Madison Vale

My methods of planning haven’t always been the most organized, but they have always worked for me. Every year of high school I bought a new planner, and then every year I would fail to use it. I just couldn’t get into the habit of taking it out and writing the assignment down. By the end of the first month, the planner would be taken out of my backpack to make space for other things and never be used again. 

While I never returned to the paper planner, my methods of keeping myself on track have improved from using nothing but my memory. My current course of action has been to use the notes app on my computer/phone and use the checklist function. I have split it up into multiple categories: general to-do, yearbook to-do, pep band to-do, and class to-do. Getting to check off each assignment and task as I go throughout the day is something that keeps me motivated to continue working. The smaller the list gets, the better I feel. So having a project planning platform that will allow me to continue to have a similar system was key for me. 

I tried out the project planning platform Asana this week and have found it to be similar to my to-do checklist but much more organized and visually appealing. Through Asana, I am still able to create my checklists but this time, I can make sub-categories under each list that allow me to stay extra organized and keep track of what category each task belongs under. 

My hope is that by using a new platform like Asana, I will be less likely to let little tasks slip through the cracks and keep myself on a better timeline to get work done in a more proficient manner. Through practicing successful planning, I am planning to be successful throughout the rest of my graduate school career.