By: Ryanna Lui
It’s 12 midnight. You haven’t touched your homework yet, because you’ve been binge-watching your favorite Netflix series. In despair, you get up from your seat and grab a bowl of chips to munch your stress away. You reluctantly crack open the math textbook and begin working. Sound familiar?
It’s only halfway through the first semester of school. If you feel like a hot mess, why not tidy yourself up a bit? Drawing up a plan or two will definitely strengthen the grip you never knew you had on life.
List out your planned activities.
These are things that you do on the daily, or any activities that you expect to occur every day, week, or month. Afterwards, write down a realistic estimate of time alongside each activity.
Plan your weekly schedule.
Make a spreadsheet. Leave the box in the first column and first row empty. In the first row, list out the seven days of the week. In the first column, list out the twenty-four hours of the day in half-hour increments.
Start plugging in your planned activities into the spreadsheet. Once you’re finished, you’ll realize how much free time you have, or lack thereof. Of course, life always gets in the way, so you actually have less time than what your schedule predicts. Take a moment to absorb this information.
Keep this schedule on your desk, so you can look at it everyday and remind yourself about how much time you really have.
Keep a planner.
Take out that nice journal your Auntie Betty gave you for Christmas because you’re about to put it to good use and start a bullet journal. This particular format is really useful because you can customize it to fit your own preferences. Don’t feel pressured to spend hours decorating your journal to make it look like it came from Pinterest. The point is to keep your activities organized in a portable medium. The basics of a bullet journal typically include monthly, weekly, and daily spreads. You can also use it to keep track of other miscellaneous things, such as how much sleep you get or how you feel each day, by using various graphs, charts, and other forms of visual aid to do so. Bullet journaling videos on Youtube serve as great sources of guidance and inspiration.
Break down big projects.
Now that you’re on a roll with the planning shenanigans, it’s time to tackle the big projects that will inevitably bombard your life. These include the English essay worth half of your grade, your important physics project, or even college applications. Break your project down into manageable chunks with mini-deadlines to ensure that you work on it consistently. Implement these deadlines into your planner to give yourself an insightful visual. By avoiding the last-minute rush, you will produce quality content.
Use a Whiteboard
Whiteboards are reusable and great for everyday use. They are great for brainstorming ideas and displaying reminders that are too important for your bullet journal. The best location for your whiteboard would be on your desk, making the board portable and convenient. However, the wall is also a viable option if you prefer having it hung up.
