"A little extra planning can help you stay focused on your priorities, practice self-care, and even achieve a better work-life balance."

It's easy to think about getting organized, but sometimes it's hard to actually be organized.

It’s unrealistic to think that you will be organized 100% of the time. Whether your goal is to arrive at work on time, always know where your keys are, or generally be prepared to take on your days, you’ll need to be realistic and take small steps to get there.

But by forming daily habits and establishing healthy patterns in our lives, you can definitely strive to feel like your best, most organized self.

Here are five ways to improve your daily routine so you feel more organized.

Create a daily task list

Make a daily task list every day based on all the important things you need to get done that day. Even if you’re not a big pen to paper gal, it will make you feel productive to jot down your tasks and cross them off once completed.

Write down monthly to-do’s

Having a separate list of monthly to-do’s is a great way to stay on top of all of your tasks each month. Consider it a running list of less urgent tasks that you would like to complete by the end of the month. For example, maybe you want to do a closet clean out. It may not need to be done right away, but it would be nice to find time to organize your closet before the month is over.

Use a habit tracker

We talk a lot about habit trackers for a reason. Not only is it a powerful tool for organization, it can also make your goals seem more attainable. Using a habit tracker, especially in your planner, helps you to physically see the progress you're making and gives you the motivation to keep going.

Carry a journal with you

It might sound cliché, but a good notebook is an essential to an organized life. It can be used in so many different ways—taking notes, jotting down ideas, creating to-do lists, writing down your shopping list, or journaling. If you’re looking for a simple, yet sleek way to organize your life, check out the Essential Notebook.

Follow a routine

Following a daily routine is one of the simplest and most effective ways to get organized. Planning our daily rituals and routines reduces the number of decisions we need to make each day, meaning we are less stressed and more productive. A little extra planning can help you stay focused on your priorities, practice self-care, and even achieve a better work-life balance.

If you want to learn more ways to organize your life, check out our latest YouTube video all about setting you in the right direction for the week ahead.