Everyone plans in some way, shape, or form. Whether you're a to-do list Tammy or a planner Patricia, planning is how we stay organized and on top of our A-game. Like most students, I use my planner for keeping track of my assignments, lectures, projects, and exams. I find that writing down what I need to do helps me organize and keep track of the many events in my life.
The most basic form of planning is keeping a daily to-do list. It's the easiest way to plan and doesn't require anything but a piece of paper and a pen.
Jasmine's Recommendations:
Put the date at the top of the to-do list to keep track of what needs to be done that day.
Only write down what you can get done in that day. It's easy to go overboard and give yourself too much to do in 24 hours. Don't set yourself up for failure. Spread your tasks out.
Start with the hardest or longest task first, and then have the list progressively get easier.
Cross out your tasks or check them off when you've finished them. It can give you a sense of relief when you've done all that you set out to do.
Another form of planning is using an actual planner.
I keep three planners. The first is my Erin Condren Life Planner. The layout is vertical, and the sections are originally meant for morning, afternoon/day, and evening plans. However, you can use the boxes to keep track of your day chronologically, use some boxes for to-do lists, etc. How you use your planner is entirely up to you, but remember that its main purpose is to serve as a physical layout of your day or week ahead. You should be able to easily read the tasks you must accomplish.
My second planner is my Webster's Pages Color Crush personal planner. Its use is for on-the-go planning and is a lot smaller than my Erin Condren, so I can pretty much put it in any bag and not be weighed down by it. I use it to keep track of my spending, my online purchases, passwords, to-do lists, grocery lists, miscellaneous notes, and daily and monthly plans. Sometimes I use both my Erin Condren and my personal planner at the same time, but it depends on how busy I am during the week and how stressed I may be.
The third is my school planner. This is the medium Ban.do agenda, and the layout is horizontal. I only use my school planner for school-related things such as my daily assignments, exams, midterm papers, projects, field trips, retreats, etc.
I just recently started using a separate planner for my school life because using my Erin Condren as my "everything" planner made my spreads too cluttered and hard to read.
One last form of planning I want to share is the technological form of planning. We have our phones in our hands almost all day, everyday. Many people use Google Calendar to keep track of their appointments and important events. There are also many to-do list apps and notes apps that you can download if the old school pen and paper route isn't your style.
My only concern with keeping your entire life on your phone or computer is the risk of losing all of your data. So, be sure to back up your information. Get a hard-drive or flash drive. Take caution with putting your important tasks and information in your phone or computer.
However you plan is entirely up to you! Just make sure that whichever method you use works for you! If you do end up purchasing one of the three planners I have shared, be sure to subscribe to their newsletters for sales and coupon codes to make your purchase a little cheaper!
Check out my latest Plan with Me to see MORE planning fun!