The Productive Pixie | Creating Real-Life Systems for Productivity and Personal Growth

Have you ever tried a "that girl morning routine," but only stuck to it for three days? Have you ever wondered why the routines, healthy habits, and motivational things you see other people doing to improve their lives don't work for you? It's because you are trying to fit their lifestyle into yours, instead of building routines and systems that work for you. In this guide, I'll show you how to build personal systems that actually fit your lifestyle!

The Ultimate Guide to Building Personal Systems for Your Life

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What personal systems should you use to organize every area of your life?

The Miracle Morning routine could change your life if you had the lifestyle and time to actually do it!

What about the popular 5 AM routine?

Should you use the Getting Things Done system or the Eisenhower matrix?

What about the Pomodoro method or time-blocking?

It's simple.

You should use none of these systems. Yes, none!

Instead, build your own systems. It'll probably combine ideas from multiple productivity methods. Every productivity and self-help guru swears by a different daily routine or a different system. That's just their own personal system!

It's time to build your own personal systems!

What is a Personal System?

Personal systems (or life systems as I like to call them) are the building blocks of your life. They're the main topic I like to talk about on this blog because I find life systems fascinating.

It's what you do right after getting up in the morning, and what you do before going to bed
It's how you organize your closet, your finances, and your grocery shopping list
It's how you choose what book you are going to read next and decide what to eat for dinner
It's the to-do list you spend fifteen minutes writing every morning (or the to-do list you don't even have)

Personal systems are the things that you do on a regular basis. Creating systems around these things helps automate mundane decision making, so you can spend more time creating a life you love!

Even if you don't think of yourself as an organized person, you still have systems and you still have routines. They may just not be the ones you want to have.

Creating personal systems that work for you will reduce your stress and keep your life running smoothly!

Personal Systems to Build

Because everyone's lives are different, the personal systems that will be the most beneficial to you will change based on where you are in life.

Below are some ideas for personal systems you can build to get you started thinking about how you should organize your life!

Morning routine
Evening routine
Weekend routine
Calendar and scheduling system
To-do list system
Email organization system
House cleaning system
Workout routine
Reading system
Self-improvement system
Planning routine
Goal setting system
Finance and budgeting system
Meal planning and cooking system
Time management methods

If all of these ideas feel like too much and too many systems, that's okay! It's about finding what works for you!

Start with whatever area of your life is stressing you the most and build a small routine or simple system that's easy to keep up with.

Plenty of people manage their lives without to-do lists! It kind of blows my mind because I'm a very type-A person and love my to-do lists, but nevertheless, that's what works for them!

The Ultimate Guide to Building Personal Systems for Your Life

1. Audit Your Life

The first step to building personal systems that actually work is to assess where you are in life.

What is making you feel stressed?
When in the day do you feel most rushed or unhappy?
What do you wish you could change about your life?
What areas of your life feel the most disorganized?

If you want, you can write out your current daily routine, weekly routine, and the other systems you currently use. What's working and not working?

Whatever you feel like isn't working in your life points to your missing systems.

If you feel stressed and disorganized, you probably need a to-do list/planner system. If you are always running late, look at your morning and night routines. If you never know what to cook or eat, you probably don't have a meal planning system.

It's important to note here that some things you just can't change. These things may be permanent, or just the stage of life you are in right now.

Last year, I had work at 7 AM every day during the week and that's just how it was. I was tired.

But even though there are some things you aren't in control of, there are plenty of things you are in control of, and you can build systems and routines that help you feel better about the life you have!

I love doing a Level 10 Life assessment to audit my life, so try it out if you are interested! If not, you can just decide on areas of your life that you want to improve through building personal systems!

2. Research Different Systems

The best systems aren't the "aesthetic" ones. I only make a few pretty bullet journal pages a year. The rest of them are just my to-do lists!

This also isn't about copying and pasting what works for other people. Learning about other people's systems is an ideal place to start, but only take the pieces of their systems that you actually want. No need to try meditating if you don't want to!

As I mentioned above, there are tons of systems out there that people use to organize every area of their lives. Here are a few to learn more about if you don't know where to get started:

The Bullet Journal System
The Getting Things Done System
The Eisenhower Matrix
The Pomodoro Technique
The Alastair Method
The Miracle Morning Routine
Time-Blocking
Eat That Frog Method
Inbox Zero
SMART Goal Setting
Kanban System
Personal Knowledge System

Research a few systems and get a feel for a few changes you'd like to try in your life.

You don't need to overhaul your entire life all at once. That won't be sustainable.

Once you feel like you have enough inspiration for building your own personal system, it's time to build a test plan.

3. Build a Test Plan

You might be reading about a successful person's daily routine and instantly spot some things that wouldn't fit your lifestyle. Those are things you can instantly cut from your test plan.

I was reading Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferris, and it kept mentioning things like sitting in a sauna or doing an ice bath for 15 minutes every morning. That's just not feasible for me. 😂

I'm a college student. Currently, I do go running every morning, and that fits my current lifestyle.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it's small enough that in a couple of days you won't dread doing it.

Make sure there is a purpose behind everything you are trying out as well. Are you trying to journal because you are interested in the benefits it offers or because you feel like it's essential to having "perfect morning routine?"

Just because someone else does it, doesn't mean you should.

4. Experiment

Now it's time for the fun part! Making positive changes in your life is always exciting!

Because there are so many systems, this will be very different based on what you are testing out, but I think a week is a good amount of time for seeing if you like a specific routine or system.

To keep the experiment small, if it's a new routine, you could try out one step and then add the next one after you decide to keep or delete the previous step.

If it's a new system like a bullet journal, you can start in an old notebook and only test out a few pages at a time. My first bullet journal was in a composition notebook!

