We all know the new year is filled with resolutions, promises to ourselves we may or may not keep. What we don't think about is actually planning how to fulfill these resolutions. What steps do we need to take? What must I do to succeed by the end of 2016? The truth is, no resolution can be achieved without one thing: organization. If you're a person that struggles with this, here are some quick, easy steps to help you keep all of your New Year's promises.
1. Planners
I cannot stress this enough -- having a planner changes everything. With a place to keep all of your events and assignments together, life will change forever. Add the steps you want to take towards your New Year's resolution and you're golden!
2. Highlighters
Highlighters are a cheap but worthwhile investment to get you organized. With highlighters, you can color code, pull out the most important information on documents and in general just make things look pretty! Highlighters are perfect for planners, notebooks and textbooks!
3. Apps
Take advantage of your smart phone! There are all sorts of apps out there to help you. Was your resolution to maintain a healthier diet? Try "Lose It," an app for weight loss. What if you want to be more dedicated to those eight cups of water per day? Try "Waterlogged." How about being more aware of your spending? "Mint" could be super useful! The App store is a vast wasteland of endless resources, so use it!
4. Post-It Notes
Nothing is more useful than a pad of post-it notes. They are perfect for little reminders that you can leave wherever. Post-its come in different shapes, colors and sizes to suit your needs. Once you figure out what works best for you, I guarantee you won't be able to go back!
5. To-Do Lists
It sounds simple and brainless, but to-do lists can be the saving grace of any assignment. Taking five minutes each day to make a simple checklist of what you need to accomplish can give you the discipline (and also the sometimes much-needed reminder) to get what you need to do. They take very little time but yield an incredible outcome.
6. Calendar App
The biggest favor I ever did for myself was beginning to put events in the calendar app. We all have those days where things just slip our mind and suddenly we're five minutes late to a meeting and someone is calling asking, "where are you?" An easy step to take is to discipline yourself and start adding things to the calendar app. The app allows you to set reminders for events before they happen as well, so you can give yourself some time before the next thing! You can also have multiple calendars at once, sorted by color, to keep your schoolwork, job, rehearsals and personal life all separate.
7. Pens and Pencils
Although it may sound ridiculous, having a favorite pen or pencil can add consistency to your life, especially if you stock up on them. Then, you don't have to get frustrated when a mediocre pen won't work, or a pencil's tip keeps breaking. You already have the tools you want and need and you can begin to enjoy using them to accomplish your daily tasks.
Organization is just a few easy steps away! Take the opportunity of a new year to get yourself together and use your newfound planning skills to accomplish your New Year's resolution. You'd be surprised how rewarding it can be to finally feel like you have it under control and how quickly that can happen with tools like these.
