the shortcuts in life

I can’t believe it’s Sunday evening and I only just managed to write this post by now. It doesn’t really do its title justice, but hey. The third boost your positivity challenge was all about those shortcuts in life. As in: what do you do to keep everyday things going smooth and efficient.
I guess the theme suits me really well as this is what I’ve been trying to do for the past year. Let me give you a glimpse at some tips to use in your life.

• To-do lists
  Ha! To-do lists! They have become my everything, especially since I have multiple apps to put them on (and I even got the beautiful paper ones pictured above). I have one for photography shoots so I can just check off the material I need, I have one when packing my bags for a trip, etc… When I read about a new moisturizer that I want to try, I’ll add it to yet another list which I have at the ready when shopping. Our grocery list? We have an app for that. I also put a lot of things in Google calendar, it’s the perfect way to remind me of things. I could not live without these anymore, they make me think way less, which is a good thing.
• Learn to say no
  The most difficult thing I’ve been trying to do so far, but sometimes it’s good to say no. Not just to other people, but also to yourself, your body. Yesterday was cleaning day at our house and I had a photo shoot in the afternoon, so today I allowed myself to say ‘no’ when thinking of working again and said ‘yes’ to my couch and Friday Night Lights binge watching instead.
• Plan plan plan
  My husband is not always a fan of this, but I like to plan ahead, like.. a lot. I like to know where I’m at so yeah, we have a week menu and I even have our housekeeping planned in our mutual calendar. It helps clear my mind.
• The freezer
  I always make sure there’s food in the freezer, whether it’s spaghetti sauce or vegetables or pizza even, there’s always something there, just in case. It’s a lifesaver and it prevents us from eating fast food too much.
• Online shopping
  When I need something tech, I usually buy it online: it allows me to check upon the various price tags and I don’t have to drive to town to purchase it. This sounds lazy, but it saves me time!
• Worry less
  Worrying tends to be so time-consuming we should all try to worry less. Allright, better said than done, I agree, but there’s some truth in it. I’m not going to claim that I’m particularly good at this, because clearly I am not, but I am trying to.
• Thou shall not procrastinate
  Best time saver ever. Period.

Do you have any shortcuts in life or anything of the above you can relate to? Do not hesitate to share your tips in the comments below!

This post is part of the #boostyourpositivity project by Activia. I chose to participate in this project myself. Of course all opinions are my own.