It’s hard to believe we have wrapped up the fifth month of 2015. Where has the time gone?!

Life in general can be very busy, but throw in running or managing a business - it seems the days blur together and you may find it becomes more difficult to stay on top of everything that needs to get done.

I have recently reflected back on some techniques that have helped me stay better organized. I have tapped into some of these tactics to help me feel a sense of accomplishment daily and weekly.

I am typically not a list keeper, but I find as I age, my memory isn’t quite as reliable as it once was. As a business owner, I don’t want things falling through the cracks that could negatively impact my clients and ultimately my business. Here’s what I have found to be an effective way to stay organized.

Make a list of the things you want/need to accomplish during the week.

Break that list down to a daily list for that week. Make sure what you assign by day is reasonable and realistic to accomplish in your work day (based on your hours worked). Be sure you leave room for the unanticipated activities (e.g. phone calls, meetings, client visits, etc.). As you complete each daily assignment, check them off your list.

Transfer any new or incomplete tasks to other days of the week as appropriate.

There’s nothing more satisfying than to look at your list of work accomplishments at the end of each day to see what you really were able to complete! Nothing should fall through the cracks.

Repeat weekly.

One of the greater challenges of using an organization technique such as this is creating the commitment and making it a habit each day. It might be beneficial to create your list for the week late in the day on Friday. It could allow for a more relaxing weekend, knowing you have your list ready to tackle when you start the work week.