The school year is approaching—are you ready yet? I always love this time of year and find myself excited to go school shopping. The one thing I couldn't survive without is my planner.

My planner has everything. It's how I remember what I did last week, what happened at that meeting, and when my next appointment or assignment will take place. Without it, I'm lost! It took me a while to find the best way to organize my planner, and I have found that simple is efficient. It just takes a couple of minutes to be that much more organized.

1. Buy a planner

Maybe it's just me, but I can't do bullet journals. I really wish I could, but I get lazy and neglect it, defeating the purpose of having one. So buy a planner—a nice sturdy one that will get through the whole year.

2. Fill in the month in advance

This is for the full-day events—or at least something big enough that you have to plan for it. Then you know you can't do anything September 27 because you have a test the next day. It's the section that it good for at a glance instead of the daily micro-planning.

3. Fill in the week on Sunday night

I like to fill in my week as I schedule it, and Sunday night I check that everything is filled in. This way, nothing can take me by surprise and I'm fully prepared for Monday morning.

4. Use the notes section for goals...

I like to set at least 3 goals at the beginning of the month and check them at the end of the month. It can be anything from texting someone you haven't talked to in a while to finishing a book series—whatever fits your fancy!

5. ...and quotes!

Finally at the end of the month, I find 3-5 quotes that I feel really captivated my feelings and experience. I like this because it helps me remember the month when I look back and then sets the tone for a new month.

While I know I can't keep a bullet journal, I have found ways to make my planner into a more simple journal. It is easier because I don't have to draw the lines, but I can still write my quotes and goals somewhere.

There are some great pre-organized planners available, but I have found you don't have to break the bank to have a great planner. It's easy if you maximize your space and do what works for you!

Don't like quotes? Maybe you like doodles! There are so many options and something different works for everyone. Keeping an organized planner and putting time into this will help you center yourself by remembering what the past month was like and preparing for the upcoming weeks!