How I stay Organised

Many of you may not know that I am dyspraxic and dyslexic, meaning that I have to try really hard to stay organised. Although we only found out that I was dyslexic a couple of years ago I've been able to form tactics to help when it comes to staying on top of things, and these are some of them!

First and most importantly is my diary. I guess this is something that I've got off my mum, as she too likes to use a diary to write everything in. My diary contains my life, quite literally, and I'm not sure what I would do without it. I always make sure to write down any appointments, meetings or deadlines in there so I can keep track of what every day brings. It's also the perfect size to fit into my handbag so I can always jot something in if it were to pop up while I'm out (as I am more than likely to forget about it by the time I get home). To me, this is a MUST HAVE to help me stay organised. 

Continuing with this idea is my wall calendar. There's something about being able to see my whole year that I find really helpful. Although I love using my diary for everyday and weekly use, I often find it harder to visualise how far away things like deadlines are. By having it on the wall, and by ticking off each day, I find it helps to keep me focused and on track so I don't miss a thing!

I also have a 'weekly schedule' on my pin board so I know what lectures I have and when. This helps me to make sure I'm packing everything I need for the day in my bag. I know we all got these timetables in our school diaries and I know we all disliked them a little at the time, but since leaving school- I can't be without one! Go figure!

One of THE most useful tips I have ever been told was: make a to-do list. My dad has always told me that he makes a list every single day and has always told me when I'm feeling a little overwhelmed to "make a list and attack it". These are words I now live by, and I'm not entirely sure how well organised or put together I would be without this brilliant piece of advice. Although some people find it overwhelming to see everything you have to do on one big list, I find it helps to focus my mind on the task at hand. 

I guess, sort of following along a similar thought, is making sure you're prepared. By this, I mean having things like paper clips, a stapler (and staples...) and folders and dividers and all of that. Over the past couple of years I have grown a love for (pretty) stationary and, as a consequence, I find I don't mind doing tasks like filing (as boring as it is) as I love being able to use my cute little bits! Places like paperchase are great for this sort of thing, so go have a look in the January sales!

These are just a few of the strategies I find help me most to stay organised, and I hope that this has helped you all in some shape or form! Let me know what you like to do to stay organised, I'm always open to new ideas. x