I can’t say that I exactly have any sort of “daily routine.” Some days I sleep in a little more than others; sometimes I shower before work, other times I wait until I get home. Sometimes I tackle a big project first thing, other times I work on smaller things and ease my way in. But either way, there is ONE thing I do almost every day that helps me to stay organized and on-track and helps me not completely lose my mind.

I make a to-do list.

Almost every day, I sit down and either write or type out everything I need or want to accomplish that day. My lists include all sorts of things, from TV shows or hockey games I plan to watch, eating dinner, cleaning my emails, going to the store to purchase something, making a blog post (like this one!), responding to someone’s email, tasks I need to complete at work, etc. I include everything from minute tasks to larger ones that I may eventually break down into sections to make them more manageable.

Let me tell you: it helps.

I feel a sense of accomplishment whenever I’m able to check something off my list, even if it’s something as small as returning an e-mail from my aunt in Pittsburgh to tell her how my week is going. You can break the list down into things that are absolute priorities that day and other tasks you simply wish to achieve if that helps as well.

Some days, I may not accomplish everything on the list, but it’s still important that I make one. It allows me to see what I need and want to do that day, prioritize things based on how much time I have and how important each task is, and get to work. I realize that for some people, this may actually be stressful because they’ll feel pressure to complete every single thing on their list on a daily basis – but see what works for you.

Making a to-do list keeps me focused and driven and most of the time, it only takes a few minutes of my time. I may add things as they come up or as I remember “Oh crap, I need to get that done today!” but either way, I’ve found it extremely helpful and I encourage anyone reading this to give it a try.

For the next seven days, make a to-do list each day and see if it works for you!