My Masterlist Of 'how To Life’ tips

my masterlist of 'how to life’ tips

Cleaning & Tidying

Make your bed in the morning. It takes seconds, and it’s worth it.

Reset to zero each morning.

Use the UFYH 20/10 system for clearing your shit.

Get a reed diffuser and stick it on your windowsill.

Have a ‘drop-zone’ box where you dump anything and everything. At the beginning/end of the day, clear it out and put that shit away.

Roll your clothes, don’t fold them - or fold them vertically.

Automate your chores. Have a cleaning schedule and assign 15mins daily to do whatever cleaning tasks are set for that day. Set a timer and do it - once the timer is up, finish the task you’re on and leave it for the day.

Fold your clothes straight out of the tumble dryer (if you use one), whilst they’re still warm. This minimises creases and eliminates the need for ironing.

Clean your footwear regularly and you’ll feel like a champ.

Organisation & Productivity

Learn from Eisenhower’s Importance/Urgency matrix.

Try out the two-minute rule and the Pomodoro technique.

Use. A. Planner. (Or Google Calendar, if that’s more your thing.)

Try bullet journalling.

Keep a notebook/journal/commonplace book to dump your brain contents in on the regular.

Set morning alarms at two-minute intervals rather than five, and stick your alarm on the other side of the room. It’s brutal, but it works.

Set three main goals each day, with one of them being your #1 priority. Don’t overload your to-do list or you’ll hit overload paralysis and procrastinate.

If you’re in a slump, however, don’t be afraid to put things like “shower” on your to do list - that may be a big enough goal in itself, and that’s okay.

Have a physical inbox - a tray, a folder, whatever. If you get a piece of paper, stick it in there and sort through it at the end of the week.

Consider utilising the GTD System, or a variation of it.

Try timeboxing.

Have a morning routine, and guard that quiet time ferociously.

Save interesting-looking shit to instapaper. Have a set time where you read through the stuff you saved to instapaper and save the shit that you like from instapaper to evernote (or bookmark it properly).

During your working hours, put on your footwear, even if you’re sat on your bed. (Why?)

Have a folder for all your important documents and letters, organised by topic (e.g. medical, bank, university, work, identification). At the front of this folder, have a sheet of paper with all the key information written on it, such as your GP’s details, your passport details, driving licence details, bank account number, insurance number(s), and so on.

Try using StayFocusd and RescueTime (or similar apps/extensions). (I promise, you’ll find that you’re not as busy as you think you are.)

Schedule working time and down time alike, in the balance that works for you.

Money

Have. A. God. Damn. Budget.

Use a money tracker like toshl, mint, or splitwise. Enter all expenses asap! (You will forget, otherwise.)

Have a ‘money date’ each week, where you sort through your finances from the past seven days and then add it to a spreadsheet. This will help you identify your spending patterns and whether your budget is actually working or not.

Pack your own frickin’ lunch like a grown-up and stop buying so many takeaway coffees. Keep snacks in your bag.

Go to your bank and take out £100 in £1 coins (or w/e your currency is). That shit will come in useful for all kinds of things and you’ll never be short on change for the bus or the laundry.

Food & Cooking

Know how to cook the basics: a starch, a protein, a vegetable, and a sauce.

Simple, one-pot meals (“a grain, a green, and a bean”) are a godsend.

Dried porcini mushrooms make a fantastic stock to cook with.

Batch cook and freeze. Make your own ‘microwave meals’.

Buy dried goods to save money - rice and beans are a pittance. (Remember to soak dried beans first, though!)

Consider Meatless Mondays; it’s healthier, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.

Learn which fruits and vegetables are cheapest at your store, and build a standard weekly menu around those. (Also remember that frozen vegetables are cheap and healthy.)

Learn seasoning combinations. Different seasoning, even with the exact same ingredients, can make a dish seem completely new.

Don’t buy shit for a one-off recipe, especially if you won’t use it all. If you really want to try out a recipe, see if a friend would be interested in making it with you, then pool for the expenses.

Make your own goddamned pasta sauce. Jamie Oliver has a decent recipe here, but the beauty of tomato sauce is that you can totally wing it and adapt the fuck out of it.

Misc

Have a stock email-writing format.

Want to start running, but find it boring? Try Zombies, Run!.

