How I Organize My Agenda + Tips For Organizing Yours

If you've been around the blog for a while then you probably already know that I am an organization junkie. Because of that one of the most frequently asked questions I get is "how do you organize your agenda?" Well, I am so excited to be showing y'all that today and including a video of it for an even closer look. This is the method I have been using for the past two years of college and it is the best method for me currently. Everyone organizes differently so if my methods don't exactly strike your fancy then don't give up and instead implement some of my tips in a way that works best for you! 

This year I am using a jumbo Lilly Pulitzer agenda and it is perfect. I've used Lilly agendas in the past but the jumbo size is essential for the amount of tasks I have to do on a given day and I definitely won't be retreating back to the large one any time soon. As for pens, I love to color coordinate and the best agenda pens ever are Le Pens. They come in a fun assortment of colors and don't bleed through the pages! Instead of crossing through completed tasks I like to highlight them which is where these highlighters come in handy. 

Let's start with the tips and then I will dive into each with a little more depth and hopefully you'll leave this post feeling inspired to organize! 

  

1. Make a plan and stick to it.

This is the most important thing you can do in order for your agenda to appear organized. By writing things down in the same place or color each day your agenda is bound to appear more organized even if that isn't the case. For me, I write down what color pen I am going to use for each subject and activity on a sticky note and move it from week to week until the colors are associated with my subjects, don't worry it will soon become second nature!

2. Color coordinate by class/activity.

As I hinted at above, I have my assignments written down in a specific color that coordinates with one of my classes or activities (for example, this semester I have pink for Kappa Delta, grey for field work, blue for EDU 330, purple for EDU 225, green for REL 210, and navy for HSC 200). This is a great way for me to avoid writing the subject or activity by an event or assignment each time I have a meeting or something is assigned. I also find this helpful when looking at my monthly calendar since the colors apply both weekly and monthly.

3. Organize in a way that works best for you.

I can not stress this enough. If these tips don't work for you then it is very important for you to instead organize your agenda in a way that does! You won't be as productive or feel as organized if you are organizing in a way that is not convenient for your lifestyle or habits.

4. Write down assignments when they are assigned and when they are due.

This is most important if you struggle to meet deadlines or remember assignments. The first weeks of school when I am handed my syllabus for a specific class I force myself to sit down and write all of it down for the entire semester (I know this probably can't happen in high school but that is ok!) even if something isn't due until December. I have found it super helpful for myself to write down my homework on the night I need to do it as opposed to the day it is due. My reasoning behind this is that if I am just seeing the assignment on the day it is due then it is already to late to complete it. For big assignments however such as tests, projects, or papers, I write them down when they are assigned as well as when they are/due. This is one thing that I know varies from person to person but again, this is what works best for me!

5. Cross assignments off once they are completed.

This is without a doubt the biggest motivation for me to complete assignments and the reason I find to-do lists so productive! I love taking my yellow highlighter and crossing off an assignment once I finish it and I feel so accomplished when all of my tasks for a day or week are highlighted meaning they have been completed. For consistency, I've always crossed off the events on my weekly calendar with a yellow highlighter however, I do not cross things off on the monthly overview calendar.

6. Utilize your monthly calendar.

I never did this before coming to college and I honestly don't know how I survived. While it can be stressful to see all that needs to be completed or attended during the month it is the best way for me to get an idea of how to productively manage my time. It's great to get an idea of how your week looks with all of the miscellaneous events going on in order to better plan ahead!  I'm not going to lie, more frequently than not I get a little overwhelmed when checking the monthly calendar but I am convinced that it helps to motivate me.

7. Use Post-it Notes.

I am an avid user of Post-it notes. Flipping back through some of my weeks I have a post it note on each day as well as a few piled up on my weekend on my weekly agenda view. You may think this is excessive but sometimes it is the only way you can remember that something needs to be printed or that your laundry needs to be done otherwise you won't have any socks left. I personally don't want to write that on my days assignments directly in my agenda so Post-its are my perfect solution!

8. Make it Fun.

Stickers and fun paper clips are all it takes for me! I use super cute Kate Spade paperclips to mark where in my agenda I am clipping one side on my weekly view and the other on my monthly view. As for stickers, I adore using Lilly Pulitzer's academic and greek sticker sets and use them on both my weekly view as well as my monthly one. It makes the fact that you have an exam or chapter meeting coming up look that much more fun and colorful.

Here is a video I made for y'all summarizing all of these tips and showing you exactly what I do when it comes to organizing my agenda. 

Leave me any tips you may have below!