Keeping a Planner

As cliché as it might sound, planning is a lifesaver! Being a college student, it's easy to lose track of the various day-to-day activities that I need to accomplish. To combat this, I've taken up using a planner! And it’s honestly so fun!

First, look at this pretty planner and stationery. One word-Target. And most of it comes from the dollar or clearance section. I find it helpful to have some pretty accessories when embarking on  dreary tasks like writing down events and to-do lists.

Depending on the extent of use you hope to get out of your planner, you can divide your monthly and weekly calendars into various sections. Personally, I find great use in color coding my activities using a multi-ink pen. This way I have a clear idea of what I need to accomplish. I also use different sticky notes to also make certain sections stand out. Here are some significant sections to include in your planner:

• Personal information, usernames, and passwords 

• Monthly bucket list  

• Tracking daily water intake  

• “Due” and “to-do” for homework assignments  

• Monthly financial expenses  

•  Weekly goals 

•  Monthly birthdays 

•  Grocery list 

•  Weekly meals 

• Weekly chores 

I try to utilize my planner as much as possible to free my mind from worrying about remembering all these important notes. If you haven’t already read it, the book “Getting Things Done,” by David Allen, discusses the essentials to living stress-free. One of the key aspects is writing things down, because it allows you to use your mind for more important things like creative ideas. Since using a planner, I have managed to stay on top of my responsibilities and find it relieving to know that I have so many aspects of my life compiled in a compact, single unit. If I ever need to refer to specific information, I have a concise detail to refer to wherever I go which is so convenient!

Your life will truly benefit from keeping it orderly, starting with writing things down. If you aren’t as concerned about noting nearly all aspects of life in your planner, you can still garner great use from simply keeping track of your essentials... and it’ll give you an excuse to invest in some fashionable accessories.