LifeStyle: Staying Organized

A little over a month ago I started to feel completely overwhelmed with everything I had to do. Getting ready for a new baby, taking care of my current baby and making sure he maintains a healthy development track, not to mention, my full time job in the military. Ideas, schedules, to do lists, they all started to get jumbled up in my brain.

 I needed a way to get myself organized before I started to lose it. It pays to be the boss at work because I have some significant influence on how our funds get used. I decided I wanted a big huge white board in my office so that I could see my task list every day. True to form though, my white board looks nothing like a typical Air Force Flight Commander's white board. Mine is PRETTY and COLORFUL. :) I can't help myself. Pretty things are motivating.

I also bought an Erin Condren Life Planner. OMG that thing is a life saver!. I absolutely love planners. I lived in my planner in college between the classes I was taking, ROTC, and working two jobs to get myself through college....it kept me on track. I had tried planners on and off since joining the military but I really didn't have so much going on in my work and personal life that I NEEDED to keep up with one regularly. Now that I'm running the show here and other people's careers are in my hands? Yeah, I need to stay on top of things. 

This planner has EVERYTHING. And I love that there's this huge planner community on Instagram and Pinterest. I had no idea there were so many people out there like me! And by like me I mean OCD about making planners pretty, color coded, and basically a requirement for life.

A few of my Airmen have seen me using it and they even went out and got one too. Matt's sister's birthday is coming up so I said we should get her one for her birthday. Who doesn't love a fun planner?

What I love about the ECLP is that there's tons of room for notes, it has a weekly and monthly spread, it doesn't break things up by time (which I hate in a planner! I want to put my own times on there), there's tons of space to add quotes, and there are a million ways to personalize your planner and a million more accessories on her website to complement the obsession.

Anyway, now that I seem to have a decent way to keep all the crazy things in my head organized, I've noticed an increase in my productivity and a small weight lifted off my shoulders. Now if only this baby would come sometime soon so I can fill my planner with baby checkups :)

Come on Tater Tot!  Mama wants to meet you already.

If you're interested in getting a planner, use my referral link. It'll set you up with a $10 off coupon in your e-mail when you register! https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/ladymoran0212 

On Sundays I get my planner out and organize what I know to expect for the week. Then I leave my planner at work during the weekdays and fill it out as new things pop up. For any to do lists at home, I transfer it to one of my MANY sticky notes.

At the beginning of each month is a blank note page. I use mine for my #listersgottalist challenge. Every day of the month you write down something according to the prompt. It's a good way to look back and see what you liked/didn't like during that year. (If you save your planners....which I do). I love that every month begins with a motivational quote too!

Typical weekly spread. I prefer the vertical layout but you can also get it in horizontal. I fill my planner with pretty washi tape, quotes, and random stickers I have from my scrapbooking obsession. I organized the three parts of the vertical into 3 categories. Life: chores, meals, things I need to accomplish at home. Work: things that need to get done that day. I have a whole different notebook on my desk that has a much more inclusive "to do" list for work. And the last block is for appointments, personal or work related. I also like color coding my planner. Erin Condren has a color scheme for every month. So I try to keep the shades in each of the 3 categories the same and in line with the theme of the month.

At the front of the planner is a place to post goals or whatever you want. Here I put things I want to get done over the course of the year. Still haven't filled it out completely but I'm sure I will before the year is up. My planner goes from July 2015-December 2016 so it's an 18 month-er.

At the back of the planner you can keep stickers and other things in the folder that you want to keep on hand. I love quotes so I also got a notepad from Erin Condren with quotes on the top. I used to keep a notebook next to me when I would read and write down quotes I wanted to remember. I should probably take that up again....oh wait, who has time to curl up with a book nowadays? Not this soon to be mama of two under two.

This is how I have everything laid out at work as opposed to on my craft table in the above picture. I carry everything in my J.Crew Georgetown tote. I love canvas totes! Also love the Staedler pens and the Bic Flair pens for filling out my planner. The more colors the better!

One of my goals this year to work on my hand lettering. When I want to take a break at work, I just doodle in some of the white space in the planner. I obviously need some work!

On Sundays I like to fill the top of my week with high/low temps as well as expected rain/shine forecast. Found these cute stamps at Michaels for $1!

My HUGE whiteboard. I have to stare at it every single day when I'm at my desk. Keeps me on track. Yes I covered it in Washi tape and have way more colors in Expo markers than I probably need. It is so hard being a lefty and writing on a white board. I'm surprised that my words form straight lines.