Keep a goddamn first aid kit and learn how to use it.

Know your OTC pain relief.

Update your CV regularly.

Keep a selection of stamps and standard envelopes for unexpected posting needs. (It happens more regularly than you would think!)

Some final words of advice:

Organisation is not a goal in itself, it is a tool. Don’t get caught up in the illusion of productivity and get distracted from the actual task at hand.

Routines and habits will help you. Trust in them.

You have the potential to be an organised and productive person, just as much as anybody else. It just takes practice.

home made vanilla chai tea latte 🍶

ingredients:

two black tea bags

cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon)

nutmeg

ginger

four black peppercorns

all spice

cloves

vanilla extract

brown sugar

milk

instructions:

put the tea bags and the spices in a heatproof mug or glass (the bigger the better) (i use a 32 oz. mug soooo)

boil water

pour hot water over the mixture

let sit and steep for 5 minutes or longer

strain the tea into another mug

add brown sugar, vanilla extract, and milk to taste

enjoy!

@cinnamon-studying i finally did it!! next up…cinnamon rolls

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kakpok

6 years ago

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kakpok

8 years ago

I hope you find comfort in these c:

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kakpok

8 years ago

The Full Potential Challenge

Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived up to your full potential? Would your body be healthier? Your skin clearer? Bank account bigger? I think about these things all the time, and, judging my a previous post, you guys do to. Below is a chart designed to help all of us live up to our full potential. I’ve broken it down into time frames to help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Write the chart down and hang it someplace where you can see it all the time. I will be starting this challenge tomorrow, 9/8. I’ll check in with you guys every Sunday to track my progress. I have specific goals in mind for myself, and you guys should make some too! I really want to know how you guys are doing. Tag your progress posts with #sbfpc so I can track it and take a look. Let’s get to it!

EVERY MORNING

Stretch. First thing. Really give your body enough time to wake up. Touch your toes. Roll out your shoulders. Do not hit snooze!

Do your full skincare routine. I have mine detailed here, but do whatever works for you and your complexion. Be gentle and consistent.

Brush your teeth and floss. I used to be a big floss-skipper too, but you’d be amazed at how dig of a difference it makes. Rinse with a whitening mouthwash. I use one by Crest, and I notice a major difference in my teeth’s overall whiteness in just a few days.

Give yourself enough time to get ready. Whether you’re a wash-and-go kind of girl, or someone who spends an hour doing a full contouring routine before class (and either one is fine!), make sure you aren’t rushing. If you need to wake up a few minutes earlier than normal, so be it. Rushing sets an awful, stressed-out tone for the rest of the day. Allow yourself to be relaxed before taking on the day.

Eat something. I’m not going to say eat a big breakfast, because some people (myself included) just can’t eat in the morning. But you should eat, or at least bring a little something with you to work or school. If you can’t eat a full breakfast, grab a fruit! You won’t be as hungry come lunch time, making you less likely to gorge yourself.

Shower. You can do this at night, in the morning, whatever. Again, this is something you should allow some time for. I don’t wash my hair every day, but I do condition it every day (from the ears down). Scrub yourself with a delicious-smelling body wash. If you shave, make yourself as smooth as a dolphin, dude. If you don’t, then don’t and don’t ever ever ever let anyone make you feel bad or weird about it. When you get out of the shower, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and totally slather your sexy self with lotion. Top to bottom. Do it as soon as you can post-shower so it can really sink in.

Put leave-in condition throughout your damp hair and comb it through.

Put on an outfit that makes you feel good! So important!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Take a look at your daily to-do list. Knock out the most pressing stuff first. Take pride when you cross things off your list.

Make your bed! Oh my god, make your bed. Do it. Do it. Do it.

EVERY AFTERNOON

Follow the “touch it once” approach. This is a truly life-changing thing. When a task is in front of you, no matter how big or small, just do it right then and there. How many times have you gotten a work email or homework assignment and thought, “Eh, I’ll do it later”? And then later never comes? Once something pops up, do it once. Squash it and be done. Cross things off your list and feel like a badass.

Try to go for a walk at lunch. Even one little lap around the block or campus will reenergize you like nobody’s business.

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Be present. This is so hard for me too, but you have to make a major effort to be present in whatever you’re doing. Be engaged and plugged-in and just exist in the moment. Give 100 percent.

