There was a time when “hack” was a very negative term. It was used to describe something clownish, such as a radio host that was known for outlandish behavior as the “radio hack.” Then it became synonymous with criminal online activity – the “hacker” that steals people’s identity or information.
It has a more favorable connotation now, described by Wikipedia as, “Life hack (or life hacking) is any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. The term was primarily used by computer experts who suffer from information overload or those with a playful curiosity in the ways they can accelerate their workflow in ways other than programming.” Webster’s dictionary defines it as “a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one’s time and daily activities in a more efficient way.”
Since gaining this connotation, the concept has grown in massive ways. There is even an entire website, lifehack.org, dedicated to all things life hack. Within that site, there is an article that contains 100 life hacks. Here are some of my favorites:
TRAVEL HACKS
- Tie a piece of bright fabric to your luggage handle to save time in picking it out from the other 11,333,947 pieces of luggage on the conveyor belt.
- Keep a bar of scented soap in the same compartment as your dirty laundry to keep odors away.
- Use a sunglasses case to store your USB and phone cords.
HOUSEHOLD ITEM HACKS
- Rub Bees Wax lubricating compound on your shoes to water-proof them.
- Tape a dryer sheet over the A/C vent to remove that “musty” smell from a room.
- Save that ketchup bottle when it’s empty. Wash it out, and use it to hold pancake mix next time you make pancakes. Squeezing it from the ketchup bottle will make for a much less messy cooking experience.
- Use a muffin tin as a condiment holder at your next cookout.
FOOD HACKS
- Wrap bananas in plastic wrap to keep them from going bad too quickly.
- When re-heating pizza in the microwave, put a small glass with a little water in as well, to keep the crust from getting extra-chewy.
- For microwave re-heating in general, create a circle in the middle of the pile of food to ensure even re-heating.
SAFETY/EMERGENCY HACKS
- If your child falls out of bed a lot, put a pool noodle under the fitted sheet at the edge of the mattress.
- Keep a card in your wallet with vital information – blood type, allergies, medications you take, and emergency contact info.
As mentioned previously, there are 100 hacks just in this article. Have you developed your own hack (or hacks) to make things easier or less time-consuming? Tell us about it in the comments.
What about a business hack? Glad you asked. A business owner who needs to save some time can hire a Virtual Assistant to take on some tasks like blogging, content writing, or other tasks. Just contact us and let’s see what hacks you can use in your business.
Recent Comments