The Start Of Something New

   

 No, I'm not publicizing Disney's High School Musical.... I just think that it's fitting for how my summer has been going so far. For college students, if seems as though there's two completely different lives going on. Moving back home, working more hours, taking summer classes, trying to tan... So much to do in the three months we get before we're expected to move our stuff back into the tiny dorm with someone... and dinner is a real change of pace for most of us... But it works. For me, this change of pace has just enough that I'm used to, but there's definitely still up in the air. I'm working with Trevor again, but this summer, it's more full time than last year. I've also been asked recently to tutor a 2nd grade girl, who's cute as a button, but scared to let it show and has troubles keeping up with her grade level. I've tutored before, but it was in a school setting, not in someone else's home! Plus, my little brother is graduating in a week from high school and all of our family members are staying in our house with us! AHH! So much going on!
     For me, this much change requires premeditated planning and a great organizer! So, I spent some time with my mom getting all of the big dates for the family events this summer. Then, I pulled out my lovely Disney calendar (I swear, I'm not trying to advertise for them!), my wonderful planner, and my 13 pocket organizer. I got the calendar and organizer from Wal-Mart (the organizer was in the clearance area for $3... my parents got me the calendar for Christmas, so not sure about the price.) and I got the 15 month planner for around $10 at Rite Aid. You see the different colored pens there, because color coding makes my life sooooo happy! Since my planner includes more details and is marked in constantly (especially during school), I don't color code it, I just use black ink and keep a highlighter in the spirals for special deadlines. However, since I only wrote the labels for the organizer once and I usually put all the dates on my calendar a month, if not more, in advance, I use a coloring system. Green is for Trevor and blue is for tutoring. Orange is for my blog stuff, red is for doctor's appointments, and black is for family events. I write enough to understand the deadline or what time I need to be where.
     Although I write just as much as I would with the same colored ink, I would definitely recommend this system for those of you out there who manage school, work, and family events. I am able to see quickly what part of town I need to be in and able to gauge my flexibility in rescheduling if something comes up (for example, I can call the doctor to change the date, but I can't leave Trevor home alone. I also know that I don't want to schedule something soon after a tutoring session because I like to chat afterwards with the girl and her mother about non-school-related things).
    Organization is one of the keys for success... and can definitely lower stress! It may take more time in the long run, but it's worth having everything in a way that makes sense to you and is efficient. If it doesn't save you time, don't hesitate to try something new! It's taken me years of trying different planners, filing systems, and color systems before I found one that ACTUALLY saves me time and stress, so I hope this inspires you to try out some new things. And, it doesn't have to be expensive! Check out clearance sections or go get your calendar in February when the selection may be low, but so is the price. Or, make free copies using templates online!
    Here's a few really cute and FREE ones that I found using Pinterest. Check them out and comment!
15 Free Printable Calendars, all in one easy place!
Printable Calendar from Remaking June!
2015 Free Printable Calendar from Iheartnaptime.net