Avoid the urge to try to figure out the perfect system or to try to make things perfect. There's no such thing as a perfect system.

After the week is up, it's time to make revisions!

5. Make Revisions + Switch Things Up

Decide what's working about your new routine or system and what isn't.

I've been using a bullet journal for the past seven or so years, and I don't use the symbols in the original bullet journal system. I also don't make monthly or weekly pages. I make bi-weekly pages because that's what is currently working for my lifestyle.

If it's a new routine, and you liked what you did, then it's time to add the next step in your routine! If it's a system that you tried, you can try expanding it.

If you didn't like what you tried, there's no reason to try to stick with it. Move on to the next piece of inspirational advice that you want to try!

6. Take Breaks

Routines get boring!

I love my bullet journal, but I still take breaks from it, and I don't force myself to use it if I don't feel like it.

Make sure that you aren't forcing yourself to always be on. Take time away from your personal systems and routines.

When I'm not in college, I don't follow my routines as closely. I sleep in on the weekends even when I'm at college if I have time. I watch TV sometimes, and I'm not always productive.

Adding variety to your life is one of the best ways to keep life interesting!

Routines are never set in stone. As your life changes, your routines should too.

Start Building Your Own Personal Systems

In a nutshell, these are my tips for trying out a new routine, system, or technique.

Pick one new routine, system, or technique to try

Routine: Start with one step in the routine (For a morning routine, you could try drinking one cup of water right after you wake up)
System: Start with the most basic version of the system that you can (For a bullet journal, this could look like starting with just a weekly layout on a piece of paper)
Technique: Only test the technique in one area of your life (For time tracking, you could track just your exercise)

Break the system down to its bare bones
Try it for seven days daily
If you like it, keep going. If you don't, try something else or tweak it to better fit your lifestyle

Building habits takes time, so it's okay to make your personal systems tiny at first and build from there!

Documenting Your Personal Systems

You don't have to write down your personal systems, but if you do, here are some questions to answer as you create your own personal systems. I especially like writing down my routines.

When does it happen and how often?
What exactly do you do?
What tools do you use?

For example, for time tracking, I use this technique on a near daily basis throughout the day for tracking homework and work (only these two areas of my life).

When I sit down to work on a task, I turn on a timer on an app, and when I finish, I turn off the timer. I review my data on a regular basis using the app Boosted.

For my weekend routine, I'd write down that it happens Friday evening through Sunday evening. Then, I'd list all of the things I do over the weekend such as meal prep and looking over my finances. Then, I'd list the tools I use, which is mainly my bullet journal.

For building routines and systems, you can answer these same questions!

Final Notes on the Ultimate Guide to Building Personal Systems for Your Life

Building personal systems will help you have smoother, more stress-free days. Whatever systems you choose to use, just remember to make it your own.

You don't need to wake up at 5 AM if you don't want to, and you don't need to use a planner, if it doesn't work for you.

Instead of following the latest trendy advice that actually doesn't fit your life, build systems that actually work for your life!

Here are the steps for building personal systems that actually work:

Audit your life
Research different systems
Build a test plan
Experiment
Make revisions and switch things up
Take breaks

If you enjoyed this post about building personal systems, you may enjoy reading about some of my personal systems in the posts below!

I hope this guide helps you build your own personal systems!

If you enjoyed reading this post, would you please share it? Thank you so much! :)

July 11, 2026 No comments

Do you struggle to set goals every year or feel like your goals never actually improve your life? Before doing a Level 10 Life assessment, I would sometimes struggle to think of meaningful goals to set, and I didn't know if I was improving my life year over year. I had no tangible way to track if I was improving. Then, I learned about the Level 10 Life assessment, and I've been using it for the past five or six years to assess where I am in life!

Level 10 Life Assessment: My Favorite Annual Life Audit

I complete a Level 10 Life assessment every year before I sit down to set goals, and I compare it with my life audit from the year before to see how my life has changed.

It's become my favorite way to track how I'm improving my life because it's quantifiable, helps me reflect on my year, and gives me a good starting point for thinking of goals to set for the upcoming year.

If you never know where to start with goal setting or feel lost in life, this is a great place to start!

Today, I'm going to share my process for doing a Level 10 Life assessment, and how you can do your own life audit!

What is a Level 10 Life Assessment?

Before we get into the process of how to do a Level 10 Life assessment, here's a little background on what it is, how it was started, and why you should do one!

The Level 10 Life assessment was originally created by Hal Elrod in his book The Miracle Morning.

Basically, a Level 10 Life assessment is when you score yourself on a scale of 1-10 in different areas of your life. The goal is to achieve a 10 in every area of your life!

These are the original categories:

Health and fitness
Marriage or relationship
Career or education
Finances
Family and friends
Mental health
Spirituality
Personal development
Giving and contributions
Fun and recreation

Spoiler alert: I haven't been able to achieve a 10 in every area of my life, but the Level 10 Life assessment does help me assess how I'm doing in every area of my life.

Next, I'll show you how you can conduct your own life audit!

How to do a Level 10 Life Assessment

I always do my Level 10 Life assessments in my bullet journal, and if you've been perusing my blog for any set amount of time, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of bullet journaling! This life audit can easily be done with a blank sheet of paper or any notebook.

1. Decide on Your Categories

I've tweaked the categories to fit my current life as a college student. It's a good idea to start with the original categories and then customize them based on your lifestyle.

These are the categories I'm currently using to rate my life:

Faith and religion
Adulting (how well I feel I'm doing at being an adult)
Education
Business (this blog and other jobs I have)
Personal development (reading, goal setting, trying new things)
Family and friends
Finances
Fitness
Nutrition
Contributing (service and how I'm giving back)
Environment (how organized I am, and how good I've been at cleaning)
Mental health

I feel that these categories currently represent each major area of my life. For example, fitness and nutrition are separate because I want each area to be a large part of my life.

