My biggest New Years resolution for 2017 was to get more organized. I’ve been using a planner/daybook since I started college, but I have always had trouble actually keeping up with it. I found that I was writing a lot of things down, but I wasn’t really going back to check them and make sure I was completing the tasks. I searched for different ways to organize my daybook and I’ve finally found some methods that work well for me.

The first (very obvious) step to getting organized is to buy a daybook. I use the Happy Planner, which you can purchase online or at Michaels. There are tons of styles and layouts that you can choose from. I prefer to have a planner with monthly calendars as well as weekly pages. I mostly use the calendar spread for big events and the weekly pages for more specific tasks. My personal favorite layout for the weekly spread is a style that splits the day into three sections. This way, I can have a section for each of my classes since the most I have is three in one day. You can also use these sections to divide your day into morning, afternoon, and night.

Color-coding is a great way to make your planner easier to read as well as prettier to look at. For example: I use red to write in exams or appointments, purple for writing assignments, orange for social events, and so on. I find that using one color to write everything can make things jumbled and hard to differentiate. You can also use different colored highlighters to color-code.

I’ve recently added to-do lists to my weekly pages. Having a daily to-do list that I can check off helps me stick to my schedule and reminds me of everything I have to do that day. I like to use post-it notes that I can move around for tasks that are more flexible and don’t necessarily have to be completed on a certain day.

Decorating your planner and making it more aesthetically pleasing might make you use it more often. I know that having a cute daybook makes me proud to pull it out and write entries. I love using washi tape to highlight dates or add borders to my pages. Stickers are also a great way to add some personal flair to your pages.

At the beginning of each month, I like to write a few personal goals that I would like to accomplish. They can be things like “go to the gym” or “drink more water.” Seeing those goals when I open up my planner reminds me to strive to be my best self and keep moving forward.

Sitting down at night and planning out all of the things I need to accomplish the next day really helps me feel less anxious. Writing them down in my planner insures that I won't forget what I need to do, and I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Find a method that works best for you, and get to planning!