Organize me!

If you haven’t noticed,  I’m obsessed with organization.  I think of it like this. If everything is in a functional place, my stress level can go down at least half, because I know where everything is. And then another fourth because I’m not walking into class blindsided by assignments I forgot even existed.

Disclaimer : Just because this works for me doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work for everyone. A lot of times I’ll set up a system for myself, and then find that while it looks fantastic, it doesn’t function for me. Feel free to take ideas and inspiration, but don’t be afraid to experiment and tweak things until they’re perfect for you.

1. Wall Calendar

I’m a big believer in color coding. I LOVE color, and it makes it easier for me to look at things in a second. I do doctors/medicine reminders in one color, school assignments in another, tests in a fourth and pageant/social stuff in a fifth. It helps me because I can look at the day in a glance and know if there’s anything specific I need to remember, and helps me prioritize tasks. I know if it’s a school thing, or scheduled appearance I can’t miss it, but if it’s just a party  and I NEED to do something, I can make it happen.

How to do it yourself:

• Dry Erase calendars are perfect for schedules that change around a lot.
• Look at your schedule, and find the main things that you have to plan for. For me it’s school, health, social and pageants. Assign each one a color.
• Go through at the start of each month and write down the stuff you already have scheduled for the month. This way when new stuff comes up, you can fill in around it.
• Decorate it! The other side of my calendar is magnetic, so I have pictures and notes that have personal meaning to me. I love being able to look over from my calendar and see little reminders of love and friends.

2. To-Do lists

There are two types I do. One is stuff that has to happen right now, and the other is stuff that needs to be done that week. The stuff that needs to be done ASAP goes on a little white board next to my calendar. I’ll either just write out a list of things I need to get done, or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll literally schedule everything into a slot, and keep that schedule in front of me so I know where I need to be. I use that mainly for studying for big tests. I assign each chapter an hour, then schedule in study breaks. Otherwise I rediscover Pinterest and never study. For the stuff that needs to be done that week, I make an index card that stays in my planner. I write the date (so I don’t have a million cards floating around that make no sense) and list out everything I want to accomplish that week. When I’m done I cross it off. This is also where I prioritize stuff, and I try to either rank it or put a symbol by the stuff that has to happen.

How to do it yourself:

• Write down everything that needs to be accomplished, even if it’s stuff that seems really minor. Once you start crossin’ off your list, it’s a magical feeling of motivation.
• Look at it! When I first started making them, I’d write them and apply the whole “You remember what you write down” theory. Yeah, didn’t work. Keep track of your lists, and your progress.
• Focus on where you work. I’m constantly on the go, so I needed a list that could move with me. If you only work in one place, then a wall list might be better for you since it can stare you down. Wherever you are constantly is the best place for it.

3. Planner

I’m lost without mine. There are so many cute options, it can get a little overwhelming. Like, I had one that I loved solely because it had owls on the cover. But inside it was a week schedule on one side, and graph paper on the other. I hated having to cram in everything into smaller boxes, and having graph paper that I had no use for. The ones I love the most have a box for all seven days. That’s all I need. I don’t want a box for to-do lists, or doodles. I just want the blocks for scheduling. My planner style has definitely evolved over time, from scribbling down things, to neatly writing them in and grouping them so it made sense, to color coding school stuff. I highlight stuff that needs to be brought to class (work sheets, hand outs, note outlines) in one color, tests in another and due dates in another. I also plan out my studying time for tests so that I have it lined out in front of me, which is a pageant trick someone taught me. When I was prepping for a pageant, they’d have me make a journal and each day list out the practicing I wanted to get it, and the hours I was going to devote next to it. It helped tons with making sure I got practice in, and with calming my nerves before competing, because I could look back and see exactly how hard I worked. I transferred that idea into my studying and love it. It always calms me down before a test to be able to flip through my planner and think “Oh I’ll be fine, I studied 54 hours last week for this test” (0bviously, I have no social life.)

How to do it yourself:

• Find a planner that works for you. If you like to draw out your schedule, get a blank journal and just date each entry. If you’re like me and need lists, then get one with lines and dates written in. It’s also better to have one that comes with pockets so you can hold in loose papers.
• Don’t write down every little detail. After awhile you’ll end up with walls of text that make no sense. Keep it short, and only the stuff that you need to know for that day. Twitter style.
• Don’t be afraid of doodles or color. There’s no reason your schedule needs to look super professional and serious. It’s okay to add color, or draw pictures on it. It’s your place to remember what needs to get done. Make it something you like.
• Personalize it. I use post-it tabs to mark the current week, because it annoys me to no end to have to flip through until I find the right page. I’m ALWAYS that girl who flips past the current week, then past it again, and again. Who then turns around and has to ask someone to copy their notes because the prof has moved on. I also have Instagram bookmarks in mine in case a book needs one, or I need something fun to look at.

Okay, now share. What are your best tips for organizing your day/time management? And what do you want to hear about next; how I organize my clothes, desk or make up?