As someone who struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for 18 years, I haven’t always been the neatest. My brain was scrambled, I was forgetful, and I lived in squalor. Honestly, they could’ve put me on “Hoarders” for how many clothes were left on my floor.
After a realization that I needed to get my life on track for adulthood, medication and a lifestyle cleanse, I can finally say I have mastered the skills of organization.
With seven on-campus jobs/roles in organizations, Dean’s List and time to still see my friends, I am more than qualified to help a person in need:
- Get “Notion”
Notion is a free and customizable tool for project management, note-taking and self-organization. You can download the app or use it directly from the website.
Whether you’re in a group or flying solo, Notion is a great way to keep every aspect of your life on track and in the same place. It even comes with pre-made templates of diaries, calendars, to-do lists and more!
I use Notion to-do lists and calendars for school and work, a health diary and my personal agenda.
- Having an Organized Phone/Computer
This tip is a little unusual, but it has helped me a lot. Along with a clean and organized room, I always feel better when my phone is pleasing to look at and customized to my liking. It makes me feel more at peace when using my phone.
I use Pinterest to find pictures for my app icons and widgets. You can also find great themes on Twitter threads of IOS 14 app icons.
Another great tip and fun and relaxing hobby of mine is customizing and organizing my Spotify playlists. I love making playlists based on my favorite characters, movies or my zodiac sign.
Honestly, I do this once a month on a weekend when I have nothing to do. It makes me feel productive, and I feel less overwhelmed after everything is nice and neat.
Both of these are super relaxing and reinforce better organizational skills.
- Set One Day Aside For Work
This is when all those Spotify playlists come in handy. The best advice I could give someone struggling with school and scheduling is to make one day out of the week a workday. I am in my second semester at Montclair State University, and I have yet to do any homework on a Friday night or weekend.
I have one class on Wednesdays that ends at 10 in the morning. Afterward, I sit down in the School of Communication and Media building, or any other quiet and pleasing environment, and do all my homework for the upcoming week or weeks in advance. This way, I am always free to do work for clubs, hang out with friends or just take the weekend off to replenish.
So sit down, unplug, put on some music and get to work!
- List Of Resolutions
In my personal notebook, I have compiled a list of 15 things I want to accomplish by 2023. A to-do list for your aspirations is a great way to keep yourself on track with your goals. Not only does it keep you on track, but being able to put a big “X” in the checkbox is extremely rewarding.
So far, I have checked off 3/15 of my goals, and I am continuing to work passionately to complete the rest!
I hope this list helps make life a little easier for you and allows you to finally flourish!