Be friendly to friends and strangers. A smile goes a long way.

Eat something. Eat what you packed for lunch (see below) and take a break from working while you do it. You need “you time”!

EVERY EVENING

Take your makeup off as soon as you’re in for the night. Wash your face with your full routine and let your skin have a break.

Workout. You can also do this in the morning. Whatever works for you. Make a great playlist and go hard af. Get your cardio in. Get your strength training in. Earn every freaking sweat bead forming on your forehead. Earn your shower!

Knock out your homework. Life is infinitely better you don’t have anything hanging over your head. Half the time, the energy and emotion you spent dreading/putting off your work is ten times worse than the work itself.

Make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow. It’ll set you up for success the next day, and you won’t forget anything!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This will save you SO MUCH TIME in the morning omg I can’t even tell you how important this is.

Eat something great. And once you’ve decided to be done eating for the night, be done. Brush your teeth so you can’t eat again.

After brushing, do a whitening treatment. Whether it’s classic baking soda, a Crest white strip, or a laser. Do something. And floss! Retainers in too, ladies 0:)

Relax! Take a few hours to do what YOU want to do. Scroll through Tumblr, binge on some Netflix, FaceTime gossip with your friends, anything. Do whatever makes you happiest.

Shut the electronics off an hour before you want to go to bed. Put your phone on sleep mode. If you stare at the screen, it will keep you awake and alert and you won’t be able to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for weightless and general happiness lol

Do a quick sweep of your room and see if there’s anything you can put away real quick. A clean space is a happy space.

Crawl into your bed (aren’t you happy you took the time to make it?!) and read a book by lamplight for a while. When you start to feel sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push it. You kicked ass today and you deserve rest.

EVERY WEEKEND

Do something with your friends. It just has to be one thing. Even if you’re just hanging out at the coffee shop, spending time with your squad will make you a better, happier person.

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Do something just for you. Set your laptop up in the bathroom and watch a Netflix marathon while you take a bubble bath. Buy an old school bottle of Mr. Bubbles ($3 at Target!) and really just soak. Relax. Light a candle.

Do something creative. You can read a book, write, blog, draw, code, anything. It just has to be something that speaks to your passion.

Track your progress. Just do this once a week so it doesn’t become all-consuming. And remember that non-scale victories are just as important as shedding pounds.

Take the time to be grateful. Tell your friend how much you admire her taste in music. Mention to your mom how much you love her cooking and how happy you are that she takes care of you. Thank your teaching after an especially interesting lecture. When you do something awesome, take a moment to admire yourself. Be grateful for even the little things.

Anything I missed? Reblog + add yours! Don’t forget to tag your progress!

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kakpok

7 years ago

gentle reminder for when you feel demotivated

there’s nothing wrong with feeling demotivated, so please don’t punish yourself for that – everyone, even the most successful people in the world, can fall into a slump

you can do it

i believe in you

it’s not going to be as bad as you think

don’t place too high expectations on yourself, especially when you’re feeling low

set small and specific goals – little steps are always important

print out or write down what you need to do and put that note where you know you’re going to see it

set yourself a specific time for when you’re going to start working on something, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you’re unable to

see what others are doing and achieving, and use that as motivation instead of comparing yourself to them and putting yourself down

call for help from others to cheer you on when you can’t do it on your own

counter your negative thoughts with positive ones

think about the benefits of doing the task, instead of the difficulties it will take to get there

take deep breaths and take a step back when things become too overwhelming or the stress takes over (here’s a written breathing exercise, or a gif you can breathe along with)

take breaks, don’t overload yourself

if you think that your schedule is becoming more and more of the same thing every single day, that can heavily impact your motivation - so try your best to try something new, or even just do something that you would usually do in a different way, or with a different outlook; it doesn’t matter if the change you make is big or small, because every attempt goes towards progress

when you’ve completed what you needed to, or even just worked at it a little bit, make sure to congratulate yourself, because you’re trying and i’m so proud of you for that

try your best, because your best is good enough

you got this

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kakpok

8 years ago

So I made another collection! This round of inspirational quotes goes to the philosophers. Like the other times, I hope you enjoy these inspirational quotes and find them inspiring too!

Plato

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”

“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”

“The good is the beautiful.”

Lao Tzu

“From caring comes courage.”

