The Smallest, Easiest Life Hack is the Best Life Hack

The Smallest, Easiest Life Hack is the Best Life Hack

I’m a sucker for life hacks that save time and effort, and I consider this one of the easiest to implement.

When I use the microwave, I prioritize my button presses based on

  • Number of Buttons Pressed
  • Number of Different buttons pressed

An example:
My microwave has an “Add 30 Seconds” button, regular numbers, and requires you to hit start before cooking.
I often want to cook food in multiples of 30 seconds.
Here’s a breakdown of some options from worst to best:

30 Seconds:

Add 30 Seconds, Start
3, 3, Start
3, 0, Start

1 Minute:

Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Start
5, 5, Start
6, 0, Start

1 Minute 30 Seconds:

8, 8, Start
Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Add 30 Seconds, Start
1, 3, 0, Start

Ultimately this saves me no time at all during the day. What does happen is I use math to figure out what to press, which is better than it was before.
I know that 88 seconds is not the same as 90 seconds, but it’s close enough for me.