Where would I be without my beloved planner? In addition to Google Calendar (which I don’t know how I survived without up until this year), my planner has kept my life sane ever since I received my first little agenda in middle school to write homework in. I write nearly everything in it. School events and homework get written in first. Then on weekends come big events, other little things I need to do, or errands. Important reminders? You can find them scrawled all along the sides of the calendar, where I will most easily find them on a day when I need them. Where would I be without it?

When I was younger and didn’t have as much homework, I'd write goals, song lyrics, and mantras to myself, hidden within the pages of my planner. They would often pop back up on stressful days when I needed them most, and I appreciated past Haley for thinking positively and documenting it.

These days, there is plenty of homework to fill the plain white lines of the calendar boxes, and not very much room for inspirational doodles. I try my hardest to keep the spirit alive with a star or a smiley face every other week or so on the side of my calendar (usually marking an important assignment I don’t want to do).

I find that it’s not only important that I have my homework together and can manage my time well through my planner, but it’s cathartic to be able to physically cross things off a list once they're done. It makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something, even if that something is as small as “Call dr. office” or “do laundry” or “look @ Span. hw.” Most of us need order in our lives in some form or fashion. For me, it comes in the form of a paper notebook with huge lined boxes for each day where I can write all my hopes and dreams for the week. For others it could be the task of keepingeverything organized mentally or writing things down on their hand. I’ll be the first to admit that this could never work for me. (I subconsciously rub ink off my hands anyway — ink poisoning fear.) But go to Walmart and buy me a $7 extra-large weekly planner and you’ll probably make my next calendar year. If I were giving a speech at an awards show having just won an Oscar or a Grammy or an Emmy, after my loved ones, I think I would thank my planner. I probably would’ve missed the show altogether if I didn't have it in hand, anyway.