Hopefully, you all had a chance to read my introduction. If not, you can read it here.
As I move forward into 2018, I want to stay organized. I'm one of those people who need to have a clean space or else they feel a bit scatter-brained. However, recently I've realized it's important to clean out your mind as well as your space. Before I was diagnosed with cancer, my life was very much a balancing act in disguise. Twenty-somethings today all face the pressure of living by "faking it"- which is basically pretending everything is all right when actually everything is on fire. Well "faking it" is overrated.
Getting Your Shit Together With A New Planner
Enter in my new planner!
For most people, I can see how having a planner can be a reminder of those gross and tacky agendas from middle school and high school. It can definitely seem like work and an extra step in getting what you need done, but BELIEVE ME, it's not.
Treat Yourself To A Nice Planner (You Deserve It)
I don't know why it took me so long to see that having a planner can be fun. In reality, you just have to find one that fits you and makes you excited to use it every day. My planner is from bando. First of all, it's super cute! It comes with tons of stickers, words of advice, secret messages, and other features. When I'm writing it in, it never feels like work. Instead, it feels like an extremely organized journal. I'm not afraid to doodle, make mistakes, or basically vomit my creativity on to it.
YOUR PLANNER SHOULDN'T FEEL LIKE WORK!
Keep it Loosey Goosey
Honestly, the biggest killer of organization (at least for me) is pressure. You want everything to be perfect as soon as possible. Well, I'm sorry to tell you this but NOT POSSIBLE. Take that huge weight off your back and realize this is for you. It doesn't have to be perfect. At the beginning of each month, I'm going to use the monthly calendar page as the big picture. Write down fun events with friends, doctors appointments, medication schedules. Then as each day passes, evaluate what needs to be done on the daily calendar pages. To be honest, I try to stick to two or three things. I don't want to overwhelm myself. Giving yourself too many tasks all at once, is just asking for procrastination. Then, I doodle in the empty spaces and maybe write down some words of encouragement.
WRAP UP!
Hopefully through 2018, I'll stick with using my planner. So far, I feel a lot more focused and relaxed at the same time. If it's not in the planner, it's not a priority and if it feels like you're doing too much, then you probably are. This will be my mantra and maybe it'll be yours too. :)
If you wanna see more from me, please follow me around the internets.
I will also be looking for freelance work by the end of February, so don't hesitate to send an email to jasminvalcourt@gmail.com.