Sometimes, when I’m melting into my laptop, staring at the blinking cursor of my word processor, I somehow manage to convince myself that reading about “life hacks” on the Internet is close enough to work to assuage the niggling guilt. Life hacks are small, clever changes in habit that improve life, generally by increasing productivity. I read about ways to work on the computer more efficiently and even occasionally download programs that I rarely end up using. I read, sometimes for hours, about how to increase my productivity, thereby drastically decreasing my productivity.

It feels kind of like shopping, but instead of searching for a soft cardigan that will flatter, or a thick novel that will compel, I am looking for something that will make me a better version of myself.

These hacks promise me that I can, in fact, get it all done, with higher quality, and with enough time left over to bake an authentic pizza from scratch. Instead of peeking at my inbox through squinted eyes, hoping that the number in the parentheses has somehow dwindled, I could be gazing calmly at a controlled situation. I can almost envision myself evolving much in the style of a Pokémon, from procrastinating girl wearing athletic shorts despite never doing athletic activity to focused woman, poised and punctilious. Is there really a magical program somewhere on the Internet that will suddenly transform me into one of those people who doesn’t struggle to achieve focus? I haven’t found one yet, but every Sunday night, I’ll do another search.

While, admittedly, I do rely heavily on the program that only allows me six minutes of Facebook a day, these computer-based hacks can only take me so far. My true interest lies in the hacks that people use in their everyday lives, away from the computer. To be honest, I know my computing productivity could use some serious optimization, and I don’t really need a shiny program to tell me that I should probably read fewer blogs if I want to ever get anything done. Away from the laptop, though, I like to believe that I operate at a moderate level of efficiency. A laundry list of ways to increase my productivity does not come to me as easily as in the case of laptop work.

Hacks in everyday life are difficult to come by. They are not so readily apparent as the computer variety, which are generally some kind of application that utilizes keyboard shortcuts heavily. They are the small habits and quirks that have assimilated into routine but present moments of insight for other people. I first realized that I could be a hacker of life when I was walking to class with a friend, the customary burn in my calves not quite enough to help me completely avoid tardiness. I approached the Quad and barreled through the first door I saw, walking intently. My friend was confused, remembering correctly that I actually had class in Gates, several courtyards away. I explained that I wanted to go through the building, so I could cut diagonally through the Quad and make it to Gates faster, with no shortage of statements of obnoxious pride at being one of the few “campus walkers” thrown into the diatribe. I didn’t have time to see much of his reaction beyond vague surprise before I rushed off to class on my optimized route, but later, I started asking people for their life hacks.

I have been collecting life hacks since, keeping an eye out for clever shortcuts people use in their own lives. Hacking is something that, it seems, people do naturally—it’s going to a restaurant during off hours to avoid a wait and it’s pulling into the carpool lane and speeding by the parking lot to the right. It’s that sensation that feels like winning and beating the system. It’s saving a phone call home for a long walk across campus, and it’s organizing a shopping list according to the shelves at the store. It’s carrying a shopping bag around to sheath a wet bike seat, and it’s going to the market to eat samples for lunch. The hacks can get a little stranger, a little less common. It’s brushing teeth in the shower to save time and water. It’s mixing banana bread batter in the baking pan to save on dishes, and it’s walking through buildings to get somewhere faster.

I invite you to join in the fun—think about your own hacks, and share them with your friends. You might save some time, or you might waste some, but it’s the conversation that is the fun. Welcome to life hackathon.

Let Jade test out her inbox sorting hacks. Email her at [email protected].