This week I am breaking down all of the ways that I keep myself organized! Obviously working a 9-5 on top of being a blogger is a lot to keep track of! As an aspiring influencer with OCD, I have a tendency to plan my social media presence out weeks in advance! I find that this keeps me on track and allows me to pace myself when it comes to developing new ideas & writing blog posts so that they are as information & beneficial to you as can be! With that being said, I am also very much a planner when it comes to my work & overall personal responsibilities. I have SO much going on in my brain at all times that it can be hard to shut it off, unless I write it down! I am an avid note taker & have my planner and notebooks with me at all times. With so many thoughts and ideas for both my blog & my personal life swirling around in my head all day, I had to find a way to organize and keep up with all that I want to accomplish! Here are some tips and tricks to leading a healthy, organized life!
- Keep A Tangible Planner: I know that technology and iPhone calendars have taken over the world of scheduling, but I personally much prefer to keep a hard copy planner that I can write in! This helps me to be able to flip and see everything I have going on from weeks to months ahead all at the same time & edit accordingly! It is the most satisfying feeling to complete my hand written to-do list for the day and cross them off as I go! Currently I am using the Jumbo Agenda by Lilly Pulitzer, which I love because there is so much space to write! I have big handwriting and like to space things out so lots of room is a must for me! I have also heard great things about Erin Condren planners as well! I may splurge on a customized one next year!
- Sticky Notes: Ya’ll, my planner is covered in Post-Its! I have 2 different sticky note pads that I use for 2 different things! I have one pad that are shaped like pink cupcakes (duh!) that I use for specific Instagram posts I have coming up on my account! I purchased another pad that says REMINDER big at the top & is lined so that I can list off ideas and main points for blog posts I plan to tackle that week! Post-Its are a great way to go through your planner ahead of time, knowing you can just move the post-its and rearrange your schedule if need be with ease!
- Outlook Calendars: My company personally utilizes Outlook for our work schedules and email! I love using Outlook because I can sync my work calendar to my iPhone, which means I can keep my work events organized separately from my personal planner! With that being said, I do like to use this calendar to give myself time-sensitive reminders, such as the start of a sale or a time when I need to leave work early for an appointment! The reminder will pop up on both my work computer AND my phone so I’m sure to see it! You can use other calendar programs like Gmail, too!
- Color Coding Pens: I bought a super cute pack of colored, nice pens on Amazon which I love to use in my planner! I can color code blog notes, appointments, plans with friends, etc, so that I know what’s coming up just by glancing at the week! I’m also a sucker for bright colors, so it makes working in my planner fun when it’s time to map out the week!
- Utilize the “Notes” App: I have SO many Notes on my iPhone from initial blog ideas, photos I want to shoot, all the way to what I need to grab at Target! I tend to get ideas when I’m either driving in the car, out shopping, or in the shower! The “Notes” app is a great way for me to store an idea I have when I’m out without my planner so that I don’t forget about it! I have so much constantly running through my brain at all times, that if I don’t jot it down, it will be gone forever 2 minutes later! Before bed I always make it a point to transfer those notes to my planner so that I can get them on my schedule!
- Map a Month Out: At the beginning of every month I like to look ahead and see what I have going on in the month ahead to keep events from sneaking up on me! I like to map out appointments, birthdays and work events to make sure I don’t miss anything or double book myself! It’s super important to meal and exercise plan ahead of time as well, which I am currently really working to do myself! Getting things down on paper well in advance will really help you to form habits & keep track of what is important to you!
Below you can SHOP all of the products I use to keep myself organized on the go!
- Reminder Sticky Notes
- Cupcake Sticky Notes
- Multi Colored Gel Pens
- JUMBO Agenda in “Mermaids Cove” by Lilly Pulitzer
- Silicone Cylinder Pencil Pouch
What are your favorite tips for staying organized?! Let me know in the comments below!
XO Kara