Our generation seems to be quite busy these days! We have homework to do, habits to cultivate, tasks to accomplish, and more. With so many checkboxes to tick, we definitely need to find a way to stay organized and get things done efficiently.
Influencers and successful people have introduced several organizing methods to help you be more organized. The problem is that there is no one perfect one that suits everyone. So how do you find yours?
In this article, I will share my experience with each of these three organization systems: planner, bullet journal and digital. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method and rate each based on convenience, customization, and functionality. Lately, recommended resources will be listed to help you better understand each system and how to get the most out of it.
Ready to get organized? Let’s go!
Planner
A planner is a kind of notebook containing the basic things you need already designed and printed, such as calendars, days of the week, and lines for notes. Planners come in different sizes and designs, typically cheap.
Using a scheduler is quite explicit because every space already has its designated use. There are basic things you can do, like jotting down tasks or checking the calendar. The planners are usually small, so you can throw one in your bag without wasting a lot of space. However, planners are not customizable. You will need to follow its layout and format.
Convenience: 4/5
Customization: 1/5
Functionality: 3/5
My overall satisfaction: 2/5
Planners are sold in almost every bookstore and supermarket you can find. Here’s a video to learn more about using a scheduler and how to set it up.
bullet journal
Bullet journaling is an amazing system for planning, habit tracking, task monitoring, and all the organizational tasks you need to get done. This is incredibly functional and customizablehelping people be more productive and complete tasks more efficiently.
Unlike planners, bullet journaling requires you to have an empty notebook and sketch your own system to meet your own needs. A bullet journal is usually the size of an A5 paper and dotted, but that’s up to you. The price of notebooks specially designed for bullet journals ranges from $10 to $50.
You have many choices in customizing your system. You can create and design your own calendar, index, habit tracker, future diary and much more! If you’re artistic, you can incorporate creative designs to make the pages more aesthetically pleasing or glue paper items to make them look like a scrapbook.
Customization is amazing, but that also means you will take time every beginning of the year and month to create your layout. Plus, pages can get messy if you make mistakes, art supplies can be expensive, and several other issues you can think of when monitoring your life with a tangible notebook.
Convenience: 3/5
Personalization: 5/5
Functionality: 4/5
My overall satisfaction: 4/5
The amount of resources you can find to help you get started with bullet journaling is huge! However, here are a few that have helped me.
– What is a bullet journal?
– A guide to the minimalist bullet journal
– Incredibly artistic bullet journal Youtuber
– Affordable bullet journal supplies
Digital
Google Tasks, Todoist, Notion, etc. There are many apps, both laptop and mobile, designed for productivity purposes.
When you use an app, you don’t have to buy supplies or worry about getting confused by making mistakes. It’s incredibly handy when you have a little planner right on your phone or laptop.
Another great thing is the variety of options, many of which are free. If you just want a simple to-do list app, Google Task or Todoist will do the job. If you like to include different functions and elements, like a newspaper and images, Notion is for you. Take the time to experiment to find out what works best for you.
This is an example of a Notion page
Convenience: 5/5 (2/5 if you don’t often work on digital devices)
Customization: depends on the application
Functionality: 4/5
My overall satisfaction: 4/5 (I use Notion)
Most productivity apps like Todoist are pretty self-explanatory, so I’m sure you’ll understand that. Here’s a link if you want to know how to get organized on Google Calendar.
I use Notion as my main organization system, and I love it! It is customizable, functional and aesthetic. Here are some resources to help you set up your Notion dashboard if you’d like to give it a try:
– Concepts tutorial
– Notions widgets
– Notions Icons
Conclusion
Above is my experience and ranking on three organization systems. I hope you enjoy reading my article and maybe you find a method that meets your needs.