As you can see in my bullet journal photos, I like to write down my categories and then draw a line chart next to them.

2. Rate Each Category on a Scale of 1-10

Now for the hard part of rating each area of your life!

I like to make a list of milestones and challenges from the past year and then base my decision on that.

Once you've done one Level 10 Life assessment, I feel it's a lot easier to do them because then you can move your ratings up or down based on what has happened from your last assessment.

Sometimes these numbers can feel a little subjective, and that's okay! For me, it's more about whether the numbers will shift up or down over the next year.

This is roughly my criteria for rating myself:

2/10: I'm rarely doing anything to improve this aspect of my life. This area was significantly worse than the year before. I have a lot of changes I want to make.
4/10: I'm doing okay in this area. There are quite a few changes I want to make, but I'm not doing terribly.
6/10: I'm doing fairly well, but there are still some improvements I could make to be happier with this area of my life.
8/10: I'm pretty happy with this area of my life! There are one or two changes I could make, but overall, the work I'm doing in this area of my life is solid.
10/10: There's still room to grow, but I'm really happy with this area of my life! I did a lot of work in this area of my life over the past year, and I feel good about my progress.

I also compare the categories with one another.

My fitness might be rated an 8 because I'm exercising almost daily, and I feel like I'm improving. If I feel like my nutrition is slightly worse because I ate fairly healthy but didn't eat as much fruit as I would've liked or didn't stick to my eating habits, then I'll give myself a 7 or a 6.

For education last year, I rated myself a 10 because I got into the business program that I wanted to get into, and I loved it! I also really enjoyed my classes and did well in them.

For business, I rated myself a 7 because I didn't work on this blog as much as I wanted to, but I did quite well at my other jobs.

For contributing, I gave myself a 1 because I don't think I did really any service last year, and I didn't feel like I contributed that much to making the world a better place.

As you can see, across the board, my ratings are very different, and it gives me a good place to start when deciding where to focus my efforts for next year!

While doing a Level 10 Life assessment, it can also be helpful to do a more in-depth year-end review.

3. Set Goals

While I like to come up with goal ideas for each of the twelve Level 10 Life assessment areas, I personally only set goals in four areas because the twelve areas do overlap, and I don't want to have too many goals.

Setting too many goals has been a deterrent from reaching my goals in the past.

Currently, I like setting three goals in each of the following areas for a total of twelve goals:

Spiritual (religion)
Physical (exercise and nutrition)
Educational (school and career development)
Social (relationships)

I look over my list of goal ideas, and then I pick my three top ideas for each area of my life.

From doing the Level 10 Life assessment, I can see that I should work on serving this year, so I've been doing service regularly by knitting hats for refugees through a program at my university!

4. Review Your Level 10 Life Assessment

It's up to you how often you do your life audits.

I like doing mine on an annual basis so I'm not dwelling too much on smaller negative things in my life. Plus, it helps me focus more on the overall big picture of how my life is going.

You may choose to do a Level 10 Life assessment twice a year, quarterly, or even monthly.

When I review my old Level 10 Life assessments, and create my new one for the year, I like to draw a plus or a minus next to each area, so I can see how much it has improved or detracted since the previous year.

Final Notes on Level 10 Life Assessment: My Favorite Annual Life Audit

I love doing these life audits because I'm such a type-A person and a Level 10 Life assessment helps me quantify how my life is going and identify ways to improve.

Before setting goals this year, try doing a life audit to identify your biggest opportunities for improvement. Starting with a life audit will help you set goals that are more meaningful!

If you enjoyed reading this post, you may also enjoy these ones!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post about how to do a Level 10 Life assessment!

Don't forget to share this post with your friends! Thank you! :)

July 04, 2026 No comments

Have you ever wished that you had more control over your inbox? That it didn't seem like you always had 100 things to catch up on and respond to? Today, I'm going to share how I keep my inbox organized in just a few minutes a day, and how to organize your inbox for increased productivity!

How I Keep My Inbox Organized in Just a Few Minutes a Day

Work and school often center around your email inbox. It's a hub for communication.

Email is a crucial part of daily life. Sometimes, you can spend hours just going through emails, figuring out what you need to respond to, and what is okay to delete.

This leads to the important question of how to organize your inbox, so it doesn't feel like it sucks hours of your time away when you open it.

I've spent many hours in my inbox, and I finally figured out a system that allows me to use email as a tool instead of a time waster.

Currently, I have 18 emails in my personal inbox using this method.

Here is how to organize your inbox in only a few minutes a day! You may even be able to get to inbox zero!

How I Keep My Inbox Organized in Just a Few Minutes a Day

I have multiple email accounts, but I mainly use this method for my personal email because I know I won't have access to my school email after I graduate from college, and because my personal email account is my main one.

You might be starting out with thousands of emails in your inbox. It will take time to get your email inbox organized, but you will get there!

This system has two parts. You can either set it up all at once or you can dive right into doing the daily routine to cut back on the number of emails in your inbox. The initial setup will take some time, but your inbox will be organized a lot quicker!

How to Organize Your Inbox: Initial Setup

1. Set Up Email Folders

Looking at the thousands of emails you have in your inbox can be overwhelming!

Start by identifying which emails are important. These are the emails you'll actually need to save so you have documentation or are from friends/family.

After you decide which emails are the most important, what common themes do you see?

Create folders in your email account for each of these common themes. You don't want to make them too broad or too narrow, and you can always add subfolders too! In Gmail, these folders are "Labels."

These are some of the folders and subfolders I use.

