Now that school is in full swing, I’m sure we’ve all got a lot on our plates. Thankfully, we can have an organized girl fall by setting ourselves up for success. I find using a physical planner to be most effective and enjoyable to use when planning out how to manage my time and I’m here to share some of my fav tips with you!
- Make it a Habit
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Getting into the routine of filling out your planner on the same day around the same time every week is so helpful when trying to get organized! Once you do it enough times, it’ll almost be second nature and you’ll have built a habit of filling out your planner. That way, you will be way less likely to give up on it after a week or two! Not only that but finding time every day to go through your planner to add any events or plans that have come up unexpectedly or that you may have forgotten about is super beneficial. This is also a good time to mark off anything that you have accomplished in the day!
- Color Code
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Using your favorite kind of pens in fun colors can make using your planner even better! If your school uses Canvas for online coursework, you can color-code your classes on the calendar and it’s so satisfying to match it in your planner. I find that having a specific color for crossing off tasks that have been accomplished is very helpful. It will be easier to take a quick glance at your planner and see all the things you’ve gotten done each day or week! It will also just look pretty AF and we love that!
- Keep Your sh*t together
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If you’re anything like me, you are constantly making last-minute appointments. Whether it’s for your nails or the dentist, write it down! No matter how small or easy to remember you think an appointment or task may be, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Plus, writing in your planner regularly will help keep you from double-booking yourself (which I’ve been guilty of in the past). While I do use my Outlook and Apple calendar to remind me of appointments and meetings, it’s good to have those things in your planner as well!
- Use time blocking
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Now you don’t have to be as detailed as Elon Musk by planning everything out into 5-minute time blocks, but breaking down your day into smaller portions will help you get a lot more done! Of course, you’ll want to block off your two-hour lecture, but I’d recommend blocking off time to do your homework or write an essay you’ve been putting off too! You can also block off things like hanging out with friends, doing some self-care, or even watching your favorite show in your planner. Blocking off time for both work and play can keep you from overworking yourself or procrastinating important assignments. Best of both worlds!
- Find the perfect planner for you
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Trust me, don’t try to fit your lifestyle to a certain planner (even if it looks cute). You’ll end up not enjoying the layout or the overall experience of writing in it! Instead, spend some time thinking of what you want out of your planner and what layout would suit you best. If you are on the go and pretty forgetful, maybe get a pocket-sized planner and take it with you when you’re out and about! There are tons of different planners out there, so browse around and find one you think you could really love using! For me, I need a full-size daily planner that has seven sections under each day of the week. That way I can write down everything for each class in its own box and still have some sections left for work and personal stuff like plans with my friends! If, like me, your standards are high and you don’t like to compromise, there are a few sites that let you completely customize your own planner! I used Plum Paper to make mine and I couldn’t be happier with it!
Learning how to use my planner efficiently changed the way I do life. I have so much more free space in my brain to do creative things and just relax now that I have a designated place to write down all of my responsibilities, reminders, and notes. Hopefully, you can use some or all of these tips to become “that girl” too! Much love from all of us here at Her Campus!
XOXO HC