How I Plan/Organize My Life

Sorry it's blurry but this is the bullet journal that I (and everyone else) uses!

Hello! I was thinking about what blog post I wanted to write next and I was planning ahead my posts for the next few months and then I realized- WAIT. Why not write a post about one of my favorite hobbies? PLANNING.

I'm 100% a planner and organizer and I love using various methods to keep track of and plan my life. I'm sure anyone can benefit off of being a little organized which is why I wanted to share these methods. Without further ado, here are six methods for keeping your life on track:

1) BULLET JOURNALING.

I'm sure you've heard of it. In the recent years it's become a big phenomenon throughout the world and of course I got hooked on it. I've been bullet journaling since the beginning of 2018 and am currently on my second one. I use this daily to write down tasks, appointments, and goals. I use it to log the books I read and the movies/tv shows I watch too. Maybe later in the year I'll do a detailed post on how I personally bullet journal and use it to organize my life. Out of all the ways I plan or organize, bullet journaling is my favorite because it's not just about planning events and etcetera, it's about documenting things and remembering. I'm a sucker for nostalgia and looking back on these journals years from now will be fun.

2) GOOGLE CALENDAR.

I specifically use this for marking down events and appointments in the future so I know when I'm particularly busy and when I have more free time to do hobbies. Google calendar is my favorite because it syncs with everything. You can pull it up on any device with your account and even share calendars with friends and family members so they know your plans too. It also syncs with my Apple calendar (the one that comes with your iPhone or Mac) which is also super convenient. They also include the option to have multiple calendars (school, personal, etcetera) and color coding options which makes my planning heart happy.

3) SCHOOL PLANNER.

I have a school planner that my school provides every student with. It's a daily and monthly planner with specific boxes for each period as well as extra room for goals, tasks, etcetera. This is what I use to write down my homework and check it off once I'm finished. I have to admit I've fallen behind on keeping up with this planner but it just about saved my life last year. I think a school planner is a must for every student. With so many classes, projects, and assignments- you can't possible expect to remember everything you need to do which is why this planner is amazing. It's also satisfying to check things off and realize you're done with homework for today.

4)TO DO LISTS.

I usually make my to-do lists digitally on the Notes app because it's more convenient for me but whether it's digital or written- to-do lists are fantastic for planning. As I said earlier, it's incredibly satisfying to check off tasks you complete and see all that you've accomplished. I don't just include work tasks, but also stuff like "drink a glass of water" or "read" to remind myself to take some time to be healthy and happy every day. It sounds cheesy and it kind of is but it's important to take care of yourself even when you're conquering the day.

5) REMINDERS.

I haven't used these in a while but the reminders app used to be my best friend. Setting reminders for things in the future is really rewarding. You have no idea if you'll forget to do something or not in the future and reminders take that stress away. These could be for tasks or things like "take a shower" or "do something kind". If you have new year's resolutions, force yourself to actually do them by using the reminders app. It really works, I promise.

6)GOAL SETTING.

This can happen in many forms. Similar to a to-do list, it's usually a list, but it's more vague and general than simply completing one task. Your goal could be getting more exercise, writing a book, or learning a new language. It can be a resolution (it's still January- not too late to write a list). These usually are more long-term and take a bit more to achieve. I write my goals down everywhere I can so where ever I am, I can be reminded of what I'm working for. Some people repeat their goals like mantras every night or they create detailed game plans that layout how exactly they will achieve their goal. This is the most loose of all the methods. Your goals can just exist in your head if you want, though writing them down really cements them as real. Having goals to work toward make you a more productive and focused person whether it's a small goal or big goal.

So that's it. Those are a few methods for organizing and planning your life that I hope you'll find helpful. A lot of these have been key in my life and managing everything from habits to events or goals. I love planning and organizing so this post is something I loved writing and I'm definitely writing some more in the future.

No mourners, no funerals,

-Sureena