Account Info
College

Subfolders for each year

Family/Important
High School
Work

Subfolders for each job

Next, all you have to do is decide what to do with all of your emails!

2. Decide Where Emails Should Go

It's time to delete and organize as many emails as possible, which you can do all at once, or you can do a little bit at a time by deleting a few more emails than you get every day.

I like to only have emails that I'm currently waiting for updates on or that I need to take action on in my inbox.

For example, if I need to reply to an email. it stays in my inbox. If I'm waiting for a package to ship, I keep all of the emails about the shipment in my inbox.

I always try to have as few emails in my inbox as possible.

If you have any email subscriptions that you don't want, now is a good time to search for all of those emails and delete them after you unsubscribe. It's a quick win for your email inbox!

How to Organize Your Inbox: Daily Routine

When I had loads of emails in my inbox, I'd delete and organize a few more emails than I got each day.

Now when I open my inbox in the morning, I just go through all of my new emails and do one of the following options for each email.

Emails that I need to revisit soon, I mark as unread as soon as I open them, so I go back to them the next time I open my inbox.

Throughout the day, I repeat this process whenever I open my email.

1. Delete

I try to delete as many emails as possible. I wear a Garmin smartwatch, so throughout the day if I get an email that I don't want, I delete it immediately from my notifications.

It's like it wasn't even there!

2. Unsubscribe

Likewise, you should unsubscribe from as many emails as possible, especially if you feel swamped by email.

I don't subscribe to any newsletters on my personal email account, and you may want to avoid doing so as well, unless you open and actually read almost every email you get from that blog/website.

I know this advice may make you unsubscribe from my blog and that's ok! 😂

3. Respond

The third option for an email is to respond to it. Now you may not have time to respond to it right away, and that's perfectly fine! I don't always respond to emails right away!

When I know I'm going to respond later, I flag it.

After I respond, it's out of my inbox again!

4. Move to a Folder

The last resort for an email is to move it to one of your long-term folders.

Whenever I put emails in a folder, it means that whatever the email contained is completed or past, and I'm simply keeping it for reference.

I know I'll need to go through these emails and delete some of them eventually, but when they aren't in my inbox, it feels a lot more organized, and I don't have that many emails in my folders anyway.

I'll take 10 emails in my inbox over 500 any day because it makes it a lot harder for an email to get lost in the chaos.

Final Notes on How I Keep My Inbox Organized in Just a Few Minutes a Day

The main point to remember with this system is to always delete more emails than you get until your inbox is down to only the important emails that you need in your inbox.

Because email is a hub for work and school communication, getting in control of your inbox will help you be more productive in your daily life!

To sum everything up, to organize your emails you should:

Delete all of the emails you can
Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters
Put all of the emails you don't need to take any more action on (but still may need for reference) into folders

If you enjoyed this post about how to organize your inbox, you can read these ones too!

I hope you enjoyed this post about how to organize your inbox! How do you keep your inbox organized?

Remember to share this post if you enjoyed it! Thank you! :)

June 27, 2026 No comments

When I first started bullet journaling, I'd create these elaborate weekly bullet journal layouts with fancy quotes, water trackers, and outfit planning. I wouldn't stick with them though. I'd dread having to open my bullet journal because it became just another task on my already long to-do list. I realized that it's best to only track what is actually necessary. I've been using a simple weekly bullet journal layout for the past few years, so I wanted to share my weekly planning routine for college with you!

My Weekly Planning Routine for Staying Organized in College

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't actually make a new weekly bullet journal layout every week.

I put two weeks on every layout, so I don't have to set up a new page every week. If you are interested in trying out the same layout I use, you can easily make it one week or two weeks, depending on what you prefer.

I'm still using a version of the Alastair method to plan my week. Of course, it's in my bullet journal!

In a nutshell, the Alastair method is to-do list. Instead of just one column of checkmarks next to the list, there is a column for each day of the week.

With this weekly planning routine, I think I've only missed one assignment deadline!

Story time!

The evening of that day, I spent around six hours doing a coding project. As soon as I completed the project (near midnight, which is late for me on a school night!), I turned it in and jumped into bed.

The next morning, I realized that I had forgotten to do the two-minute feedback assignment for the coding project. I learned my lesson to double-check assignments to make sure they are completed!

But back to the topic, this planning routine is how I keep my entire schedule planned for the week. Let's get right into my weekly planning routine for college!

When I do My Weekly Planning Routine for College

I always do my planning on Sundays. Sometimes, I plan my week in the morning, and sometimes I plan in the afternoon depending on my schedule for the day.

I've always been a "Monday start" type of person, so planning on Sundays makes sense to me.

I haven't timed a planning session during college, but I think it usually takes me around thirty to forty-five minutes.

Now let's get into what I do during my weekly planning routine for college!

My Weekly Planning Routine for Staying Organized in College

1. Review Bullet Journal Collection Layouts

The first step in my weekly planning routine for college is to make sure my bullet journal collection pages are up to date.

My collection pages are spread throughout my bullet journal, so this consists of me flipping through my bullet journal as quickly as possible.

I usually update or at least glance at these pages when I flip through my bullet journal.

This part of my weekly planning routine for college keeps my bullet journal updated, without me having to check all of these pages on a daily or almost daily basis.

2. Create a New Bi-Weekly Bullet Journal Layout

Now that I've updated my bullet journal collection pages, it's time to start my actual planning for the week.

I like making minimalist bullet journal pages and rarely add decorations to weekly layouts. Pink is my favorite color, so I often just use a shade of pink, and draw a few lines, as you can see in the layouts in the photos.

Other than that, I write using an easy cursive or minimalist font.

Some of my pages turn out better than others, but I only have to look at the page for two weeks if it turns out poorly anyway!

