Time is flying today!!
I spent some time this morning organizing my calendar for the semester. I put all of my test and major assignments into my Google Calendar (color-coded, of course). I set reminders to email me 1 week before the smaller things are due so I remember to gear up for them. The big stuff is always in the back of my mind 
I still have one more class to add. Looks like this isn’t going to be as crazy a semester as the previous ones in terms of tests everywhere, but the workload is still there.
This semester my goal is to finish ALL of the small assignments in the first month of school. Article reviews, case studies, etc. – the things that are not dependent on learning material. Every semester I make a list of all of my assignments across all courses so I can see my workload overview and cross them off as I complete them. I still have one more class to add, and this doesn’t include the VERY ANNOYING weekly Q&As due (they were not worthy of taking up space in this list) but it’s all the big stuff I have to do/write. Hopefully tonight’s new syllabus won’t add too much more!
Clearly I think the only way to get motivated to do assignments is the thought of crossing them off a master list 
I used to use ToDoist to organize this, but this summer I switched over to Google’s Task list (accessible in Gcal and Gmail) and I’m going to continue using it. I have lists for TODOs, Assignments, Freelance Writing and Groceries. Luckily you can print them out now (which is how I got the list to look like it does below). Speaking of printing, I also print out a hard copy of my calendar (all 4 months of the semester) and the master assignment list to keep in my binder. I can update it as often as I need and cross off the days as they go by.
I paused for lunch at 1:30 and made a delicious spread
A salad made with farmer’s market lettuce dressed in olive oil, vinegar and honey, farmer’s market cherry tomatoes, a leftover hard-boiled egg, green pepper and cinnamon almonds.
Plus one of the absolute best foods in the entire world: Kelsey‘s homemade pimento cheese
Spread onto Great Harvest Flax Oat Bran, my very favorite of the GH line.
100% delicious
Afternoon agenda:
- Squeeze in an hour of work
- Possible at-home haircut by a friend of matt‘s (if there’s time)
- Drive to Winthrop
- Walk with Victoria
- Community Nutrition
- Late dinner of ???
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
yummmmmmmmmmm!! I still have to make my google calendar for the semester.. GAG..
It was # 1 on the to do list today.. but I did do 4 loads of laundry.. all of the dishes.. shave / wash penny.. clean my car.. clean my house.. so it wasn’t a totally wasted day!!
your fun calender and todo lists makes me want to go back to school soooooooo bad!!!! Your lunch looks super good today! love the pimento cheese!
All of your tools make me want to get organized asap! Right now I use notecards for my to-do’s, because it’s a nice portable way to see them between work and home. And I have a separate laptop that stays at work during work,
I think I need to make that pimiento cheese.
I used to love getting everything organized for school! glad today is going well!
i always loved filling out when everything’s due at the start of a semester… looks like you’ll be a busy woman!
You are SO organized! I wish I could be like that
Homemade pimento cheese sounds so yummy!
Thanks for sharing your calendar. I use gcal but I didn’t realize you could make separate calendars and color code them. Awesome!
I didn’t realize you could do all that with Google calendar…oh my gosh! I know what to do this afternoon…thanks!
Boy, you are really organized!! Go you!!!
Enjoy your evening!
Wow, you are a google calender pro. I’m only just discovering google calendar. I’m quickly becoming addicted, but I didn’t know you could do so much with it either! I am always so impressed with your organization.
I just realized there is a Great Harvest next door to my work! I need to check it out, never been there!
There’s nothing better than hard boiled eggs in a salad. I had exactly that for my own lunch this afternoon
I love that you’re an organization freak – it makes me feel more normal
The pimento spread looks awesome!
i cannot get over that pimento spread — so creamy and delish!
yay for organization — I could definitely use some of that! Hopefully yours will run off on me a lil
You are organized! WOW!
Your salad totally looks like a salad I made yesterday. Really, the only difference is that I added some tuna as well. Even the eggs seem to have cooked the same amount of time, haha! xxx Julia
i totally envy your organizational skills Kath! thats so awesome. I secretly get so excited for school to start so i can start making all kinds of lists and cross of things that i’ve done for classes! Your so awesome!
have a wonderful day at school!!!
Isn’t it fun being organized?
I’m off to check out that Task list. I keep my own on my desk but the paper gets wrinkled and it annoys me. I’m a huge believer in motivation from the satisfaction of crossing it off my list.
You are super organized and I LOVE it
I do the same thing with assignments, it makes it easy to see what I need to get done plus it feels so good to cross things off the list!
I had NOOOOO idea you could color code google calendar. You just made my day Kath!
I love google calendar and how you can merge calendars!! My husband has his own too, so it’s awesome being able to merge the 2!!
I also use todoist!! Thanks for introducing me to it. It truly is a lifesaver, especially being a first grade teacher with a million things constantly running through my mind.
