I had this post planned for next week, but I think it’s fitting since I’m all over the place and can’t make a decision, so I decided to post it tonight.

I’m not sure if it’s because it’s summer and I feel so much busier, but I feel like things are slipping past me or I’m forgetting things. When I was in school and even doing my master’s degree, my life felt a little more structured because I knew I had reading to do or papers to write. But now that I’m not taking any classes and just working, I feel like I’m all over the place.

During school, I used a planner that had the months and weeks broken down—which was good for assignments—but the one I have now is just the months. (Also it was a steal for $6 at Marshall’s.) I write down when I’m working at the ice cream shop, doctor’s appointments, hair appointments, and anything else I might have to do. Some of my appointments are in my phone’s calendar, but I always forget to set alerts for events in it, so I’d rather write everything down.

I have a running to-do list on my desk at home, written on the back of a sheet of paper that has the 2018 projections for the top 15 second basemen that was for my fantasy team—it was the only available paper I had at the time when I started the list last week. One side is things I have to get done, and the other side is things to look into—mostly things I need/want to buy.

For some time last week, I had the to-do list swirling around in my head, which was driving me crazy, and once I wrote it down, it didn’t seem as bad. I think going forward I’m going to keep some kind of running to-do list, but I’ll probably carry it in my planner in case I’m not at home and need to write something down.

I like how I’m busy and have things to do during the summer but at the same time, it can be a little overwhelming and my anxiety kicks in. That’s why I’m trying to get better at writing stuff down, whether it’s in my planner or on a to-do list. Once I see it written down, it never seems as bad as it does in my head.

What are your tricks for keeping your life together? I’m open to any new ideas that I can use to keep my head on straight.