We are all about multi-tasking in our modern world. The juggling act of managing school, internships, jobs, health, and social lives leaves very little time for you at the end of the day. It doesn't have to be a time crunch of never knowing what's coming next in your busy schedule!

With a few simple tweaks, you can go from feeling like an unorganized mess

To being the thriving person who crosses all the t's and dots all the i's

Which will leave you with more time to do what you love most, whether that be binge-watching Netflix or finding a new adventure! Here are my four favorite ways to optimize time:

1. Build a schedule

Start by writing down exactly what you need to get done in a planner. This will help you have a visual representation of your responsibilities and tackle each task accordingly. When you open your planner, you'll know what to expect every day.

2. Prioritize a to-do list

Create a list of tasks you need to complete in order:

- As soon as possible

- Less pressing responsibilities

- Things you need to get around to

Try using different colored sticky tabs in your planner to represent levels of importance. Organizing your priorities will help reduce procrastination and encourage productivity! All your tasks may not get completed in one day, and that's okay. You can always add them as a high priority the next day!

3. Make goals

Find what you want out of your work and support those goals. Join groups and engage in activities that will help you accomplish your short and long-term visions. Incorporate your hobbies into producing income and networking. Set dates that give you a realistic time frame to achieve these goals. You can start by listing some of the goals you'd like to see progress on in the next year!

4. Cut out distractions

If you find yourself getting sucked into scrolling on your phone (we are all guilty) or being interrupted by outside sources, eliminate distractions! Turn your phone on silent and commit to working without it. If you need to, close your door to let others know you're not available. You can take a short break to catch up on emails and social media after getting some work done.

Being proficient at time management means you need to focus your energy on developing healthy habits and sticking to them! It's different for everyone, but after a few weeks of practice, you'll succeed in reducing stress and find the balancing routine easier than before. Once I started budgeting my time and organizing priorities, life felt so much easier to handle. Hopefully, it'll help you too!