You may think you’re the world’s least organized person. But there are some simple, easy ways that you can start being more organized today. Follow these tips, and who knows… the organization just might stick!

1. Use a calendar and write stuff on it.

You can also use Google calendar, a written calendar, a small pocketbook calendar, the calendar on your phone. But I recommend that you only use one. Having a few calendars seems like it would be more organizational - after all, that way you can check your schedule no matter where you are! But in reality, it simply becomes too burdensome to write the same event four times on each calendar. You start forgetting stuff simply because you were looking at the “wrong” calendar. And let me tell you, that really sucks.

2. Make to-do lists, preferably one for each day.

It can be very helpful to take just a couple minutes to put all the jumbled thoughts in your head onto a neat list on paper. It’s easier to prioritize your tasks for the day, and it’s easier to get things done in the most efficient way. Most importantly, you can focus single-mindedly on each task, without worrying about everything else you have to do. You might be surprised by how much calmer your days will be, with the focus you need right in your pocket. As an added bonus, a to-do list makes it harder to procrastinate those unpleasant tasks or at least, you’ll feel a lot guiltier when you do.

3. Use Post-It notes, within reason!

Sometimes it can be helpful to write something important on a sticky note, like “pay the rent”, and then place the note in an obvious place. On the other hand, sticky notes can also be one of those double-edged sword type of things. I happen to live with someone who uses sticky notes as pretty much his sole method of organization. There are sticky notes everywhere: important reminders stuck to the door, to-do lists laying all over the desk and hanging from the computer, little messages scrawled above the coffee maker, and random notes-to-self on the coffee table. The result is that I use the sticky notes as coasters for my drinks, and eventually gather them up and throw them away. This is an example of sticky note usage gone wrong.

4. Put together a system for keeping all your personal contacts in one place.

This includes phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and all the contact info you need to get in touch with people fast. Whether this is an online system, a hardcopy address book, or even a Rolodex, is up to you. The important thing is that it’s easily and quickly accessible. Looking for phone numbers you need is a big time-waster. An organized system will save you time.

5. Set up a filing system.

That’s right, I said it. One of the top causes of disorganization, stress, and wasted time is the lack of a good filing system. You may hate filing, and cringe at the idea of having to organize all your messy papers, old bills, financial documents, and etc. But having a neat place for all these papers will cut down on clutter immensely. And knowing exactly where to find that financial document you need, will cut down on wasted time even more. If you don’t have a filing system, you’re basically asking to lose something important. And that’s something you don’t want to do. For more information on setting up a filing system, check out my related article: How to Reorganize Your Filing System (or Start a Filing System for the First Time).

6. Have a good filing system on your computer, too.

How much time do you spend staring at the jumbled pile of icons on your desktop? Or scrolling through your list of files, searching for the one you need? If it’s more than a few minutes each day, that’s literally hours of your life. Who needs that? Take the time to sort your files into clearly labeled folders and subfolders, and clean off your desktop. You’ll quickly thank yourself.

While you’re at it, do a backup of all your files, whether that means writing your files to a stack of dvd’s, backing them up on an exterior hard drive, or saving them somewhere online. No matter how disorganized you are, you should do this every couple months. Take it from someone who knows — I once lost hundreds of files when my computer unexpectedly crashed. This included some valuable manuscripts that represented hours and hours of work. I finally got them back, but it was expensive and took several months. I learned my lesson the hard way. Hopefully you won’t have to.

Make a habit of following these six simple tips, and your life will become much simpler, more organized, and less stressful. I promise!