For a few weeks now I have been talking about my excitement to meet students and get the school year started. However, what I have neglected to mention, is that the new school year makes me happy because it brings with it the comfort of a routine. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a more leisurely morning coffee in the summer, but I also don’t mind knowing that my alarm will go off at the same time each day. Usually, within a week or two, I find a school-year rhythm that grounds my work giving me a fighting chance to accomplish all of the things I need to get done in a day. In fact, even a small change in the daily schedule can make me less productive. This isn’t new for me, when I think back to high school, even then, I was entrenched in routines, school, sports, and work (repeat). Having a schedule made and still makes me feel more productive. So, my advice as you start your school year, find or make a routine and stick to it. Your school-day schedule is set for you, but I challenge you to make an after-school routine that speaks to all of the things you need to accomplish. Every schedule needs to include “unscheduled time” although it sounds silly to schedule in unscheduled time. However, taking time to just be is important too! Don’t forget to include things that are shown to improve your overall well-being such as exercise, mindfulness, and a few moments of gratitude. Some people use a digital calendar to plan their time, I tend to combine the use of a digital calendar for long-term planning and a paper task list as I make my way through my day. You need to find what works for you. If you don’t have a planner, you can easily craft a daily planner, but here is an afterschool planning template to get you started. I look forward to meeting many of you in the weeks ahead.