To Do Lists make the world go round. Without them, I assure you, I would be drowning in late work and unaccomplished tasks. With all the various things that life throws at you, It can be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to keep track of all the things that need to be done. Think about every group, organization, and activity you belong to at this moment. For me, this includes school, friends, Young Life, Odyssey, and intramural sports. Now take just one of these things and make a mental list of all the responsibilities that come with being a part of this organization (errands, emails, groceries, homework, events, meetings, etc.). You can see how quickly things add up for busy bees that like to fill their schedules with more than physically possible.

Something that has reduced my stress and helped me get organized over the years is something I created my senior year of high school called the Life Binder. This is part two of a three-part series where I will give you a sneak peek at my Life Binder and some tips for starting your own! This week I will be focusing on the power of lists and easy time-saving recipes.

My Life binder is organized in six different parts that are separated by different tabs.

3. To Do Lists

The third section of my Life Binder is labeled “To Do Lists” (If you missed sections 1 & 2 check out How To Set Up A Life Binder: Time Management And Calendar Planning).

To do lists help to make sure you know exactly what you need to get done. You know what you have and have not accomplished, and you can rest in knowing that you are not forgetting any major tasks.

Tips:

• COLORS ARE YOUR FRIEND. The more specific you can get when organizing your To Do List, the easier it will be to accomplish the tasks. When you think about all the different organizations you are involved with, assign a color to them and write in that color when listing tasks
• Make a kay with designated symbols. For example, I make an empty square next to each of the tasks so that I can mark them when they are completed, to be done tomorrow, or no longer needed. I put a check when I accomplish a task, a horizontal line when it needs to be taken care of the following day or I fill in the box when I no longer need to worry about the task at hand.
• Don’t forget to make specific lists! Things like all items you need while at the grocery store, or even a descriptive list of emails you have to send out are important to remember in detail

4. Fast Recipes

I think I have officially mastered the art of 10-minute meals (beat that Rachel Ray!). Not only are they easy to make, but they save so much time throughout the day. All of these recipes are college dorm friendly, which means you do not necessarily need a stove or large refrigerator- A microwave and mini fridge will do the trick! The first step to grab-and-go meals is the planning which I talked about in the last article. Here, I will just be sharing some of my favorite meals and snacks to prepare for my weeks.

Tips:

• For things like overnight oats, I will prepare 3 or 4 jars and keep them in the mini fridge for rushed mornings
• When it comes to smoothies, I will prebag different fruits and pre-cut veggies and store them in the freezer so all I have to do it put it in my Magic Bullet and blend.
• Homemade trail mixes make for the best healthy on the go snacks!