Organisation: The Core Element of My Motivation

So the first rule I have when it comes to doing my work is making sure everything is organized. It’s pretty much a deal breaker. If everything around me is a mess, I just can’t function and I waste my time clearing it all up. I’m so far from being perfect at it but, I try my best to keep stuff organized!

Once I’ve tided and put things in their place I generally feel 10x’s better about doing my work – everything around is neat and organised – you just feel like you’re on your way to success and can do absolutely anything (while I do anyway). Plus, I’m a major stationary lover so I have all my pretty desk organizers to look at and it makes me feel oh so fancy, very Sex and The City. But, you don’t have to go on a major spending spree to be organized; as long as things are tidy and in the right place I’m sure you’ll feel just as good as I do. It gives you the breathing space to do your work and you don’t have to spend time rummaging around your mess to find things! 

It’s not just my space that needs organizing, it’s my time. I talked about routine in an earlier post, so check that out. When it comes to organizing out my weeks I have my fantastic Paperchase organizer to keep me on track. I also have my Dad’s old time manager organizer. I use my Paperchase one for appointments and events that are happening throughout the week, stuff that aren’t day-to-day. Because it’s an A5 version that’s all I really have room for, but it’s perfect for carrying around with me when I’m in Lectures or out shopping in case I need to jot something down. It includes all the stuff you need: A week every two pages, to do lists, address pages and notes pages. I bought some additional packets just in case I ran out. They’re not expensive but, you might not need to buy them if you don’t use it as much! My dad’s old one I use for more thorough details, like what I’m going to do each day. I tend to plan by hours so I can figure out when I have time to do my work and what day’s I’ll have to do extra work as a consequence of doing something exciting the next day!

Obviously, things change and you can’t always keep to an exact schedule but I always find it better and more motivating. By knowing that if I get my work done in a certain amount of hours on that day, I then have the time to go off and do what I want! It’s an incentive really knowing that I do have time do everything. If you sit around and watch TV like I have done many times and say I’ll do it later the hours pass by, and at the end of the day you realise how much time you wasted. Whereas knowing exactly how many hours in the day I have for me is really beneficial! 

http://www.paperchase.co.uk/stationery/diaries-organisers/organisers Here’s the link to some pretty gorgeous organizers of all sizes! Bonus – They do a 10% student discount!

http://www.timemanager.com/ TimeManager is more for projects but if you have exams or an essay to plan ahead for that you’re serious about this can be a contender!

Once again, I hope this motivates you lovely readers in some way.

FRESHERS: Routine -Let’s Not Make it So Hard

So whilst I know some people haven’t started or are still in the process of experiencing their freshers week, here’s a post for after all the madness of freshers has died down and the real university begins.

A routine is something so many people wish they could accomplish – one that includes: meals, exercise, work, jobs done and relaxation. But, it’s all so much easier said than done! I’m one of those where it works perfectly for a couple of days and I feel like Superwoman then something throws me off and I just can’t get back into it! I’ve started to learn what works best for me and I think that’s such an important aspect of getting into a routine. You can’t just look at someone’s life and think I’m going to give that a go. You may copy their routine but it might just not work out the way you want it to!

I understand now what times are best to do certain things and which work for me. So this is roughly how I go about trying to be in routine (this is a general routine and more applicable to me being on my university break):

• I try and get up early (but it doesn’t always happen) and when I mean early, I mean 7.30/8am not ridiculous times like 5.30/6am. That just does not work for me because I’m really not a morning person, but I never feel like I’m missing out as I still have plenty of time to get what I want done, if I prioritize the important stuff for that day! And I take my time to enjoy my breakfast in the morning and check emails because I feel more ready for the day when my morning’s aren’t rushed!

• In relation to university work, especially during busy periods I’ve come to learn I’m more productive before 12pm and after 4pm. I have no idea why! I get tired very easily and in these 4 hours I tend to lose my energy and can never sit down and get stuff done efficiently! I usually take a nap or just take some time to myself and just listen to music. Obviously,being at home I have more spare time but, even with lectures and seminars my body still works in the same way so I just fit my work in around my lazy hours! and that’s going to be different for everybody so find your least productive times and work with them not against them!

• I CANNOT exercise in the morning, my body just does not function! I’ve already mentioned I’m really not a morning person and I think people feel exercise has to be done first thing! Most studies show people actually feel more active between 4pm and 7pm and that’s around the time I try to do some exercise myself. I try and do it about 6pm or 7pm at the latest so that I’m not eating too late! Otherwise, after a shower and eating it’s time to go to bed before I know it.

• Evenings are normally spent with my friends and family or whatever if I manage to get my work done earlier in the day. But if I workout earlier I tend to do a little extra university work in the spare time I have before I sit down to relax. I get into bed about 10.30pm so that I can read for at least an hour to wind down. And I set my alarm to wake up 8 hours from the time I close my eyes. (I’m a bit of a fan of the whole sleep cycle thing)

• Another really important aspect of creating a routine in my opinion is making sure I try and eat my meals at the same time each day, and not just when I can be bothered. Having certain times for my meals means I’ll always eat properly and wont get distracted by other things, which can lead to me snacking too much or eating too little in a day!

So that’s more or less how I go about my daily routine and I understand busy schedules can make it harder! As I’ve mentioned over and over this is what suits me and you just have to find times of the day that are most productive for you and base your own routine around that aspect! If you can get your work done way better at night time then make sure during the day you take the time to relax and do the things you want like see friends.You won’t feel as guilty then when you have to say no to those pre-drinks so that you can do your work!