4 Habits For A Focused & Productive School Year/Work-Life (+ Giveaway Winner)


With the school year approaching fast, things are going to start getting busy again. Even an organized person like myself can feel the weight of a packed schedule. And the fact that I have to stay on top of that schedule makes it more daunting.

Life gets hard when it gets busy. . . Sometimes it can feel like we’re juggling a hundred things at once. And more often than not, schedules get the better of people.

Yet, there is still hope.

I’ve managed to gather 4 habits that have helped me stay organized and productive during the school year, and I’m thrilled to share them with you!

Let’s dive in!

1. Plan ahead (I mean it!)

Plan. Plan. Plan. If there’s anything you take away from this post, it’s this: SCHEDULE & PRIORITIZE! Time is a tricky thing, and if we don’t manage it well it can easily slip away from us.

I have two notebooks to keep track of things–an ordinary planner and a bullet journal. My planner is solely for school/homework purposes. It helps me accomplish my homework and prevents me from falling behind.

My bullet journal, on the other hand, is for everything else. . . Monthly goals, weekly to-dos, tasks, hobby trackers, reading lists. . . I discovered bullet journaling not long ago, and I’ve fallen in love with it. Its format depends entirely on your preferences, and it can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Bullet journaling is almost a form of art. (:

This next technique comes from Abbie Emmons, a lovely blogger and author. Dedicate each day to a certain activity/project. Multi-tasking is great, but we can’t do EVERYTHING. By spreading your projects out throughout the week, you can accomplish them easily without losing your head. This method works for everything–school, writing, exercise, etc.

For example. . .

HOBBIES
MON ~ Gardening
TUE ~ Art
WED ~ Free
THU ~ Baking
FRI ~ Art

Or. . .

Writing
MON ~ Blogging
TUE ~ Free
WED ~ Fiction
THU ~ Blogging
FRI ~ Editing

Another good resource for managing time is calendar blocking.

Essentially, you fill in blocks of time (on Google Calendar or another time management platform) with events, activities, or tasks. This gives you a birds-eye view of how much time you spend doing something and how much time you have leftover. With this scheduling method, it’s important to prioritize the musts (like school/work), the importants (like extra-curricular acitvites/hobbies), and the wants (social meet-ups).

Resources for PLANNING AHEAD

Also, scheduling a day to plan your week is a good tactic.

*hint hint* Sundays make amazing planning days. (; They’re right before the start of a new week and usually the most relaxing.

2. Make time for rest

CHILL. With all the chaos and craziness of life, don’t forget to make time for yourself. It’s easy to burn out after a couple of hours of work. . . and it’s normal. We’re humans, not machines.

If you want to rest your straining eyes from the glare of the screen, lace up your trainers and go for a run! If you’re overwhelmed and moody, watch a comforting TV show or movie. If your body is aching and you’re just plain tired, drink some tea (10000% guarantee you’ll feel better) or draw a bath.

There are TONS of things you can do to refresh your soul and practice self-care. Just find what works for you and fit that into your schedule. (:

3. Establish a morning/evening routine

I am a firm believer in morning & evening routines. If you can do both–fantastic! If you can do only one–that’s just fine, too. Setting routines can lessen your stress and boost your creativity. Plus, you might find some free time that you didn’t know you had (BONUS!). It’s good to establish your routine(s) in the summer before school starts, that way the shift from vacation to school isn’t as drastic.

Now, for some inspiration.

This is a rough schedule of how my morning routines usually play out:

~Wake up
~Read my bible
~Exercise
~Eat breakfast
~Water plants
~Shower & change
~Start the day!

4. Choose your hobbies wisely

There are only so many things you can pour your heart into. . . With a new school year comes both joy and stress. If you discover that something isn’t serving you to its fullest potential (maybe you’re losing your love for knitting?), cut it from your schedule. SACRIFICE WITHOUT MERCY! Set boundaries. Say no to okay things, so you can say yes to GREAT things.

Pursue your passions, and do what you love. Hobbies are meant to be enjoyable… not stressful.

GIVEAWAY WINNER

And, now. . . for the giveaway WINNER.

The winner is Evangeline Broten! 🥳

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway! I was blown away by the number of entries there were. (: This was incredibly fun to host, and I hope to do it again sometime.

What tip did you find most helpful? Are there any tips you’d like to add? What are you doing to prepare for the new school year?

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