Staying Organized | Student Blog

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” —Audrey Hepburn

I admit I am yet to fully master staying organized. Even as I write this, I'm thinking about some of the balls I've dropped this week! With 11pm finishes for the past four weeks and now being in tech for a show along with a busy schedule to maintain—fourth year is not as breezy as I had assumed it might be. However, after studying at Juilliard, I truly believe that my classmates and I could walk into any job or multitasking scenario and whatever the demands juggle a teapot on our heads! 

My tactics for staying organized have changed over the years. I once was very determined to stay organized without using technology. I loved using my sticky pad and having my diary overflow with notes and papers. I'm the type of person who has to read a book—an actual physical copy of a book! I also love ticking things off. So I respond well to that feeling of accomplishing things in that tangible way. And although technology can sometimes fail you, I've found that it's a tad more reliable than the alerts in my brain, so I now like operating with a balance of both. Below are my top tips.

5 TOP TIPS FOR HELPING YOU STAY ORGANIZED 

Tip 1: Alerts 

I get alerts on my phone and computer for my Gluck Community Service work. It's fantastic because within that alert there's information about the place and an address. So all the information is in one place. Getting these alerts was a big change to my organizational structure during my second year of school and something that swayed me over to the side of technology!

I also put flights, birthdays, and special events on my phones calendar with early reminders so that I'm ahead of the game. 

Also setting up Google alerts can be a helpful way for us as artists to stay on top of what's happening in our field. 

Tip 2: Emails on multiple devices 

Receive notices on your phone, laptop, and tablet! Make sure they're all in sync. And voilà! You haven't missed a thing.

Tip 3: Create a routine, do it everyday, and get specific 

Creating a routine is so helpful. It's so easy to say, "I'll jot it down later." But getting into the practice of writing down notes and recording information in the same place can be very rewarding. Well at least for the type A's out there but it’s still a useful tip for everyone, maybe even especially if you’re not type A.

In addition, visuals can really help: sticky notes on the wall used for reminders etc. One of my aspirations for this year is to create a mood board that inspires me to go after my goals, reminds me of what’s important in life, and helps me to stay organized.

Tip 4: The One-minute rule changed my life 

If it takes you one minute on your break to respond to that quick email or text that friend you've been promising to hang out with for months—use the one-minute rule! You can use it on the go as well. For example, if you're grabbing food just say to yourself if this takes 60 seconds I'm going to commit! 

Tip 5: Make it fun

Create rewards if you don't naturally get satisfaction from staying organized. It's all to help you anyway. 

I hope you've found this helpful! 

Best,

Hannah