I am a huge
believer in tidy space, tidy mind. If things around me are organised then I
feel happier, calmer and like I can give things a good go. As a bit of an
organisational freak, I thought I’d but together my five tips for getting and
staying organised.
1) Keep writing lists
Lists are
my life, whether it be a to-do list for the day(or week), a list of what I need
from boots or a list of when my assignments are due in at Uni - whatever it is,
I’ll have a list for it. Lists help me remember everything that needs doing so
that nothing can slip under the radar and get forgotten about. It also helps to differentiate
what’s important and what can wait. When noting your to-do list, I would add to
each point with what needs doing to achieve that point, example: ‘Contact
companies for work experience’ firstly, you will need to think of what
companies you want to work with, you will then need to find there contact
details, double check your CV and tailor it to each company, and then create a
cover letter before drafting and sending an email. This way, you can clearly
see what needs doing and feel better about starting to work on it with
structured things that need doing.
2) Storage – whether it be make-up,
work desk or even your wardrobe
I think
storage is a big thing, having enough space to see everything as well as having
a structure to it so you know where things are, so for example; my make-up is
separated by products e.g. face products have their own draw. Then, my work is
separated by what needs doing, what needs to be filed away, as well as
assignment briefs/previous work with feedback to refer back to. With having
structure to your organisation it means that you know exactly where everything
is and you can easily see where everything is along with what you need, it
helps me focus.
3) Calendars
Writing
things down is the best way to know what you’re doing, for me personally I’d
rather use a little diary and a calendar on my bedroom wall than use my iPhone calendar(I
know I need to get with the times) but I just find it easier to write things
down and see the whole week/month in front of me. I write everything down, even
if its something obvious like when my Uni lecture is, I still write it down
just so you can see how busy you are that week and when there is time to fit
other things in.
4) Night-before planning
I also
think it’s a good idea to plan for the day the night before, from something as
little as setting your alarm so your up in time, to planning your outfit so
your not rushing around looking for something to wear. Planning your lunch, and
organising your bag the night before will just make the morning run smoother,
meaning you’ll leave the house feeling fresher, calmer and ready for the day, iIt
also means you can afford to have an extra 10 minutes in bed)!
For me, it
is important to have a big bag with enough room for everything I need for the
day. I often have to take my laptop out with me so my bag has to be big to fit
this in along with my notebooks, water, lunch, chargers etc etc. I also keep
lots of other things in my bag such as; paracetamol, nail files, tissues, hair
brush, make-up, perfume, chewing gum – little things which could come in handy
throughout the day!
