Hey guys,
I am back with another blog post. Thank you for being patient with me in getting these out. My schedule this summer has been extremely packed with work and I am honestly grateful for that. Although I have had less me time, I have come across many amazing opportunities. However, with a packed schedule comes a lot of tasks to complete. I am not going to lie but there are days that I am overwhelmed.
That is why I want to write this post for you all. I have been using some of these tips and tricks since the beginning of my first year in college and they have helped me stay sane. Now that I am using them in the summer with internships and online courses, I can tell you that they really are helpful to manage and use as effectively possible your time.
Now a quick disclaimer is that I still don't know everything as still have not found the perfect time management method. Does one exist? Maybe. For now, I am just trying new things to see what works and what doesn't. Just like everything else.
Let's get started.
Choose the Right Planner for You
Finding the right planner that works for you can be tricky. There are millions of planners out there in the market. You can always base your decision on how the planner cover looks but I do not entirely recommend that being the number one thing to look at. I personally have tried two different styles of planners: the regular basic one with a monthly calendar and a weekly spread that you can write in for each day and the Passion Planner spread that consists of a monthly calendar and a weekly spread with timeslots for each day. Personally, I find the former style the best for me because it allows me to plan better without having the stress of following through with what is written. I don't feel locked into a set schedule.
The planner I have found to work the best for me is the Blue Sky Planner. It is so simple and easy to use. However, this academic year I will be trying out the Passion Planner (you can find the link to free pdfs of their planner on my Resources page).
This brings me to the second thing you should be on the lookout for when buying a planner. There are different versions of planners: academic, annual, and undated. I find that an academic planner works well for college if you are the type of person that doesn't really use a planner for anything else (only school). This can save you some money and will result in wasting less paper. I love using academic planners because I really am bad at keeping up with a planner during summer. However, if you have internships or summer classes than I do recommend the annual planner.
There are many things to look for in a planner but these two are the most important to me.
Choose the Right Supplies for You
Like choosing a planner, finding the supplies that you need to use your planner is important. I am going to keep this part simple. DON'T OVERBUY! Although it is addicting, the less stationary you buy, the more organized you will be as well as less stressed with keeping up with your planner. Supplies that I recommend to use in planners are pens (at most four), a highlighter or marker, mini sticky notes, and a white-out. You don't need hundreds of pens nor markers. Keep it simple and it will be easier to manage.
Set a Color Code System
I am not going to lie, finding, and keeping a color code system is something that I struggle to this day. However, similar to what I talk about in the last tip, the more simple your system is, the better. I used to try and have a color for everything, for each class, work, volunteering, activity. It was not pretty. It was so difficult to keep up with and was what caused me to lose motivation in writing in my planner. What I have been doing is choosing one color for all my classes (class time, assignments, due dates, etc.), another color for work (volunteering, work, internships), and a final color for personal tasks (eating, resting, gym time, studying, etc; just to block out times that are not classes nor work). This is super easy and quick for me and it has allowed me to organize everything so well. Everyone is different but I swear on and live by the saying "less is more."
Create a Key
Like the color-coding system, a key is quite useful. Like the rest of this post has probably demonstrated, I also keep my key very minimalistic. Here is what I include in my key: a square with an X inside of it for canceled tasks, a square with a diagonal line across it for postponed or rescheduled tasks, a square with a checkmark for completed tasks, and what each color of my color-coding system means. This along with the color-coding system makes everything super easy to manage and plan. It prevents me from creating 5+ icons that I will either end up forgetting or frustrating me.
Have a List of All and Any Important Scheduled Dates
Okay, you may be thinking why do I need a separate list of dates/tasks I need to remember if I have a planner. Well, the way I see planners is that they are the place or notebook to be more specific to create your "to-do" lists. They allow you to see your dates spread out in a monthly calendar view as well as narrowing it down to a weekly spread view. With a list that has all your important dates/tasks, you have them in one space that allows you to see them all at once. It is a little confusing but I will try my best to explain it. This list is your messy list. A list that you don't need to color code or add symbols to from your key. You can cross out and add dates/tasks at any given moment. I like having a list as a reference for my planner. It is what I refer to as the month is about to end in order to prepare for the new one. I don't recommend filling out all your months at once because life happens and things change. That is why I like having an extra sheet with all the dates that I don't really "care" about. I use it every time to plan out the new upcoming month with all the recent and "more" secured dates.
I discovered that when I did not have this list to reference, I missed a lot of important dates when writing in my planner. However, this makes sure that I include everything I need to include in my planner. My planner is basically a more organized version of this list. You don't need to handwrite it down if you don't want to, you can just type it out in a Google Doc if that works for you best! It is just a nice little thing that is extra but helpful.
Work Around Set Dates
I will keep this last point simple. Plan around your set, permanent dates. Always fill in permanent dates first in your planner and then add anything that comes along. Many times I found myself planning outings and meetings first and then found myself already busy those times. That is why it is important to add in all the concrete dates first. You will then find out which days you are less busy so you can plan other things. If you see that there will be one certain week that is full of deadlines, you will then know to stay clear of planning any dates or meetings during that time unless you really have to. Don't overlook yourself, give yourself some time to breathe and relax for a bit.
I hope that what I have learned myself when it comes to planners helps you. Take what you can from this post and add your own twist to it. Everyone works different and as I said before, personally a minimalistic style is what I find to be more effective for me.
Comment down below what you prefer when it comes down to planners!
Take care and stay safe!
Until next time,
Diana
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