organEYES my LIFE
Throughout my life, I’ve always had big goals with a lack of skills pertaining to planning and organization. It wasn’t really a surprise when I was diagnosed with ADHD as I’d been suffering with the desire to do something but not being able to follow through. I dreamed of being a planner girl that did the cooking on a certain day or actually accomplished her lengthy to do list. And I can honestly say that I’m finally there. So, I’m here to give you advice on how I did it because if I can, so can you.
First, get yourself a good planner. My planner (the dailee) does weekly and daily organization and tracks my finances, work outs, food, and habits. It also has a page for a brain dump. I suggest using pencils or erasable gel pens to fill out the planner in case you make a mistake or need to change something. You should also pick out the apps that you want to use for planning and organization. My favorites are Mo for meditation, rocket money to balance my finances, and task flow to organize my to do list. Next, I decided to use a binder system for my medical information, therapy resources, household information, and important documents. It was so much fun to pick each binder and organize all the information in one place. Now, if I have medical issues, my files are easily accessed and if I need to do some therapy worksheets, it’s easy to grab. I would say this is an essential first step to getting your life organized.
It's important for you to lay out your goals. What do you want your life to look like? What do you hope to achieve? If you could be anyone, who would it be? If you don’t achieve your set goals and stick to what you’ve planned, it’s almost as if you’re letting yourself down each time. Be patient and realistic without overwhelming yourself with large projects and goals. You will get there! It just takes time. Build habits that align with your goals and take breaks to get the rest you need to achieve.
When starting a project, using project planner templates, or creating your own is essential. I ordered templates on Etsy, and I loved doing them before getting started on a new project. It’s important for you to break everything into small, simple tasks and to overestimate how long a task will take. This makes it more likely that you’ll actually get your tasks done. One of my favorite parts of project planning is creating a timeline that lays out the project entirely. This is the time to look at your goals and set deadlines (that you should really stick to). For daily planning, time blocking is really useful and again, be generous with the time it takes to do tasks.
Below, I have laid out three different types of projects and tips for getting them done:
1) PhD
Organizing your PhD is honestly so difficult, and I only have advice about what I should have done. You should plan your research in great detail before you start, and it is so important to stick to the research plan once you start the process. Data should be collected in the same way each time. I would say it’s also essential to conduct a literature review and write Chapter 1 before you begin the research. Always use a referencing software like Mendeley to organize your references. Again, before you start, come up with a filing system for your data and writing and name documents strategically. As you begin the research, keep all your notes and ideas in one place and have a set system to go through them at some point. As you collect data and write, back up everything on multiple devices. Throughout the process, work on progress timelines so that you stay on track and change any set deadlines if needed. My biggest regret is not publishing my data as I went, and I think it’s so important for relevancy that you try to get published during your PhD.
2) You are my muses
I did a lot of research on starting a blog but when it came down to it, I simply jumped in and did my thing. I learned recently that it’s more effective to keep it simple and not post an overwhelming amount material just for the sake of doing it. I also think it’s important to keep your material original and use archives for photographs and such if you need it. It’s also important to have a posting schedule. For example, I post poetry every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (unless it’s a deluxe). On top of that, I have found actually scheduling posts for publication within the website to be posted at a later date makes it way easier. For example, I do this every Sunday and then I don’t have to worry about posting throughout the week.
3) I am God
Writing this book has become one of my favorite things to do but like my PhD, I started off very disorganized with my ideas and writing. I think it’s important to dedicate time to brainstorming ideas about the book, but it’s even more important to organize these notes and use them to write. Keep everything in one place and make it simple to use. Writing a book should really begin with an outline of your ideas and inspiration that you can build on as you go. It’s also important to do research on the topics and take notes on anything relevant. The next step should be planning and then it’s time to jump in and start writing. I cannot stress enough that you will probably have a terrible first draft and as you go through it, you will revise the big picture. I like to treat each chapter like an individual story and fill it with so many details that it has to be interesting. The other day I also came across J.K. Rowling’s method of keeping track of her characters and it seemed useful so definitely check that out.
Organization and planning does not come naturally to me and I’m sure it doesn’t for a lot of other people, too. Taking simple steps and working toward your goal will set you up for success and before you know it, you’ll be a master at it!
xoxo
