner and I have been living on $2k TOTAL per month (most months) for years! Of course, we couldn’t do this in the US, which brings me to my next point…
4. I Live Abroad
The reason I can live below my means is because I made the decision to live abroad.
My costs are lower, and my flexibility and ease of life are so much greater. No car, better diet, lower expenses—yet I’m enjoying life even more. Living abroad as an American is the real American dream; it’s the ultimate life hack, in my opinion.
5. I Work for Myself
In a lot of ways, I made life harder by choosing this path, but again, I was playing the long game.
While it was a grind to build a business with my partner that allowed us to work for ourselves, the years of stress were worth it.
Now, it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We wake up when we want, work when we want, never work 40 hours a week, and actually like what we do.
6. I Own Nothing and Keep My Life Simple
No house, no car, no debt. Fewer things to manage = fewer things to stress about. When I want to move or travel, I can—no obligations tying me down.
I don’t have to deal with maintenance costs, property taxes, or financial anchors that force me to stay in one place.
Oh, and don’t think I didn’t deal with this before! I had nearly $40k in student loans, paid off tons of credit card debt, and had the true adulting experience of car payments, breakdowns, and unexpected expenses.
I know what it’s like. I also know that while some of these things aren’t unavoidable, I prioritized getting rid of them to make my life easier.
7. I Optimize My Timing to Avoid Stress & Save Money
I avoid peak season for rent, job hunting, flights, and even daily errands. Because I can control when I do things, I never fight for resources like most people do.
Whether it’s getting an apartment when landlords are desperate for tenants or traveling off-season for better prices, this choice saves me money and stress every single time.
The Ripple Effect: Why These Choices Make Life 10x Easier Over Time
Every one of these decisions compounds:
- Fewer obligations = fewer headaches.
- Less debt and work obligations = more freedom.
- More flexibility = more opportunities.
Most people think life has to be hard, but it’s usually hard because of choices they made earlier.
If you constantly commit to things that make life more complicated, life will be complicated. But if you make choices that prioritize ease, life becomes exponentially simpler over time.
How You Can Start Making Life Easier Today
You don’t have to live exactly like me to make life easier—but you do have to make intentional choices. Ask yourself:
- What’s making life stressful?
- What could I stop doing to make things easier?
- What do I actually want, and what am I doing just because it’s “normal”?
Sometimes, even a bad relationship is making your life harder! Look at everything that stresses you out and figure out an immediate game plan to slash those off your plate.
I had LOTS of things making my life harder. I lived in the US, had to spend too much to survive, and faced unnecessary stress due to the lifestyle there.
I had loans, credit card debt, and years of financial strain. It took over a decade to get to a place where I can finally say my life is easy.
What About Things We Can’t Control?
I know not everything in life is a choice. Some people face real challenges—health issues, family obligations, systemic barriers—that make life harder and more complicated no matter how smart their decisions are.
But what I’ve realized is that many people make life harder than it needs to be—even when they do have choices.
A lot of stress, financial strain, and frustration comes from decisions people made years ago without questioning if there was another way. And that’s what I’m talking about.
This isn’t about pretending life is always easy or that we all start from the same place. It’s also not about feeling guilty for making mistakes or your past doings.
It’s about recognizing that when you do have a choice, choosing differently can change everything. You can start making better decisions for your future self now!
Conclusion: You Can Design an Easier Life—If You Choose To
Life doesn’t have to be a constant grind. If you rethink your choices, you can make life work for you instead of working around constant stress.
The secret? Choose differently. Live differently. And watch life get easier.
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