I think everyone can agree that we tend to get complacent in our routines.

Let’s take my organizational routine as an example. I really thought I was on top of things, using the weekly spreads and trackers in my bullet journal to keep track of my tasks. But I was overlooking one key thing: sometimes, tasks take more than a week.

This was fine for tasks where I was the main person working on things. But, sometimes, my tasks require back and forth with clients. Keeping track of when they responded, what they still needed from me, and what I needed from them was difficult on a simple to-do list.

It took a few close calls where I almost dropped the ball to realize that something needed to change.

So, I drew out a simple chart in my bullet journal. Now, I have all of my complicated tasks for the month listed. I can tell at a glance whether they’ve been completed, what is expected from me, and what stage they’re at.

Once I started this, my main thought was, “Why didn’t I start doing this months ago?” Just a little rethinking of my process has made my life so much easier.

If you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by your to-do list, it might be worth asking yourself — is this really the best way to track this project?