Do your days feel overwhelming? Do you spend your day checking off tasks, only to feel as if you’ve accomplished nothing? I’ve been feeling that way for a little while, so I decide to give myself a little push to be more productive and less busy.

There really is a secret to daily productivity. Here are five ways to organize daily tasks efficiently.

#1 Prioritize:
Many people mistake prioritizing tasks with ordering them. The tasks that receive the highest priority should be the task that will generate the most profit or results. For example, answering email should probably never be your first priority.  However, planning your next product launch is a top priority task because it leads to more profits and a bigger business. Email is something you can likely manage during lunch or at the end of the day. Or better yet, outsource to an assistant. (I actually just hired someone to filter through all my emails – not just some of them, which I think has been bogging me down a bit!)

#2 Make a plan daily.
The best time to plan tomorrow is at the end of today. At the end of your day, make time to plan the next day. Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments and prepare for the day ahead. This helps you prioritize without the distractions of the day. It also helps you sleep better because you have a plan. (Trust me on this one… I often lay awake planning when I haven’t planned properly!)

#3 Use a system that works for you:
There are a lot of experts that tout their system as the only one that really works. Actually, the only system that really works is different for each person. Some people work quite well with pocket planners. Others need a software program like Outlook. Still others benefit from a PDA or Smartphone. Find a system that works for you and use it consistently. For me, I use big visual wall planners and my own calendar system. (That’s another project I want to share with you that’s on my to do list.)

#4 Celebrate your successes:
It’s easy to look back on the day and see what you didn’t accomplish. Yet it’s much more powerful to look back on your day and acknowledge what you did accomplish. It helps you embrace a positive mindset. It prepares you for a productive tomorrow.

#5 Plan ahead.
I work about 4 months out with all my basic marketing. I know what I will promote months ahead of time so I can make weekly and daily plans.