“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

Aristotle

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”

Socrates

“Be as you wish to seem.”

“It is not living that matters, but living rightly.”

“Let him that would move the world first move himself.”

Epictetus

“No great thing is created suddenly.”

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

“It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.”

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

“Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.”

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

“Do not seek to bring things to pass in accordance with your wishes, but wish for them as they are, and you will find them.”

“It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting.”

“Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.”

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

“The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.”

“You may be always victorious if you will never enter into any contest where the issue does not wholly depend upon yourself.”

Soren Kierkegaard

“Be that self which one truly is.”

“Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living.”

“The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived.”

“Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.”

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”

Hypatia

“Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.”

“Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all.”

Confucius

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Albert Camus

“To be happy we must not be too concerned with others.”

“Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that’s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.”

“I know of only one duty, and that is to love.”

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.”

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

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kakpok

8 years ago

since i know a lot of you like to have something playing while you study or do homework i decided to just make a masterpost of some playlists and other stuff i like listening to while doing stuff

study like you’re in harry potter

hagrid’s hut

hogwarts express

potion class

dumbledore’s office

no.12 grimmauld place

weasley’s place

slytherin common room

gryffindor common room

ravenclaw common room

hufflepuff common room

hogwarts library

lord of the rings

rivendell

hobbit hole

the green dragon inn

doctor who

in the tardis

game of thrones

castle black

meereen the great pyramid

littlefinger’s brothel (lmao)

collections of study playlists

(x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

just classical

(x) (x) (x) (x)

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kakpok

6 years ago

Russian Language Apps

I’ve been meaning to make this post for months, but here it is. When I started learning Russian four years ago there weren’t many apps out there, but now the app market is bigger and there are some great apps. Here is what I recommend and like.

Tengugo Cyrillic

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is an amazing app to learn the alphabet. I liked their approach and it makes learning Cyrillic simple.

Beelinguapp

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is another app to be able to read Russian texts with translation side to side. The great thing is that it has audio and you can choose multiple languages for the translation language.

Clozemaster

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is a fun app to learn vocabulary in context as it presents sentences to learn from. It has different levels depending on how much vocabulary you want to learn.

Duolingo

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: I think everyone knows this app. It is great for vocabulary and when first starting a language. It is fun to play and has grammar notes on the web version.

HelloTalk

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is a nice app to have language exchanges with Russian native speakers. I’ve had a positive experience with the app, but not everyone does.

Lingvist

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This app presents new vocab through sentences. It repeats the words until you get them right, which makes it easier to memorize.

Mango Languages

Cost: Free, need a US or Canada library card

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is a great app for learning languages if you are more of an auditory learner. Their approach is more conversational compared to the Duolingo and the lessons are fun to go through.

Multitran Dictionary

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is my favorite dictionary for Russian. It includes multiple entries as well as a flashcard & exercises option for words that you add/ favorite.

Russian Idioms

Cost: Free

Link: [Android Only]

Thoughts: If you are at an intermediate level or above and want to know more about Russian idioms, this is for you. There are cute drawings that illustrate the idioms with the translation and definition.

Russian Class

Cost: $2.99, Free Demo

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This app is a great grammar reference. It has vocabulary, listening exercises, phrases, grammar tips, and tables.

Russian Verbs Pro

Cost: $5.99, but the demo version is free

Link: [Paid] [Free] Android Only

Thoughts: This is my favorite app on this list. It has over 1000 verbs and conjugates them for you, shows you imperfective/perfective forms, participle forms, you can look up verbs in English or Russian, and has a favorite function.

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: Telegram is a great messaging app and has been great for me to find Russian language groups and people to chat with.

TinyCards

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: This is a great addition to the Duolingo course as it helps you memorize the vocabulary from the Russian course.

Yazh Russian Case Declensions

Cost: $1.50 for full ad-free version, free for ads

Link: [Paid] [Free] Android Only

Thoughts: If you are struggling with case endings or need some practice, this app is perfect for that. It presents nouns, adjectives and pronouns like a quiz and you have to either choose the correct declension based on what it asks you or you can type it out if you want a harder challenge.

Яндекс

Cost: Free

Link: [Android] [iOS]

Thoughts: Yandex has a good translation app for Russian as well as a virtual assistant that is a good way to practice Russian with.

Also, if you don’t have them, download Anki and Memrise.

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