I’m thinking about switching from Todoist to Google Tasks. If it’s good enough for Kath, it’s good enough for me!
One question, though…With Todoist I can have separate to-do lists (one for school, one for home, one for things to buy, etc.). I can’t figure out a way to do that with Google Tasks. Is this an issue for anyone else?
I love using google calendar and google tasks to stay semi-organized. It’s so easy and useful!
You are so organized!! I always make lists but then I procrastinate and end up skipping things.lol
I’ve never had pimento cheese, looks YUM!
Jenn
i didn’t even know you could do all of that stuff with google! your calendar makes me wanna make my own, which is what i am gonna do know. you just got me wicked anxiuos to go back to school now!!
jenna
that’s so great you know someone who’ll give you a haircut! i need one….both the friend and the cut…
Kath!!! I think you win the award for the most organized person ever!! I though I was organized but you take the cake!
I just started using Google Calendar, I love it already! I’ve been super productive these past few days, maybe because of Tasks??
Miss Organization Queen!
I just have to say that I love your new pic on the site. Very cute and fresh!
I can never get used to a digital schedule! I need my planner and a pencil.
Sounds like you have a busy year ahead of you, but I’m sure you’ll make it through with flying colors!
LOVE that salad, and Kelsey’s cheese spread looks AMAZING.
So organized!!
Love that salad!
I LOVE to-do lists. Sometimes I write things down I’ve already done so I can cross them off.
LOVE pimento spread and your salad looks absolutely delish!
Hey Kath,
I was wondering, did you organize all of your projects/homework/etc. while in high school also? Everything looks so neat and orderly, it make me want to do the same with my work, too!
Your organizational skills AWE me!
Wow, you are so organized – I have just started to use Google Calendars and love it so far.
I’m no longer in school, but find the Google Calendar and Tasks/Lists tool extremely helpful for personal tasks, bill payment, holidays and brithdays, car service, doctor appointments, vacations, and major work events.
I share my calendar with my husband – we’re so reliant on the Google Calendar that we’re relying on it to synchronize our schedules and know who’s doing what and when.
I love your blog and learn so much from it. Thank you for all your hard work Kath!! I know it takes tons of time, but your blog is so worth it
!!!
Katie
Being organized makes life so much easier! Isn’t it an awesome feeling? Good luck with school this semester!
I’m with you on the to-do list. I need to cross things off to feel completely satisfied and productive.
I will have to tell my daughter, i.e. “mini Kath” about Google calendar!
I love getting organized! I’m planning on filling out my planner this semester. It looks like it’s going to be a busy one for me!
this is why i love google calendars. i am also an organization freak.
mmm, pimento cheese! yum.
Wow, you’re organized! And that pimento cheese looks delicious!!!
Hope you had a great day at school!
*smiles*
Michele
i wish i had the motivation to stay as organized as you are! it’s really amazing. were you always that way? i can’t seem to sit down and put it all on the computer.
lovely lunch spread, btw!
Lauren ,
You just click on the little bullet-list looking thing at the bottom right. The ONLY con to G-tasks is that you can’t see everything due on one day (or week) across all lists/subjects. But I LOVE being able to make an email a task and the convenience of having it right in Gmail and Gcal outweigh too.
Ilene,
I’ve always loved calendars and planners, but I get more Type A with age
katie ,
Thanks!
Kath
Hooray for Google Task List!! Love it 2!!
hi Kath!
Just a quick question…how do you color code the google calendar? Sorry, I’m technologically challenged! :/
Hey Kath,
I have been reading your blog for about a year now and it’s my very favorite!!
I also love Gmail Tasks…but I wanted to let you know about one other CON that I unfortunately discovered yesterday at work. If you accidentally delete a task…there is no UNDO button, and it is lost forever! I had one task with a bunch of notes (a long list of questions to ask my boss when she returned from vacation), and it vanished with the accidental click of a button! So now I make sure to email the task lists to myself all the time!! I hope Google fixes this soon!
Sophia ,
You have to actually create a NEW calendar for each subject/topic and you can color code each of those. So I have a calendar for myself, each school subject, meals, reminders, tasks, etc.
Kelly ,
Yes that is a big con. It’s happened to me too. Is there a way to retrieve deleted tasks yet?
Kath
I love Google Calendar, but I’m not that good at working with it. I think you should put a “Kath’s way to google calendar” post… it would be so helpful, you’re a master!!
xo
K
Wow! I love your organizational skills! I didn’t even know you could do this. My schedule has been absolutely crazy lately and it’s only going to get worse so I am definitely checking this out.
Hi Kath, Bummer that you’ve accidentally deleted a task, too! I looked at Gmail Tasks help forums, and couldn’t find any fixes, .but I might contact them to ask for a fix…it should be a built-in part of the program!