Our lives are getting busier and it seems we are constantly running behind schedule. Do you often feel like a hamster on a wheel, constantly running around but getting nowhere? Welcome to the club.

If you feel as if your work-life balance is seriously out of whack or that there is not enough time in the day to achieve your goals, it may be time for a personal schedule. Not only will it help you stay organized, a personal schedule will make it easier to achieve your health goals.

Here are six helpful tips to get you started on creating and keeping a personal schedule:

Write it Down

Your schedule is not a schedule if you don’t write it down. We don’t care if you have a photographic memory or if it is easy for you to figure things out in your brain. Writing it down is essential. If you prefer jotting down things with pen and paper, consider buying a quality journal to guide you. The Spruce, an inspirational advice website, rated the best planners that help you stay organized and achieve your goals. If you have gone 100 percent digital or simply enjoy the convenience of having everything on your smartphone, Shopify.com published a list of the best time management apps.

Figure Out Your Top Priorities

This step is also essential if you are going to succeed. Yes, your ultimate goal is to be organized to improve your time management skills and prevent unnecessary stress. But beyond that, you should assess what success looks like for you. Do you want to eat better? Drop a few pounds? Increase quality time with your loved ones? Improve work-life balance? Understanding your motivation and listing your priorities will help you achieve your goals. For example, if your goal is to be in better physical shape, you should schedule working out during the most convenient time in your schedule.

Organize Your Day by Morning, Midday & Evening

Divide your day in thirds, keeping in mind that at least 7-8 hours is scheduled for sleep. (Note: Don’t schedule less that that. You need your sleep! And if you need to little help falling and staying asleep, try Havasu Nutrition Nighttime Fat Burner.) Once you break your day into three modules, consider your priorities and try to balance out your day. If meditation is important to you, for example, schedule it before a full meal. Plan phone calls, meal prep, TV time.

Create a Weekly Chart

Once your daily routine is recorded, it’s worth looking at your entire week at a glance. A color-coded weekly chart could help you see if you have struck the perfect balance. For example, let’s say you use the color green for fitness, red for work-related items, blue for meals, yellow for relaxation. If you still feel stressed, you can begin to experiment with adjusting the schedule to make it more balanced. Also, it will help you smooth out the busy days.      

Multitasking is Your Enemy

There are people out there who brag about their ability to multitask. Nearly every one of those so-called multitaskers are wrong. One study revealed that just 2.5 percent of people are able to multitask effectively. For the rest of us, we’re simply being less productive. It will take you longer to complete tasks and you will commit more errors. Another study found that multitasking college students took longer to do their homework and had lower average grades. Humans are basically “monotaskers.” Our brains function best when it can focus on one task at a time, according to neuropsychologist Cynthia Kubu, PhD from the Cleveland Clinic. “When we think we’re multitasking, most often we aren’t really doing two things at once, but instead, we’re doing individual actions in rapid succession, or task-switching,” she says.

Be Flexible

Give your schedule a week or two and assess how you feel. Make adjustments as needed. It takes time to establish a routine that satisfies all your needs. Patience and flexibility are important for the success of your schedule. Being too rigid will lead to disappointment. You will begin to look for shortcuts or dread looking at your schedule. Be kind to yourself and don’t get discouraged if your schedule does not go according to plan. Take a breath. Give yourself credit for the effort. Change your schedule if you need to. And don’t surrender! Tomorrow is a new day.