3. Check My Phone Calendar

I keep my entire schedule on my phone calendar because it is easy to edit and add events.

Plus, I receive reminders from my phone calendar on my Garmin smartwatch usually 30 minutes before the event. This helps me be on time!

I usually check my phone calendar at the same time as I make my bi-weekly bullet journal layout because I have to check my calendar to know what days to put on my layout.

I also check my phone calendar to see if there are any events or appointments that are different from my ordinary schedule so I can plan for them.

I don't write any of these events down on my bullet journal layout, unless there are specific tasks I need to do related to those events. My bi-weekly bullet journal layout is just for tasks.

4. Check My College Schedule for Each Class

Now, it's time to start making my to-do list for the next two weeks!

I open up my university's system and Canvas. I look at the schedule and assignment list for each class, so I know what will be coming up in the next two weeks.

Next, I write down all of these homework assignments in my bullet journal labeled with the class name (MKTG 425 - take quiz #1, BUSM 322 - write essay response #3). I draw a checkbox under the day for which each assignment is due.

Additionally, I'll write down any studying I want to do for a class (ACC 200 - study for exam #1), and I write a checkbox under each day I plan to study.

I always try to complete my homework the day before it is due, so I look at the next day's tasks when I'm doing homework.

If anything unexpected comes up or the homework is harder than I thought it would be, I have some extra time to complete it.

5. Rewrite Tasks from the Previous Bi-Weekly Bullet Journal Layout

Next, I take a quick glance at my last bi-weekly bullet journal layout to see if there are any tasks that I haven't completed from the previous weeks.

These are generally tasks that I'm trying to complete well in advance of their due dates, or don't really have due dates. I just try to get them done when I can.

Usually, I only have a few of these tasks, if any.

6. Rewrite Recurring Tasks

The last step in my weekly planning routine for college is to rewrite the tasks that I do on a weekly basis.

This includes tasks like:

Doing laundry
Checking finances
Grocery shopping
Meal prep

These tasks are pretty embedded into my weekly routine. I still write them down to make sure that I don't forget though.

Plus, then I get the satisfaction of crossing these tasks off after I complete them!

Final Notes on My Weekly Planning Routine for Staying Organized in College

That is my weekly planning routine for college! On the weeks I don't have to create a new bullet journal layout, my weekly planning routine is much quicker. I simply review everything to make sure it is correct.

With this weekly planning routine, I've been able to complete my homework before deadlines, and get all of my weekly tasks done, without forgetting the other things I need to do! I'm rarely surprised by any upcoming assignments because of my bi-weekly bullet journal layouts.

Through trial and error, I've figured out that the best weekly bullet journal layouts are the ones that are the most effective. It's ok if they look boring, aren't "aesthetic," or don't track everything.

Here's a quick recap of my weekly planning routine for college!

Review bullet journal collection layouts
Create a new bi-weekly layout
Check my phone calendar
Check my schedule for each class
Rewrite tasks from the previous bi-weekly layout
Rewrite recurring tasks

If you enjoyed this post about my weekly planning routine for college, you can read these posts too!

I hope this post gives you some ideas for your own weekly planning routine for college to help you keep track of all of your college assignments!

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June 20, 2026 No comments

I love eating delicious, homemade meals! The only problem is that in college, there's barely enough time in the day to go to classes, work, do homework, and have fun. Cooking and sometimes even eating gets put on the back burner. But you can still eat healthy, delicious meals even when your schedule is packed! Today, we're going to talk about meal planning for college students!

The Realistic Meal Planning System I Use as a Busy College Student

I don't eat out.

There's a variety of reasons why, but mainly, I'm trying to eat as healthy as possible. Like most college students, I also stick to a budget.

Plus, I eat a whole-food plant-based diet, but that's a totally different story.

The main point is that I have to cook my meals myself.

I also don't really like cooking (Yep, I said it), but I love homemade food, so I do a super easy method of meal planning that doesn't take very much time.

I started using this meal planning system as a freshman in college because I knew I was going to have to do a lot of cooking! Today, I'm still using the same meal planning system with a few tweaks along the way.

This is meal planning for college students who want to eat healthy but don't have time to cook daily!

The Realistic Meal Planning System I Use as a Busy College Student

1. Staple Recipes List

Just a fair word of warning, I am a recipe repeater. I have a list of all the recipes I enjoy eating.

I enjoy eating the same meals regularly. I've mentioned my love of chickpeas before, and I've been eating them regularly (almost daily 😂) since I was in middle school.

Yes, I have variety in my diet. I just consider chickpeas to be a necessity at this point!

If you are going to cook from scratch, make a list of all of the recipes you want to make throughout the semester. I prefer finding super easy recipes, like one-pot meals. (If you aren't cooking from scratch, you can very easily do this, by listing what meals you are going to buy.)

Divide your list by meal type and make sure you have around the same number of recipes for each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) if you like a lot of variety.

I'm content eating roughly the same breakfast every day for months, so I don't have that many breakfast recipes, but I have a lot of dinner recipes.

I like to make this list in my bullet journal every few semesters as you can see in the photos!

The benefit is that when I ask, "What do I want to have for dinner?" I already have a list of recipes that I know I'll enjoy eating. This makes meal planning as a college student much easier!

2. Staple Grocery List

The next step in meal planning is making a staple grocery list! This makes grocery shopping so much faster.

I like to have a list on my phone's notes app with the staples that I buy every week.

Bread
Greens
Beans

Additionally, I have a list on the same page with items that I need to buy when I run out but are easy to forget. I use this list to jog my memory.

Hand soap
Paper towel
Oats

Before you go shopping, it's a good idea to take a few minutes to walk around your apartment to see what you already have and what you might need.

