How To… Stay Organized This Semester!

Organize Like a PRO

In your school, work & social life

Y’all will think I’m kidding when I say that I can sense a cluttered mess from a mile away… but I’m not. Especially if it’s a mess in my home or in my school keeping. As a child, all of my best girly-friends always picked on me for having the tidiest room, bed alwaaays being straight, organized school keeping, closet, etc., etc.,. All in fun and no harm of course, but it’s just something that is programmed into me. Soooo maybe I’m slightly OCD, lol… but the older I get, the more appreciative I am of the personality trait that I got from both of my parents.

With the busy life I lead, between school, work, and trying to maintain a healthy social life and NAPPING SCHEDULE… Staying organized is my life-saver. Who doesn’t schedule naps?! L o l. So with it being the fresh start of a new season, and not too far along into a new semester… I wanted to throw some tips your way to keep your life de-cluttered & your stress levels at an all-time low.

1. Planners are beyond worth the money spent. So, maybe it’s hard for you to purchase a planner because you see some of them starting at $28-$32 just because of all their {precious} foil stickers & {fun} pages. Ok, buy a $4 pocket one. My handwriting is way too big for that but there is one for everyone out there! OR maybe you want the $32 Kate Spade because those foil stickers make you want to fill that sucker up with all your plans (hello, issss me). Either way, taking the time at the beginning of each week to sit down and write out what you have for that week; due-dates & deadlines, appointments, classes, work schedule, & what days you can work on what homework, is so beneficial in the long run. Although it may look like every day is crazy, you’ll find yourself having more time to breathe and work around things because you made time for each and everything.
2. Planners = COLOR CODING. As silly and tedious as it may seem, it makes life so much easier. I didn’t start doing this until about a year ago because, for me, it used to be easier to pencil things in as I went along. Once I gave it a shot, it ended up saving time and from making mistakes. I use a different color for each class, work, and for social events. The color coding prevents me from overlooking a due-date or an event, resulting in missing it completely. The pen makes it hard for me to change. As annoying as that sounds, it is good for me because I used to find myself moving things around my social life rather than scheduling play time around things that needed to be done. I can easily take a glance at the month page and see the highlights of each day and important dates for each aspect of my life. It saves me time trying to separate events from due dates, etc. 
3. Binders & Spirals. I have never (ever since Jr High) been one to have the HUGE binder with all my subjects jammed in there with dividers or… my BIGGEST PET PEEVE… the 5 subject spirals with everything in there. Don’t do that. Please. A.) That is so messy, it gives me the heebie-jeebies thinking about it B.) There is absolutely no way that your things will not get misplaced, mixed between, or worst of all, fall out. Those flimsy pocket folders they have to divide your subjects fill up quickly and begin to rip. Catastrophe averted → Have separate spirals for every class, max it will be 4-5. Not to mention, if you are a computer person, then you won’t even have spirals and online classes you usually don’t need a whole spiral to jot things down on. I grab different colored spirals, even if I get the multi-subject ones because I like the few pocket folders built in, for each class and grab the cheaper plastic folders if necessary. This keeps my school work separated and ensures an easy grab. *be a real big neat freak & color coordinate your pen color (for your planner) to match your spiral color for each class*
4. So, you got a planner… YAY! Although my next tip may seem redundant to some of you, I really suggest jotting down to-do lists! I really have become fond of the reminders app on my phone, it’s super easy and convenient for me to get to when something pops into my mind. Maybe it would be best for you to make them nightly for the next day, maybe you wake up early enough to do it in the mornings, or maybe you’re like me and keep an on-going, weekly list on your reminders! Either way, keeping a simple list and being able to check things off makes you feel less overwhelmed. Seeing a completed list is a great feeling! Once a few of mine are checked off, it pushes me to get it all done so I can take a huge mark through the whole list! (Or marking complete on the reminders app)
5. For your workspace ~ STICKIES! It sounds messy… but obviously if you don’t let them build up by completing the task and removing the sticky note, then it stays organized and quite helpful. Stickies left on my desk remind me of real quick things I need to edit, touch up, add or do first thing in the morning. Stickies are best helpful for ideas, especially in my position here at Barefoot. I constantly always have ideas in and out of my head for blogs, Instagram posts and photoshoot spots… so, the best way I can keep those in mind, is to write them down.
6. A clean home is a happy home! How organized and prepared can you be when your life is all over your house and car?! YA CAN’T! I know there are some people that are those messy people… that aren’t really messy because they know exactly where that one random thing is, in a cluttered mess of 20 other things… you know?! HA! Really though, making sure everything has a place (at least things of real importance; keys, planner, wallet, files, bills, etc…)  can keep minor stresses at a low level, and prevent added stress from piling up on your shoulders. It’s hard to keep your days on track or to get things done in a timely manner when you have everything strung out from one end to another.
7. Last but not least ~ I really like to take pride in the fact that not only am I a well-organized person, but I am also well prioritized. It is very helpful and important to be able to prioritize things of importance at school and at work, to ensure everything is done in a timely manner. With that said, it is also helpful to take a deep breath and “eat the elephant one bite at a time”. Don’t focus on everything as a whole or panic because you have a million tasks at hand. Prioritize, breathe and take things one by one as you can, and physically check them off as you move on to the next.

I hope these tips help you keep your head above water, at least a little bit throughout this semester and rest of the year! Starting a new year, with a brand new, clean planner is so satisfying! So, I will definitely be purchasing my 2018 organizer v-soon. I’ve talked myself out of already purchasing one about three different times now… I’m making myself wait closer until the end of this year,   LOL…

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Love, M