If you are like me, you’re always running around with more things to do in your day than you have time for. Finding a system that helps you become organized will save you time and, more importantly, your sanity.

The best solution to try to get more organized is to take it slowly. Take one or two things from this list to try to implement first. It’s okay if it takes you a while; you’re trying to implement new habits. Once you have those down, throw in a few more, so you aren’t trying to do too much at once.

After you implement all of the following 5 organization tips for work, hopefully you will notice how effective you have become in every aspect of your life.

1. Have a routine: Having a routine will help build good habits. The keyword is “GOOD.” Think of a routine that makes you the most productive in your day. Once you have a routine eventually it will become a habit. If you do it day-in and day-out you will feel more organized, you’ll know what you are doing today because you do it everyday.
2. Clean up: Go through your things regularly! I can’t tell you how many times I have been looking for something that was buried underneath useless papers. This will save you time and energy that you could be using to finish a few of those tasks on that long list you have to do. Knowing where everything is and knowing where it goes will help you feel less stressed, especially when you know where that important document is that you need.
3. Use a planner: I know this sounds really old fashioned. You may probably thinking, “Who carries around a planner anymore?” I use a planner on my phone so I can have it with me at all times. This helps you stay organized by keeping your list in one spot. If you are like me you always have the thought in the back of your mind that you are forgetting something. You will never forget again! Even the simplest tasks can go in your planner so that they are written down somewhere. Don’t forget to look at it multiple times a day though. It’s easy to write things down quickly but that doesn’t do you any good if you never look at them again.
4. Top 4 tasks: It’s OK to be picky! Start out your day by writing down your top 4 tasks that you have to get done. Being able to cross off those tasks with help you feel motivated and want to finish off a few more. Now this doesn’t mean you only have to pick 4 tasks a day to do, if we said that we would never get anything done. Getting the most important tasks out of the way will keep you from stressing out about all of them at once, get done with those and look at 4 more.
5. Do it NOW: If you are like me you procrastinate almost everything. Most of the time I spend more time thinking about doing the task then it would take to actually do it. So I say DO IT NOW! If you keep thinking “I need to send that email” or “I need to copy that paper,” I promise you it will not get done.

Use your time wisely and most of all stay organized. We only have 24 hours in a day and we want to enjoy them. There’s no need to be miserable because you have so much on your plate. Use these 5 tips for organizing yourself at work and at home, you will notice a difference in your stress level and overall productivity.