I'd like to say that I do this every week, but I definitely don't, so I often end up buying extras of things that I might need for that week's recipes. 😂

3. Recipe Catalog on Phone

This step in meal planning is essential for me! I have a specific folder on my phone gallery called "Recipes" that contains screenshots or photos of all of my recipes.

It's very handy because when I go grocery shopping, I can refer to it easily. I rarely forget to buy an ingredient for my recipes because I double check my recipes before I leave the store (usually while I'm standing in line).

Whenever I find a recipe I want to try, I screenshot the ingredient list. Then, when I want to see the whole recipe, I can easily click back to the website because my phone gallery links straight to the recipe on the blog it's from.

4. Find A Couple of Recipe Blogs You Like

I say a couple of blogs, but let's be real, I get most of my recipes from my family. 😂

Other than that, I currently find most of my recipes on Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures because their recipes are fairly easy to make, and I enjoy eating them. Whenever I want to make a new recipe, I search on there for ingredients that I have or what I want to eat that week.

I don't subscribe to any recipe blogs currently because I try to receive as few emails to my inbox as possible, but if you want to be regularly reminded about new meals to make, it could be a good idea to subscribe.

I look for new recipes regularly, but I also have my staple recipes list!

5. Meal Planner

To avoid repeating the same recipes over and over again, I use a meal planner. I do still eat the same breakfast on repeat though!

My meal planner is really simple because I don't like to do elaborate planning when it comes to food. I just write down the "fancier" recipe that I'm making for that week, and that's it.

I don't use this meal planner all of the time, but I do use it when I'm trying to include more variety in my diet.

6. Meal Prep Weekly

Every Saturday, I do my grocery shopping for the entire week. Every Sunday afternoon, I do my cooking and meal prep for the week.

I make my "fancier" recipe, and then I might also cut up some vegetables for other meals. It takes me around two hours to meal prep and then I'm done for the week, unless I decide to make something else!

When Monday comes around, I already know what's for dinner that week, and it's already made!

Final Notes on the Realistic Meal Planning System I Use as a Busy College Student

Meal planning as a college student doesn't have to be complicated! The best thing you can do as a college student is to create a simple routine that you follow on a regular basis.

I've found that by meal planning, I don't have to feel stressed about what I'm going to eat. I also eat healthier because I plan in advance. I don't have to ask myself, "What's for dinner?"

Meal planning as a college student gives me more time to focus during the week on school, events, and spontaneous activities!

Pick one or two of the tips below and start implementing them in your meal planning this weekend.

To recap, here are my tips on meal planning for college students!

Make a staple recipe list
Make a staple grocery list
Build a recipe catalog on your phone
Find a couple of recipe blogs you like
Use a meal planner
Meal prep on a regular basis

Make your next year of college your healthiest yet by reading these other posts too!

I hope you enjoyed this post on meal planning for college students! Eating healthy starts with small changes, so start creating a meal planning system that will work for you today!

Remember to save this post about meal planning for college students!

June 13, 2026 No comments

Sometimes, life can feel crazy busy and everything can feel like too much! Especially when your to-do list is a mile long and you never seem to cross anything off your list... and if you do, another task will replace it just as quickly. I've felt this way myself, and it is not a fun position to be in. Today, I'm going to share some realistic tips for staying productive when you feel burnt out!

The 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out

Burnout. It's that moment when you don't look forward to tomorrow, knowing how much you have to do. It's when you wake up in the morning and are already longing for the evening.

It's when you feel like you've been running on empty, but you still have things on your never-ending to-do list!

Let's face it. Burnout is going to happen if you have a lot on your plate, and you are trying to juggle so many things at once.

If you feel...

Bored
Unmotivated
Exhausted

These tips about managing burnout are for you!

This post has been in my rough drafts since 2022! I've been dealing with some burnout over the past few years, so I've been taking a break and figuring out how to stay productive when burnt out.

This is the step-by-step guide to staying productive when you feel burnt out. Feel free to follow these steps in order or just pick out the ones that you feel like you need right now!

The 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out

Before we get into the tips, I want to take a moment to talk about realistic productivity. It is not possible to be productive 100% of the time.

You cannot give 100% effort all of the time, so it is important to give yourself regular time for self-care to avoid cycles of burnout. Take care of yourself. Know when it is time to set boundaries, and when to seek support!

1. Do a Brain Dump

Pull out a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to your mind! I've talked about how to do a brain dump on here before, and they can be so helpful for relieving stress.

Personally, if I don't write down a task or a new idea, it's going to continue cycling through my brain over and over again until I write it down.

... Or, I forget about it, and then feel stressed because I can't remember what I forgot. Maybe you can relate!

You might sit down and suddenly have a blank mind, but that's perfectly fine. Sit with your paper for 10 minutes or so and add things to your page as they come. Then go back to your day and come back to your brain dump page if you think of more things.

Nothing needs to be written down in a pretty way. Just get it all on paper!

After you have a good list of everything that is making you feel burnt out, and everything that is on your plate, you can sort them into categories and add deadlines if you want to.

The main point of doing a brain dump is so everything is not in your head anymore. Now you can see how much you are dealing with.

2. Cut Back to Basics

This step is crucial for staying productive when you feel burnt out. I quit blogging for quite a while because creating content constantly was making me feel too stressed.

I always felt behind and like I wasn't doing enough. My blog wasn't successful enough, no matter how much I worked.

Now, after my break, I've realized that my blog doesn't need to be perfect. My writing isn't perfect, but people still read it (Thank you!). Every time I write an article, I'm simply practicing.

I'm also not doing everything that "a blogger should be doing." I'm focusing on what I enjoy doing, which is the writing.

It is time to get real with yourself. Ask yourself what you actually need to do, and what you *think* you need to do. Just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it will work for you.

