I’m often asked how I do it—help run a literary journal, go to grad school, write a thesis, plan a wedding, among the ten million other things that we have to do in our daily lives, and still get sleep. And honestly, some days it’s extremely hard. But over the years, I’ve figured out a system that works to help keep me organized—and boy do I need to be organized. As a writer, all I have are time and energy, and if I can control my time, then my energy can be directed in the most useful and creative ways.
I’ve always been a busy person. In school I was part of almost every club possible as well as recreational activities outside school, so I had to learn how to organize and prioritize my life early. Here are some of the things that I’ve found helpful to keep myself from going crazy, forgetting important things, and to keep myself healthy and happy.
1. Planners. I started seriously using a planner in high school, and I’ve never looked back. It can take some getting used to, carrying around a book and remembering to write things down in it. But this has been key in my organizational process. Planners come in all shapes and sizes, but my favorite is the Celtic Mandala by Jen Delyth (Barnes and Noble sells them online). A new one comes out every year, and I’ve found the layout really conducive to the way I like to write down my important notes—plus the artwork is really cool. It’s also important to come up with a system for how you notate things in your planner. I’ve done everything from using different colored pens to starring important things to using different marks to mean different things. It doesn’t matter how you do it, the important thing is that you’re writing things down in a way that makes sense and works for you.
2. Notebooks and calendars. If you really don’t like the idea of a planner, I recommend keeping a notebook with you—any size, any type, it’s whatever is most comfortable to you. I’ve used all different shapes and sizes of notebooks, from your average spiral notebook to a moleskin and everything in between. I’m not too picky with these, and I normally keep both a notebook and a planner with me at once. Notebooks offer more space than planners often do, more room to take notes on in-depth things. But I’ve also found that notebooks work best hand-in-hand with a calendar (this is why I really like planners). I use a wall calendar, my phone calendar, my planner calendar, and a desk calendar all at once. It sounds like overkill, I know, but it helps me keep my life organized no matter where I am. It’s important to put things in your calendar—it helps you from double booking yourself or forgetting that ever important due date.
3. Prioritize. Writing things down is great, but sometimes even that can feel overwhelming, seeing everything on your to do list staring back at you. That’s why I prioritize. What’s most important on my list? What needs to be done first? Are there hard and fast due dates for some things? What has to be done for school? Work? Personal life? There are different ways to prioritize your to dos. Numbering them can be helpful, with one being the most important and pressing. Starring things can also work, as well as listing things in order or color coding. Again, it’s all about what works best for you. I’ve also found it insanely helpful to give yourself a cut-off. This can be a personal due date, but what I really mean is a time of day that you stop doing work and relax—eat something, watch TV, spend time with friends and loved ones. You can’t work all day every day or you’ll burn out.
4. Take time for yourself. Life can get crazy, and it’s easy to forget about yourself in all the chaos. And I’m totally guilty of this myself—my mentors are always telling me to take a break and relax. It is so important to take care of yourself. Take time during the week to pamper yourself—whether that’s a bubble bath, a glass of wine, Netflix time, or taking a walk. Give yourself at least a whole day (or weekend) just to focus on yourself. If you’ve prioritized, everything else can wait until the next day. For me, I use the weekends for me. I tell myself I need to get my work done by Friday afternoon, and then I’ll have all of Saturday to do what I want and need, and Sunday I can tie up any loose ends then relax before the next week starts. I try hard to stick to this. Taking time for you is important for your mental, emotional, and physical health. It helps you from burning out and getting sick, and it keeps you from becoming mentally or emotionally overwhelmed. I’m sure we all know what it’s like when work and school take over our lives—all work and no play is no good for anyone.
There are so many other things you can do to keep your life organized, but those are a few useful tips I’ve found key in my own life. I hope they help you feel a little more in control of your daily chaos!
—Marissa Flanagan
Photo: Marissa Flanagan