Being an adult is hard and all, but only because it forces a change on life that we may not be all-willing to accept. To force myself to mature, I pack my schedule with classes, meetings, shifts, and workouts. With my jam-packed schedule, I feel as though time is always slipping away from me. When time runs right by our eyes, we can tend to get caught up in the hectic thing called life. Here are a few tips to stay organized and collected during life.

1. Color coordinated notes/folders/notebooks/calendars

I am notoriously known for my color-coded calendar that I hang right beside my mirror in my bathroom. It has everything on it: work shifts, exams, quizzes, meetings, and due dates of all sorts. The marker color matches my folders which match my binders which match my notebooks. I also have this information in two planners—one that I keep in my backpack and another that I keep in my purse/work bag.

2. Meal prep

Okay, I know when I first heard this I thought, “Yeah right, this is not necessary.” But seriously, I would sit in class and ponder what I would eat for lunch and or dinner. And then I would get home and STILL not know what to make. So not only was I losing precious time, but I was missing vital information from my professors. If you are seriously pressed for time, you can go as far as packing lunches/dinners and putting them in the fridge every Sunday night, or you can simply write on a board in the kitchen what the plan is.

3. Schedule down to the minute

As I have reiterated many times already, time in college is precious, especially at the tail-end of the semester. So, schedule everything from classes to personal time to workouts in your planner. This will prevent the chance of double-booking and/or mental breakdowns. I schedule my runs and allow myself 10 minutes per mile, so I have time to stretch after. I then give myself 45 minutes after that to do a quick ab/strength workout and/or shower. I am sure to allow travel time to/from classes, work, or meetings. Allowing myself time to get somewhere will ensure that I am not stressing about potentially being late.

4. Be timely

Personal grooming is important and should not be overlooked. This is your time to really relax and unwind after a long day. However, there is no reason anyone should be taking a shower that lasts more than 20 minutes. A) It is absolutely horrible for your skin/pores (especially in the winter) and B) Ain’t nobody got time for dat!

Here is a breakdown of my showers: as soon as I get in the warm-water shower and my hair is wet enough, I lather my roots (shampoo roots, condition ends) twice, I rinse out the second lather and immediately apply conditioner to my ends, as the conditioner does its magic, I shave, wash my face and body, I then switch the water temp to a cooler one to close my pores and rinse out the conditioner. Bam. Done in less than 10 minutes.

As soon as I dry off and dress, I apply my moisturizer and comb my hair with a wide-toothed comb. If I ever want to apply a face mask, now is the time I do it. Bada bing bada boom, I am clean and ready for the rest of the night.

5. Outfit prep

I cannot count the amount of hours I have stood in front of my closet doors pondering what I should wear. Whether I am going to class, dinner, or for a night out on town, I always try to make at least a mental note of the outfit I want to wear, right down to the undergarments. Granted, to class I typically am wearing leggings and some sort of sweatshirt, but hey, picking out a hoodie can be a big decision, too.

6. Set time limits

When doing assignments (study guides) set mini goals for yourself. Give yourself ~15 minutes per chapter, and set the timer on your phone. If your assignment is a paper, this is a great time to do that laundry that has formed a mountain in the corner of your bedroom. Try to pump out a page and a half while your laundry washes, and another two pages while it dries. Be sure to stay off anything that could be distracting (snapchat, Instagram, you know the list) because then this is ineffective.

7. Get into a routine

Every day I try to have the same morning routine. I wake up at the same time, and like clockwork I get dressed, take my vitamins, eat breakfast, brush my teeth and hair, do my makeup, and log my breakfast calories. This morning routine makes me feel like I have my sh*t together. Simple tasks like making your bed or logging your calories for the day make me feel like I am truly nailing this adult thing. These two tasks are also very healthy. Study shows that when a person makes their bed every morning, the rest of their days are more productive. Because you’ve accomplished a task early on in the day, it sets the tone for the rest of it.

Logging calories is also extremely good for you because it makes you aware of your everyday food intake. Apps like MyFitnessPal have you enter your age, weight, activity level, and goal (lose/gain weight or remain the same), and it calculates the number of calories you should consume each day. It even goes deeper and calculates the percentage of macros per day also. I absolutely love this app because it forces me to eat healthy, sends me motivational messages, and offers challenges between users. Nothing like a little healthy competition between some friends!