I might suggest something in this post that doesn't resonate with you. Then don't do it! There are tons of articles out there on the internet titled things like "25 Things You Need to do Every Morning". If you do those 25 things every morning, I can almost guarantee you are going to feel burnt out! I would too!

Everyone's ideal routine will look different.

Think about everything you are feeling stressed out about and figure out which of those tasks you actually need to do, and which ones you just feel obligated to do.

Say "no" to obligations that you do not actually have to do.

3. Consume Some Mindless Content

What?! You want me to consume some mindless content?? I'm trying to be productive!

YES, absolutely! To be productive, you need to take breaks with no restrictions sometimes.

Doing so will help you be more productive when the time comes. When you are super burnt out, "productive" breaks probably won't do the trick because your brain needs a break. This is why I use YouTube and watch movies on the weekends.

What is mindless content? Things that you don't really have to use your brain for.

Movies
TV
Books
Social media

Whatever your favorite "guilty pleasure" hobby is, you should do some of that!

But notice I say some mindless content. After you've consumed some mindless content, and you are starting to feel a little more refreshed, it's time to restrict your usage so you can be productive.

If you want to, set aside some time weekly to consume this type of content, and then restrict your usage the rest of the week so it feels like a treat.

4. Entirely Switch Up Your Routine

Now it's time to boost your productivity! I love routines, but they can make life seem very routine.

If you are starting to dread getting out of bed in the morning, it might be because of your daily routine. Life gets boring if everything always stays the same, so I'm just going to say it: "throw your daily routine out the window."

Ok, maybe not literally, but find two to three things in your daily routine that you can switch up.

If you work out in the morning, try working out at night. Try a new type of exercise or cooking a new recipe. If you have a strict schedule, you'll probably have to get creative.

Currently, I'm in college, so my routine right now switches up entirely every few months, and it keeps things fun!

It might sound cliche, but life is too short. You don't want to feel bored every single day of your life.

Figure out how you can make your life a little more adventurous!

5. Take Care of Your Health

When you feel burnt out, it might be because you are not taking enough time for yourself.

A productive way to take time for yourself is to exercise!

On the other hand, if you feel burnt out from exercising, you might try a new type of exercise. There are plenty of free workout videos on YouTube so try one out!

When I feel burnt out, I find that exercising in the morning gives me more energy and a sense of accomplishment to help me get through the day.

You might also choose to get a little fancy with your meals and do something out of the ordinary. Switch up the foods you eat and try something new! Try eating on your front porch or in your backyard.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep! One of the best things you can do for staying productive when you feel burnt out is making sure you are taking care of yourself!

6. Find Some Inspiration

This will mean different things for different people. This might mean listening to an educational podcast or going on a long walk by yourself. Find whatever works for you!

You might have an artistic outlet you use to relieve stress or maybe you curl up on the couch with a book. I would recommend finding a few different ways you can find inspiration, so you can switch them up.

I really enjoy reading non-fiction business books and listening to podcasts!

7. Do One Task at a Time

Sometimes, all you have to do is take it slow. If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, it is probably because you have a crazy long to-do list and everything seems too hard. You don't have to do everything!

Well, you actually might, but you don't have to do everything right now.

Ask yourself, what feels manageable right now? If doing one small homework assignment feels manageable, then do that.

Everything is on your brain dump page, so you only have to focus on the task at hand.

When you get up in the morning, decide on the 1-3 most important things you need to do. If you do those tasks, then the day is successful.

8. Take Frequent Breaks

Sometimes all you need to do is take a quick break. Go cozy up on the sofa with a new book or make your favorite treat.

I know that taking a break might feel counterproductive, but breaks are necessary. If you are always trying to power through, then you are going to end up constantly feeling burnt out!

Build some form of slow self-care into your routine that isn't related to technology. This could be sleeping in for an hour on the weekend or having a treat at dinner.

Another example is going on a walk daily. It might seem like more effort at first, but you will feel better afterward.

I like getting up and walking around my apartment for a few minutes in between tasks, and it helps me renew my focus for the next task, as well as giving me time to think.

9. Limit Your Technology Usage

This might sound a little contradictory to some of what I said above but try to limit your technology usage and only consume mindless content during set periods.

Technology can make everything in the world seem like it is going faster than it actually is.

I don't have my phone turned on all the time, and I also don't have my laptop turned on all the time. I recommend turning off all your tech at night if you can and unplugging a few hours before you go to bed.

Recommended Post - 10 Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug from Tech

You might be surprised how much extra time you have in your day! Staying productive when you feel burnt out is difficult, but reducing your technology usage will help a lot.

10. Don't Try to be Perfect

Give yourself permission to give yourself the amount of rest you need. As I mentioned earlier, you don't need to be giving 100% all of the time.

Sometimes, you can only give 10% and that's normal.

Also, try to not compare your life to other people. You don't need to do everything or to do what other people are doing. You just need to do what matters to you.

Final Notes on the 10-Step Guide to Staying Productive When You Feel Burnt Out

The main thing I hope you take away from this post is that it is ok to feel burnt out. You will get through burnout by making time to take care of yourself!

When you make time for yourself, you will have more energy to be productive!

Here's your action plan for staying productive when you feel burnt out. But again, you don't need to do everything. Pick just one of these tips and implement it in your life today!

Do a brain dump
Cut back to basics
Consume some mindless content
Switch up your routine
Take care of your health
Find some inspiration
Do one task at a time
Take frequent breaks
Limit your technology usage
Don't try to be perfect

If you enjoyed this post about staying productive when you feel burnt out, you might enjoy these ones too!

Have a wonderful week and do something nice for yourself today!

If you enjoyed this 10-step guide to staying productive when you feel burnt out, make sure to pin it!

