Artline Monday - Getting organised!

Did you set yourself a goal this year to be more organised?  Do you feel like some people have everything together and are perfectly prepared for any situation while you struggle to keep on top of things?  I thought for today's post I would share with you some ideas to help you achieve your organisational aspirations.

The first thing you need to know is that most "organised" people aren't naturally prepared with no effort.  They have developed a system which works for them and you can too.  Some people use a planner, a computer or mobile phone, a diary, a simple notebook or bullet journal to organise their lives, they could even use a combination of these things!  You might have to try a few different ways until you find what works for you but it is worth persevering.  I put everything into my planner but I also use the calendar on my iPad and phone too.  This is because they sync between the each other automatically and I can set reoccurring events and reminders without having to input them separately each week, month or year. 

Planning tools - my Filofax, Artline pen & iPad

I used to feel like I didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to but once I started planning my days I found that I just needed to use my time more efficiently.  Time management is a skill you can learn.  If you think about your day from when you wake up through to when you go to bed you can see how much time you have to work with.  Make a list of what you need to do each day and estimate how long each activity takes you to complete.  Include things like eating, getting ready, travel time, hours at school or work, errands, studying and house work etc, how much time do you have left afterwards and what can you fit into these moments?  You might find you have a lot more time available than you previously thought. 

 

Planning ahead

Planning ahead is also really helpful for keeping on top of things.  I like to have an overview of the next month or two at least so I'm not surprised by anything later on.  As you can see I have notes and reminders in my planner for right up to the end of June at the moment and it is only the middle of January.  Looking this far into the future means I am prepared for these events as they crop up instead of feeling like I am trying to keep too many plates spinning at once or playing wack-a-mole with lots of things popping up and needing to be dealt with straight away.  I know what is coming and what I need to do in plenty of time which is a lot less stressful!

All this planning and organisation might feel a bit overwhelming to begin with but with some practice you will find it easier to do.  Once you have gotten into the habit it becomes second nature to make plans, follow them through and to manage your time effectively.  

If you find that paper planning is the thing that works for you then Artline has a whole range of pens, highlighters and stamps to help you stay organised throughout the year!  If you would like to read some more of my organisation hints and tips check out this previous Artline Monday post for some planning basics.