3 Quick Ways to Get Organized Today

As a someone who works full time, and also freelances, my weekly schedule is pretty full. Sometimes I find my days swallowing me whole with projects and to-do lists, and sometimes I find a little free time to rewatch Gilmore Girls or spend a little more quality time with family. I have to admit, this packed schedule has been a really hard adjustment for me.

I thrive on routine, schedules, and structure. The lack of it in my life the past few  months has been both challenging and rewarding.

I wanted to share three tools I’ve utilized so far that have made such a difference in how I manage my time. I’ve finally found the productivity and planning tools that really work for me, and I’ve just got to share them with you. These are ways I’ve helped myself, and I’d love to hear what has helped you in your daily life and/or business!

1. Trello

My Sunday starts with a planning my weekly to-do’s and goals. This helps me start the week off on the right note by planning business tasks while also making time for fun stuff like date nights and coffee breaks. Then on a daily basis, I add 3-4 things I need to get done for work on a new note in Trello. This ensures I’m not overbooking my days or getting overwhelmed with my weekly to-dos.

2. A Planner

I have a bit to balance: my 9-5 job, this business, and time for family and friends. Since college, I have been scheduling everything in my planner, and I mean everything. Phone calls? Scheduled. Meetings? Scheduled. Time for lunch? Scheduled. Thirty minute Netflix break? You guessed it… Scheduled. All of this relies of my calendar and time chunking. Putting in my work hours, phone calls, and even blocking off time for fun in my calendar helps me look at the big picture. It helps me see maximize my time and still meet all my goals. For example, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always my days for client meetings and catching up on emails while Thursday through Saturday are my days to grind away.

3. Google Drive

Google Drive has become one of my essential tools. All my files are in Google Drive. With unlimited storage and easy access from any device, I put everything in Drive. My Drive houses client work, final project files, blog post drafts, master copies, and so much more – I truly couldn’t run Sarah Catherine Creative without it.  Not only is Google Drive great for keeping all of my important files and documents in one place, but it has a huge amount of free storage that can be accessed from any device and it syncs up with Gmail, too.

Thanks for reading! If you have other ideas for helping with time management, please feel free to send them my way! I am always open to new ideas and things to try!