How To Make A Monthly Task List To Stay Organized

You know that feeling when you look at your calendar and somehow the end of the month just snuck up and you did nothing on your monthly to-do list? Yeah, that feeling sucks! 

You always aim to be more organized and finally get on top of things, but it just doesn’t happen every month. 

How can you actually get organized and stay organized when you are on this struggle bus? The answer is twofold: create a detailed monthly to-do list with all your monthly tasks and some good old self-discipline (I have tips for you, don’t worry). 

So, if you are ready to get organized and finally tackle that monthly to-do list, let’s talk about all the monthly tasks you should be doing to stay organized! 

How to stay organized in different areas of life

Life is complex and so is organization. Being organized at work is great but the rest of your life could be in shambles. The goal is to have an organized life overall. Keeping track of the different ways you can be organized will help you! Balance is key!

Paper organization 

The dreaded mail pile. All the bills you need to deal with. The life binder that never gets updated. These are just a few things that you should be taking care of somewhat regularly. 

I know when my random paper pile is getting bigger I get more and more stressed out. 

The clutter alone is stressful not to mention the possibility of forgetting something or missing something important. Last year I almost forgot to renew my car insurance because the reminder papers were hidden in my paper pile!! 

Save yourself the hassle by going through your mail and extra papers at least once a month. 

Digital organization 

So many things are digital now so you might have all your bills coming to your email or banking things you need to keep track of. 

I don’t know about you but sometimes my email inbox gets a little out of hand. I literally had Outlook send me an email saying “If you don’t delete some of your emails you will not receive any more emails.” So, yeah. Keep an eye on those things!

Planner and calendar organization 

If you currently have a calendar hanging somewhere in your house that isn’t being used, go update it! 

Birthdays, appointments, special events, and so many other things need to go into your calendar or planner. 

I use my phone calendar for most personal things and that works for me. However, for work and for blogging I like to use a mix of digital and physical so decide what works for you and then actually use it. 

I have forgotten birthdays in the past and then felt like an idiot for not just writing them in the calendar. It’s so simple and makes you feel so much more organized. It feels good to know what’s coming up in your life. 

Household organization 

Think of things like house cleaning, closet organization, the garage, and other things you consider household to-dos. 

You might think having a monthly cleaning routine or a monthly task list for the house is a bit overkill but I promise you it will make your life easier. 

There is always so much to do on a daily basis that a lot gets forgotten. When was the last time you cleaned the baseboards? I’ll wait. 

For me, having a clean house means I am happier, more energized, ready to work harder, and more productive. So having a few monthly tasks for the house is important to me. 

Work-related organization 

Depending on whether you work a 9-5 job or you work for yourself, work organization may look a little different. 

For self-employed people, your work-related organization is probably going to be a lot more. Paperwork, work tasks and to-dos, taxes, etc. For 9-5 workers your organization may just be work tasks and to-dos sprinkled in with a little admin stuff from time to time. 

Regardless of your job though there is organization that needs to be done and your mind will thank you for staying on top of it. 

I work a regular 9-5 job outside of blogging and one of my monthly tasks is to clean my office. I get rid of random papers and things I’ve collected. I wipe down my desk and other work equipment. It takes me maybe 15 minutes once a month but it’s still worth doing!

5 benefits of being an organized person

Believe it or not but there are many benefits of being organized. Let’s chat about them. 

Stress relief – being organized and not having to worry all the time about forgetting something, losing something, or just the feeling of being messy/cluttered, can really relieve stress.

Healthier lifestyle – when you can plan ahead (meals, workouts, etc.) it makes it a lot easier to follow through with your health-related goals. 

Get better sleep – being disorganized can cause you to stay up later doing things last minute or to worry and fret about things you didn’t get done or still need to do. 

Helps meet deadlines at work – being more organized allows you to stay on top of your work tasks. You are less likely to forget about small but important tasks and you’ll have less work piled up on you. 

Increase your self-confidence – being organized helps you feel more confident in yourself and your abilities to get things done. Having everything organized gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you feel like you can do anything. 

Monthly tasks to do to stay organized 

Everyone has a different life with different needs so your list might be different than someone else’s. Create your monthly task list with tasks that suit you and your life! 

Monthly tasks for paper organization 

• Declutter mail and extra papers
• File away important papers
• Pay bills 
• Deposit cheques 
• Shred documents 
• Organize receipts 
• Update your life binder 
• Create grocery lists and meal plans 
• Put away anything sentimental 
• Clean up books and magazines
• Put printed photos away
• Throw out any to-do lists you already completed 

Monthly tasks for digital organization 

• Declutter email inbox
• Unsubscribe from email lists 
• Create folders in your email for important emails
• Pay bills 
• Deal with any online banking
• Close extra tabs on the computer 
• Go through computer files and see what you need/don’t need
• Delete unused apps on your phone
• Put your used apps in folders to organize 
• Delete photos you don’t want/need on your phone and computer
• Update your budget tracker 
• Create or update Notion (see this post for useful Notion info)

Monthly tasks for planner and calendar organization 

• Track birthdays, events, appointments, holidays, etc in your calendar/planner
• Input bill payment dates 
• Put your vacation time in the calendar ahead of time
• Color code things on your calendar/planner 
• Plan ahead at least a month
• Create a to-do list based on your monthly calendar 
• Content planning (for content creators)
• Review what you achieved and what you didn’t 

Monthly tasks for household organization 

• Clean and declutter rooms (you could just focus on one room per month)
• Dust
• Clean mirrors
• Mop the floor
• Clean the shower/bathtub
• Empty the pantry and get rid of expired things
• Clean the inside of the fridge
• Organize closets
• Restock on items like laundry pods, dishwasher pods, etc
• Put things back where they came from 
• Clean under the couch
• Wash bedding

Monthly tasks for work-related organization

• Tidy office space
• Clean desk and other work equipment
• Declutter emails
• Put away important work paperwork
• Submit any expenses or collect receipts
• Fill out important deadlines in your planner/calendar
• Create a month-ahead to-do list 

Related reads:

• How To Plan The Perfect Life Admin Day
• How To Change Your Life With A Habit Audit
• How To Boost Your Productivity Using Theme Days

Important to remember 

All of the above monthly tasks are not to be done by everyone, every month. Take what is relevant to your life and create your own monthly tasks list. 

The main focus is to be overall organized. Take tasks for each section of your life. Being super organized at work doesn’t mean your life when you get home will feel good.

Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to live a holistic life. 

Your stress levels will lower when you have an organized life. No one is expecting you to clean your entire house, constantly update your calendar, file all your papers immediately, and always have your email inbox at zero… that would be crazy! 

However, having your overall shit together will make your life easier to live. You’ll be more likely to keep up with other tasks you need to do and you’ll be more productive. There is research showing that living with less clutter in your space and your mind leads to a better life. 

So, if you’ve been wondering how to stay organized, this is how! Focus on your life holistically. Don’t hyper-focus on one area of your life and keep a monthly task list so you always know what needs to be done. 

What is on your monthly task list to stay organized?