I have always wanted to be an agenda person. In reality, I have always been the person who owns an agenda that is 80% empty. Going into 2019, it was time for me to start a new agenda, but this time I was committed to actually using it.
Now, two months into school, I can proudly say I have made leaps and strides towards a more regular agenda usage.
Personally, I think the first and possibly most important part of my increased agenda usage is that I found an agenda that I absolutely love. Not only do I love the look of it, but the layout is exactly what I was looking for. In fact, though aesthetic is important, the actual layout of an agenda is key. Are you someone who likes to make lists, or do you prefer having each day planned out in 30-minute intervals? Do you need a lot of space or just a little? Are you really going to use the fancy add-on sections? Make sure that you pick something that matches your preferred mode of organization and time management.
I highly recommend making sure to pick an agenda that has a double page calendar at the beginning of every month. That way, you can always have a better idea of what needs to be accomplished in the month as a whole. How many weeks away is that assignment at the end of the month due? Having a bird’s eye view of the month can help with planning ahead and avoiding procrastination. It also lets you see busy vs slow weeks, so that you can better plan your time.
My next technique was colour-coding. All major assignments I write in my agenda are red, so they are hard to miss. All sorority events I highlight in purple. My work schedule is highlighted in green. My fun personal activities are highlighted in orange. Daily reminders and homework are usually left written in pen. I find that colours have really helped in visualizing and remembering what is going on in my life, as well as prioritize.
Furthermore, one of my favourite new tactics has been to draw square boxes beside all my daily tasks. Once I finish one, I get to put a check mark in the box, aka the most satisfying feeling ever. Any tasks that don’t have check marks by the end of the day get re-written on the following day.
Another way to maintain a regular agenda usage is to check it at the same time every day. I, for example, usually open it up before I start working in the library and then again in the evening to see what didn’t get done as well as what is happening to next day. It also helps to carry around your agenda with you in your backpack so that you can update it whenever you learn something new. Because if this, I recommend not buying a very heavy agenda- textbooks are already heavy enough.
Honestly, the more I utilize my agenda, the more cool and helpful things I’m getting out of it. You can also use your agenda to: track your reading, schedule your workouts, meal plan, keep contact lists, set goals, track spending… really the possibilities are endless.
If you are struggling with time management and organization, I highly suggest getting into the “agenda life”. Even though it is March, you can start now, there are always agendas for sale. And because it’s March, they will probably be on sale!
Good luck and have fun!