The above are two words which have become my mantra over the last couple of months. With all the ideas, checklists and workload, that mantra has been super useful to say the least.

Scheduling and planning are key. Without them, I can freely say that with the zillions of thoughts buzzing through my head, chaos would have probably taken over up there. So I decided to take advantage of what my dad has always preached about Lean and six sigma (a whole topic for another time) and actually make use of the knowledge.

I started with my workspace. I know – what has that got to do with scheduling? It actually does. A lot. At least it makes sense to me. Having a comfy, clatter-free space helps me relax and focus. You’ll be spending quite a while there, so might as well get yourself comfortable! To be honest, I sometimes need a change in scenery. So I either lounge on the sofa in the living room while working or at a local café or even by the sea on a beautiful  sunny day. The change in air might actually give you a new perspective; a brilliant idea, even!

Speaking of which, I usually tend to get those brilliant ideas in the middle of the night or when I’m about to sleep; and as a result end up with an array of multi coloured sticky notes and little torn papers. So, I “invested” in a list book (I’m a stationery lover, so that was just the perfect excuse).  Although I have actually downloaded list apps, I’m kind of a traditionalist when it comes to writing and taking notes – I prefer pen and paper to apps.

But having said that, I still tend to use OneNote and Bamboo Spark. OneNote has got to be my favourite notebook so far; with colour coded tabs and the ability to add pages in each tab. Bamboo Spark on the other hand is great for jotting down ideas and sketching. And the best part is having the option to save your notes within the cloud either in handwriting or text (or both).

So that took care of the notes scattered everywhere on my desk! And in lieu of today’s subject, I have designed 2 free To Do List printables for you; maybe it will help a little with getting organised!

Amanda x