The Agenda Keeper: Pencil and Paper

part one in a series on organization
see part two: iOrganize here

The first great secret to success is be super bossy stay well-organized. I like to think I do this well, and I'd like to think that someone's life will get more organized by me sharing this. Or not, I don't really know.

 updated 12/25/2015 for pictures, added content

First off, the big agenda that runs my life.

Some folks like to use an electronic calendar, but I prefer the beauty of pen and paper, as well as the sheer beauty of my Jumbo "Wild Confetti" Lilly Pulitzer agenda. I highly recommend having some sort of physical planner; you will remember dates better and let's face it, technology can and will fail you when you need it the most. 

Washi Tape and Me

I picked up some rolls of washi tape a while back on sale at Hobby Lobby and never looked back. I like to color-coordinate my life and washi tape makes it easy to connect notebooks, papers, and my agenda to a specific class or organization.

Monthly View

When I open my monthly calendar, I can easily see what class has a major assignment due when, and schedule my time accordingly. I am proud to say I have never pulled a true "all nighter" to complete an assignment; sleep is important, y'all.

Next Week

For my week-by-week, I include what the syllabus says we're doing that day, time frames of things that aren't classes, and any and all social events. Balancing work and play is vital to a healthy mind. I've found the washi tape is a handy place to either put what we're doing that day (chapter, et cetera) or the classroom if we move around often. Is it large? Yes. But that's a reminder to me that each class needs that much time.

Pro-tip: use highlighters sparingly on the weekly view to denote major due dates. I use yellow for minor assignments (short papers, et cetera) and pink for major assignments (tests, performances). I also use orange to mark when I work!

As you can (or maybe can't) see, each color/pattern has a specific meaning behind it. It makes the agenda, in my opinion, look significantly more exciting and quite honestly the colors make me relax just a bit. It also makes it easy to look for a specific class without having to read every little thing on the page!

Liturgical Calendar

The challenge to live according more to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar has been resting on my heart lately in an effort to live authentically and fully in my faith. Jesus is not someone we meet on Sundays only, He is someone that we constantly seek to meet and Whose glorious expectations we seek to fulfill. I read a blog post recently chatting about how the church has always lived by the liturgical calendar, enough that it influenced and directed how Catholics lived their lives. 

Thus, it's in my agenda. If I can pencil in social events, I can marker in Jesus ("marker" is totally a verb, right?)

I began with the calendar from the USCCB, detailing what happens each day. Using some markers, I outlined each day in my calendar ("Sunday 25") with the liturgical color, which would be important if you read the post on my home shrine I suppose. I then marked at the top of each day if something special was happening. This includes words like "feast," "Holyday," "fast," "no meat," and so forth. As a student and teacher, having that reminder to live my faith at the top of each day is invaluable. It serves as a way to mark obligations, opportunities to learn from the saints, and a reminder to breathe.

Agenda Tips and Tricks

Stay up to date on dates

There are more pen colors than black; use them

Write down times and places

Small sticky notes are beautiful places to attach contact information without taking up precious space

Mark down times you are letting yourself have fun
Make sure to actually write down things like assignments, papers, due dates....
Washi tape likes Sharpie, but not Sharpie pens or regular pens

I hope this gives some insight into a method of organizing that works for me!

How do you stay organized in your everyday life? What do you excel at in this field? What are you still working on?

Much love,
Maria 

Bible Study: Summer 2015 Plan

Hello friends!

As I entered this summer of crazy-busy schedules and difficult-yet-rewarding experiences, I decided that there was no better time to start reading--I mean REALLY reading--the Bible. On April 4th, at the Easter Vigil in my university parish, I officially became a full and confirmed member of the Catholic Church under the name St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. A few weeks later, on May 16th, I stood beside my sweet boyfriend as he too was confirmed, as St. Ignatius of Loyola. (Might I note that out of probably close to one hundred folks he was the only St. Ignatius!)

As I watched these beautiful ceremonies, attended mass, and researched like a madwoman, a little voice kept sneaking into my head with a single phrase: remember why you joined. When I heard that--really heard that--I paused my Pinterest scrolling. What? What was God trying to tell me?

Then I realized it.

Whenever someone asked with, with more than a dash of incredulous inflection, why I decided to join the Catholic faith, I have the same base answer: because I see the Scriptures reflected everywhere. In every tradition, every mass, everything we do there is Scripture.
*note: no, that does not mean perfection in everything we do. We are, after all, haunted by concupiscence. :)

And at that moment I was convicted. Here I was, a neophyte and a sponsor--was I spending nearly as much time with the Word as I should? Not at all. So with a chapter count for each book on my screen, my color-coded and over-loaded Lilly planner on the desk, and a pen in hand, I created my own reading plan with the goal of getting through "the books less traveled." These are books that I only heard the "M&M's" from when growing up by reading one chapter every day. Personally, I like to make my Bible the last thing I touch before bed, phone included. I set my alarms, say my goodnights, set it on the charger across my room, and get to work studying that Scripture.


I challenge each and every one of you to join my Bible study with taking a look-see--let me know how it goes!

JUNE
1-6: Galatians (6 chapters)
7-12: Ephesians (6 chapters)
13-16: Philippians (4 chapters)
17-20: Colossians (4 chapters)
21-26: First Timothy (6 chapters)
27-30: Second Timothy (4 chapters)

JULY
1-31: Proverbs (31 chapters)

AUGUST
1-22: Revelation (22 chapters)
23-27: First John (5 chapters)
28: Second John (1 chapter)
29: Third John (1 chapter)
30: Jude (1 chapter)
31: Philemon (1 chapter)

**Reading tips**
-Put technology away
-Put on the Hymns Pandora station if you're like me and can't stand a silent room
-Begin in prayer
-Use a journal
-Apply pen and highlighter as prescribed
-Close in prayer
-Find an accountability buddy (or six) to discuss with


Much love,
Maria