Here is my guide on how to over organize your life

Some may say it is a little excessive to have 3 planners and a calendar but I say that there is nothing more satisfying than being organized. For those of you who don’t use a planner, I suggest you start because it makes life so much easier. Now this is not to say that you should plan and organize every minute of your life because there should be moments of being spontaneous and going with the flow BUT when you’re a full-time student with two upcoming jobs, friends, a boyfriend who lives a thousand miles away, oh and can’t forget snuggle time with your cat, I think there has to be some path of organization in your life. So here is how I do it all!

First: Get a good planner and calendar that fit all your needs. I like my planner’s layout because for the start of each month there is a calendar style format, then it goes through each day of the month with a large box and the date at the top. It also has a cute little pocket in the very back of the planner to keep important papers, sticky notes, business cards, etc. I also love the layout of my calendar. The boxes for each date are the perfect size, and on the side of each month there is a spot for “to-do” or notes from that month.

I got my planners from Shinola. If you go in the store you can get yours monogrammed for FREE, as you can see from my photo. Pocket Planner, 16-17 Planner

I purchased my calendar from Target. Each year the pattern changes but I think the layout usually stays the same.

Second: I like to color coordinate with these great little Stabilo markers. They are kind of expensive but worth the money especially when you have a 50% coupon for any item at Michael’s! Using different colors to correspond with a certain class, job schedule, or miscellaneous to – do’s, makes things easier to read and keeps everything organized. I usually make a little “key” sheet for myself so I know which color goes with each category.  

Third: I pick what calendar coordinates with each aspect of my life. My little pocket one is for my purse just to have important appointments, events, or other personal dates in it. My other planner (2017) is used for school, it has all my assignment due dates, classes requirement dates, club meetings, etc. And my 2016-2017 planner is used for my work schedules because I am starting a new internship and a new job and I need to make sure dates don’t overlap or get messed up with the two.

Fourth: MARK ALL IMPORTANT DATES THAT YOU KNOW. For example, when I get my syllabus for a class, I make sure to write down on my calendar and in my school planner, important due dates or events I need to attend for a class. Also I make sure to add dates like school breaks and my work schedule. For me, I usually only add daily assignments into my school planner rather than my personal planner or calendar because it adds a lot of unnecessary clutter to my organizers.

Fifth: Make time for yourself. Although I love my organizers and knowing everything that needs to be done every day, sometimes I like to take a break from my planner and just enjoy some Netflix with my cat Leo; even if it’s only for an hour because too much planning can cause stress. So always make time for you and TREAT YO SELF. Plan a day or time of the week that you just spend doing something that is relaxing for you and makes you happy.

I hope this guide helped any of you who struggle with organizing and for those of you who love organizing as much as I do, share some of your tips in the comments sections. I would love to learn more tricks!

xoxo,

f³