I guess there's just something about Thursdays. During the school year, they are always my "chill nights", when I don't really have anything going and I can regroup, adjust focus, and recharge before the weekend. Unless something drastic happens to change that, I will designate Thursdays as my blogging day. I feel like there should be an awesome name for it, but let's face it, no good adjectives start with TH. Thoughtful. Thrilling. Thug. Yeah, those aren't going to work. In any case - I will do my best to put out new posts on Thursdays. That's pretty convenient for everyone - watch Jenna Marbles on Wednesday, read about the life of Shelbs on Thursday. Life is good.
Today I want to keep it short and sweet - strictly business. I want to discuss organization. As the school year approaches, we like to purchase cutesy, flowery planners, the kind with the motivational quotes printed along the top of each page, and we swear on our lives to keep up with these planners. For the first two weeks of school - maybe even into September - we'll whip those babies out during class and write down EVERYTHING, every homework assignment, every club activity, every practice. But as the year progresses, the effort of hunting for the planner, finding the correct day, and scrawling down some ambiguous note about an assignment is no longer appealing. The bloom is off the rose. The meticulous dividers in our binders - notes, quizzes, reviews, tests, essays - become little more than pieces of plastic taking up space. And instead of carefully organizing a folder for each subject, we shove the papers into our backpacks (hey, everything is in chronological order, I'll totally be able to find it later).
I'm guilty of this because I like to think I function well in "organized chaos". It does not exist. Don't let anyone tell you that's acceptable. With a little extra effort, a little daily maintenance, you can be as organized as the people who have color-coded schedules and hour-by-hour agendas. That is not acceptable either. If you spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over organization, you're defeating the purpose. Organization is meant to help you save time and work efficiently because you can easily access important information. Don't over do it.
To illustrate an efficient, appropriate way to maintain organization, I have, in the spirit of organization, made a short list of tips.
1. Get dates as far in advance as possible and commit them to your agenda. If you are part of a club, obtain meeting dates and times. If you know you are going to a conference, save the date. If you're going to a competition, set some deadlines leading up to the event!
2. Invest in some sticky notes. Everyday tasks like picking up dry cleaning or walking the dog don't have to go in your planner. Stick em around the house where you'll see them and be amazed that you don't have to ask yourself "why did I come into this room?" anymore. (They're also great for inspiration. The cheesier the better. Ex: "YOU ARE A WINNER!" Seeing that every day = instant boost. You're welcome.)
3. If you have siblings who are also very active, get a family calendar. Put it on the fridge where everyone will see it and have each family member write their commitments in a different color. There's the household agenda at a glance!
4. Purchase one flash drive and save important documents on it. Instead of searching through files at school, home, and on your email, keep it all together. This is great for things you will use often such as your resume or a professional headshot. This is also great for ongoing projects like essays or school presentations.
These are all things I personally do that seem to keep me on track. You don't need an intricate routine to function on a daily basis. Find the balance that works best for you, make it a habit to check your cutesy, flowery planner, keep it updated, and get some work done!
Shelbs
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