It’s the time of year for new stationery, leaves turning brown and that buzz of back to school energy. 

One of the best things about summer turning into autumn is that productive feeling of starting new projects and planning for your first semester. 

Whether you are a first year starting university for the first time or a graduate experiencing your first year out of education - there are a few ways that you can make the most of feeling energised to start a new project. 

Here's how you can make the most of that 'Back to Uni Energy!"

Find a way of planning that feels easy

The amount of times I have started a new planning system, spending hours perfecting calendars or tables with ways of tracking my time, to only give up within a week because it feels too complicated. 

Simplifying the way you plan out your time will help reduce the friction you feel to actual doing the things that you planned.

Add some movement to the start of your day 

This one is usually a controversial one. I used to hate the idea of getting up and going to the gym in the morning but moving your body early in the day does wonders for your productivity.

It doesn’t have to be going for a run or heading to the gym at 6am, it could be a simple stretch routine or a walk. I guarantee if you add this to your morning routine you will get so much more ticked off your to-do list. 

Focus on one task at the time

Task switching wastes so much time and drains your energy quicker. It can be easy to feel like multitasking is helping you be more productive but switching your mind from task to another breaks your flow and makes your day feel chaotic. 

Keeping a notepad nearby to jot down those thoughts that pop into your head that you can do later. I love using this notepad for all my quick tasks - I can then batch them all together and get them done within an hour. *insert link to power hour planner*

Bonus Tip* Close those extra tabs

This tip is something I still need to work on but close those extra tabs. The last thing you want is to feel overwhelmed as soon as you open your laptop. Save them as bookmarks if they are important or add the task to your to-do list to come back to later. 

If you’re on the hunt for a new planning system that is simple but effective, I’ve created this Notion template for creatives like you