June 06, 2026 No comments

Do you ever find yourself accidentally spending more money than you earn? Do you feel a little guilty swiping your credit card because you don't know if you can afford it? Managing money can feel difficult because there are so many unexpected things you have to pay for! Today, I'm going to simplify your finances by showing you the low-stress bullet journal finance tracking layouts I use.

How I Keep Track of My Finances in My Bullet Journal (Without Overwhelm)

Side Note - I am not a financial advisor, and this is not financial advice. This is simply the method that I use to track my finances. Follow this finance tracking system at your own risk.

Learning to manage finances is crucial because we all have to learn how to manage money. The best time to learn to track your finances is as a young adult because the older you get the more money you have to manage.

I've been using these bullet journal finance tracking layouts for over a year, and I feel in control of my finances. With a few tweaks, this same system can work for you too!

Managing money as a young adult can be hard, but it can also be as simple as writing everything down and reviewing your accounts regularly, which is what I do.

By making your system as simple and low-stress as possible, tracking your finances does not have to be overwhelming.

If you are just getting started with bullet journaling, you can check out my simple guide for starting a bullet journal. This method can also be done in any notebook or even a spreadsheet, if you prefer digital planning.

Let's get right into it!

How I Track My Finances in My Bullet Journal (Without Overwhelm)

I don't have a strict budget because I always try to spend as little as possible (within reason 🤣). This is the system I use to make sure I'm not spending too much.

For example, I try to spend around the same amount each week on food, but it's ok if I spend more than that set amount one week because I know other weeks I spend under my set amount. I just try to have my weekly food bill average out to my set amount.

I know this method won't work for everyone, but right now it works for me. You just need to figure out what works best for you. And maybe that is having strict numbers for each area of your finances.

Mainly, I track how much I earn and how much I spend. You may recognize this as a cash flow statement if you are a business major! The goal is to earn more every month than I spend.

You should have a goal for your finances too!

My Finance Tracking Routine

1. Finance Tracking Frequency

The first step is easy. You just need to decide how often you want to look at your finances. I always review my finances weekly, and it only takes a few minutes most weeks.

You may be able to do this finance review every other week, if you are on top of things! I do every week, so if I accidently miss paying a bill one week, I'll catch it the next week before the bill is actually due.

2. Pay Bills

Yay! Our favorite thing. Ok, paying bills is probably everyone's least favorite thing, but it has to be done.

Even if I know I don't have to pay a bill one week, I still log in to my account, just to make sure that everything looks correct. When it comes to money, and your banking and credit card accounts, it is always better to be on the safe side.

I also have emails and notifications set up for every purchase.

3. Move Money to Savings

I try to save as much money as possible because I never know when I might need some extra money. At the end of the month, I always move a percentage of the money I made that month into my long-term savings.

If you aren't saving money, then you are not paying yourself.

4. Record

Now, it's time to get into the bullet journal pages I use to track my finances!

And remember, you can easily set up this system in a spreadsheet, if that works better for you.

My Bullet Journal Finance Tracking Layouts

I use two layouts for my bullet journal finance tracking system for the entire year, and that's it!

1. Earning and Spending Bullet Journal Layout

This is the main page I use to track my finances. I write down everything I earned and spent for that week when I look at all of my accounts. It's good to have all of your finances in one spot!

The photo above shows my finance tracker from 2025, when I was tracking my finances in a slightly different way, but you can see my 2026 layouts at the top of this post.

I have my earning and spending broken down by month with four columns under each month.

The name of the purchase or earning

This will be the store, product, or company name depending on if I bought multiple items
If I go to this store often, I will label it with a number too, so I can see how much I go there (Walmart #1, Trader Joe's #5)
If it is an earning, I underline the name, so I can see at a glance where those lines are

The date of the purchase
CR if the purchase was made with a credit card
How much was spent or earned

I designate this with a + or - sign

After the month is over, I create three columns at the bottom of that section. I draw each monthly section as the month progresses because I don't know how many lines, I'm going to have for each month until the month is over.

Total amount spent this month (designated with a - )
Total amount earned this month (designated with a +)
Total amount put into savings this month (designated with an arrow)

Now, I can see at a glance how much I made and earned for that month. I can also see how much I am paying myself!

Next, it's time to transfer these numbers over to my other bullet journal finance tracking layout.

2. Year-Over-Year Monthly Change Bullet Journal Layout

This is a numbers heavy page! It looks like a spreadsheet! You can see an example in the photo below. It's not the prettiest bullet journal finance tracking layout, but it's effective.

On this page, I simply write down how much I made and how much I spent for that month. I set this page up for multiple years of earning and spending, and then at the bottom of the page, I total up my earning and spending for the entire year.

This way, I can see year-over-year how much I'm spending and earning so I can be totally honest with myself about my finances.

I personally don't write down how much money I have in my accounts. I just keep track of changes because my goal is to earn more than I spend, but you may also choose to keep track of the total amount of money you have.

Final Notes on How I Track My Finances in My Bullet Journal (Without Overwhelm)

And these are the simple bullet journal finance tracking layouts I actually stick to! This is how I've been staying in control of my finances during my time in college.

Below are a few quick takeaways from this post.

Check your finances regularly
Keep track of how much you make and how much you spend so you know you are spending less than you earn
Always pay yourself by putting money into savings

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy these ones too!

I hope you enjoyed learning how I keep track of my finances in my bullet journal as a young adult. Let me know if you'd use these bullet journal finance tracking layouts as inspiration for your own by sharing this post! Thanks!

May 30, 2026 No comments

creating real-life systems

for productivity and growth

WRITER, PRODUCTIVITY ENTHUSIAST, TAP DANCER

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