Organization Basics

Life can be chaotic and keeping everything straight is difficult. There are many ways you can manage your life and minimize stress levels.

One of my favorite tools is a planner. The best planners are those that break your day into time slots.I found planners like these at Walmart and Target, but if you want a more personalized planner you might try Etsy. I sit down every Sunday to write my schedule, to-do list, and any miscellaneous things I might need to get done that week.

Color coordination is another tool I use, but doing so needs to be done effectively. You never want to use colors that are too light ,or so many colors that you can’t remember what they represent. The purpose of color coordination is categorization, but with no method it’s pointless. Pick a color that makes you think about the event or task. As a content writer for Studium, I write all meetings, deadlines, and tasks in blue because this is one of Studium’s main colors.

Priorities are important in organization. You can make lists all day, but unless you prioritize them your life is going to remain scrambled. As students, our school work comes first. Every planner is broken into days, and writing in assignments at the top of the day they are due reminds you each time you check for future responsibilities.

There are several ways to organize a to-do list. You might categorize it by homework, then chores, and so on. You could also organize by importance or priority. You need to do what helps you remain productive. I organize my to-do list by category and priority. An example would be starting my homework section off with my five page paper due in two days. Following the homework section, I begin my chores with scheduling an appointment for my dog because he needs to get his vaccine soon.

It sounds silly, but crossing things off provides a sense of accomplishment. There’s nothing more refreshing than getting to my last task of the day and looking at a list full of slashes. Be purposeful when you do something. If you are going to take the time to write and plan, why wouldn’t you finalize it with a mark of completion?

There are days when you can’t complete everything planned, but there’s always tomorrow. Push yourself without burning yourself out.This is something we all continue to do into adulthood. Embracing new environments, whether it be college or work, results in feeling overwhelmed. Life can get crazy and sometimes adaptation is the most useful skill someone can have. The most successful people are those who tackle life with a plan. The closest thing to a life playbook is a strategy for handling what life throws at you. Sometimes the plan works and other times you need to make changes. I still alter the way I organize my responsibilities.

The first step towards becoming more structured is brainstorming ideas and putting them in trial mode. The first one doesn’t work and you missed a deadline? That’s okay, just move onto the next one. Do this until you find what helps you function at your peak productivity level. There’s a whole community of people who love to organize or make a living off organizing for others, so don’t be reluctant to search for more tips!