I try to keep my full time job organisation in the office exclusively because I don't want to take that home with me but I note any weird hours I've got upcoming in my Google calendar. At work I use a weekly organiser where I can write lists of things to do/meetings etc and move them between days fluidly if I don't complete them. If it's a really busy week I use highlighters to prioritise which tasks I need to get done in order of importance. I also have a monthly whiteboard calendar with all upcoming events (I work in a music venue) and meetings and a whiteboard where I can write notes for the upcoming month. I also have my rota for the next three months stuck up in front of me with every day off I have planned so I know exactly where I need to be and when. I'm balancing a full time job and various creative pursuits and also life so I have to be hyper-organised with my schedule.
For general life organising I use my phone calendar for every time I need to do anything or meet somebody or be somewhere. I use different colours for different stuff (ie. Social, time sensitive, work). I find myself struggling to sleep if I know I've got things to do so adding in a calendar note for the next day so I don't forget is very helpful for easing anxiety. Generally I find visualisation to be the most useful thing and the more prepared I am the less stressed. Also means I can be flexible with my schedule cos I always know where I am.
I have used Evernote note taking app for ten years but I hate that they're charging for it now and I can't make any more notes without paying. Very annoying because it was convenient to be able to note on my phone and have it go straight to my laptop but I will not be convinced to pay £60 a year for an app I want to use for free lol so now I use Google notes on my phone.
I also have a very beautiful roadbook consisting of four notebooks: one for poetry/lyrics, one for art project notes and sketches, one for life admin lists and tasks, and a large ruled one for anything that requires a bit more working out or long form ideas. It has extra space in I can stuff any helpful scraps of paper in too.
In general too I find organizing things I use on a daily basis into categories really helpful. For example my bedside table has a little area for health stuff, one for ongoing research, a to be read pile, a tech box, etc. I think of it like "high traffic areas" so anything I'm using daily needs to be within reach and everything else can be further away or more hidden. This is part of my ethos for choosing that the things I use daily to be beautiful and enjoyable to use where possible to make life a little bit better.
Related Recs
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I use notion for organising my university work, shopping lists, monthly goals, etc.
For day to day tasks I use Microsoft todo. Not only does it make a really satisfying noise when you tick things off, it’s also really handy for me in a morning to get everything I need to do for the day physically written dow instead of it being stuck in my head. Also writing down small, easy tasks can help me to feel more productive with my day even if the task is just making lunch or having a shower.
Google Calendar is also my saviour. Super easy to use and makes everything all organised. My friends and I even have our calendars synced, which helps organising plans with them so much easier
Not sure if this is of any use either but I also keep a spending diary so I can stay on top of my finances. I find it’s really helpful for me to physically write that down in a diary and at the end of every week work out how much money can get put into my savings. Staying on top of it all is the key!
Apr 18, 2024
it’s hard to explain it all briefly but i organize it by general domains (see screenshot).
Home has features like to-do lists, my wishlist, gift ideas for family/friends, favorite shopping sites, movie watchlists, recipe links, misc notes.
Grad School has general school-related to do lists, plus my entire class schedule/assignments due each week. i also have linked pages for places to apply for jobs after i graduate and paperwork i need to submit for licensure.
Counseling is basically a folder of resources to use once i start practicing, including a spreadsheet page that has a referral list of my peers with contact info, specialties, etc.
Projects has all my writing, craft ideas, other scraps, etc.
Swipe File is a bunch of random websites and other materials i’ve gathered over the years that are inspiring or just fun to mess around with.
it’s definitely time-intensive to set it all up and organize your life/brain on Notion but it’s so worth it once you’re done, and then you can continue optimizing it forever as priorities change. i recommend doing the initial setup on desktop cuz it’s less overwhelming to see the layout of everything and can move things around more quickly.
Apr 6, 2024
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I answered in part here about how I plan projects timeline-wise and detail-wise and manage complex to-do lists… also a big fan of making to-do lists and grocery lists in the iPhone Notes app or just on a piece of paper… everything is separated between my self-employed projects and my regular job but I do use the regular calendar app for all of my appointments meetings and events (with two reminders one two days before and one two hours before). Pretty groundbreaking I know…
I also hoard every email I’ve ever received in Gmail and will frequently snooze emails or schedule send emails to myself to remind me of things. In Outlook I use the flag follow-up function. And I use Google Photos to organize my 80,000+ pictures that I’ve taken so they’re easily searchable
Apr 12, 2024
Top Recs from @caskeyc
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1. Don't set an alarm and wake up naturally. Snooze for however long you want to, it's okay
2. Have breakfast. For me it's toast. Have it with butter/jam/honey and a lot of water and coffee and juice.
3. Listen to an album in full and do some puzzles until it ends. I like to stick a record on and do the nyt games (connections, then wordle, then the mini, then I'm ready for a crossword)
4. Shower and use all your best stuff. Smell great. Make your hair feel soft.
5. Wear an outfit you don't get to wear that often. I tend to wear the same thing over and over at work so I wear something a bit more fun and less practical.
6. Go outside. I live near a road with secondhand shops that are great browsing but quite tempting on a budget. To beat the temptation just look in the windows and then walk round the streets or to a green space if it's a nice day. Walk as fast or as slow as you like. Try and spot cats that might let you stroke them. See how each place you go smells different. Walk down streets that you've not been down before just because.
7. Come home and decide how much energy you have. If you have energy do an activity (I would write, play an instrument, do some art, read, play a game) if you don't then watch something from your watchlist. Saturdays feel like a good day to watch something new.
8. Cook yourself a meal. Start before you're hungry and spend ages on it. Use every pot. Listen to music. Sing whilst you wash the dishes.
9. Play! Video games, board games, internet games, card games, phone games, rearrange your plushies, embrace your inner child. Play with ideas, experiment with felt tip pens, write a limerick. Get silly with it.
10. Talk to your friends. Invite them over, call somebody up, text that person back you didn't have time to. I like to spend a good day off by myself then have a great time talking to people after I've recharged.
11. Have so much fun getting to do whatever you want you fall asleep at whatever time. Monday - Friday is about appeasing your body clock, Saturdays are for filthy pleasures like falling asleep at 3am because you were too busy flirting or reading or watching videos.
Apr 16, 2024
Re: my last rec I'm kinda realizing reading this might have changed my life actually
Apr 16, 2024