Just like many, I carry around lots of clutter in my life. This “clutter” I’m referring to can be anything from unchecked items on a to-do list, to unaddressed issues, to a messy closet you’ve put off cleaning. Whatever your subjective clutter may be, there is a way to address it. Luckily, throughout the years I’ve become a master at organizing and balancing my clutter, even if it’s “messy organization”, which is the excuse I give my mom every time she asks me to clean my room. However, even the slightest neglect and procrastination of responsibilities can make this “clutter” pile faster than the speed of light. A handful of friends and I have decided that our New Years resolutions are to declutter, and better juggle different aspects of our lives: school, work, home, romantic relationships, friends and all the in-betweens. I’ve composed a list of tips on how to realistically manage this goal.

1. Keep track

Messy organization can scrape you by for only so long. You will eventually forget which corner of your closet you put your favorite shirt since there will be a pile of new (and old) clothes on top of that one. Now, lets apply this to life. How can we get organized? By keeping track of our business. If you’re more technology based, this can be accomplished with an app or the “notes” section on your phone. If you’re old fashioned like me, find a decent sized journal to document your responsibilities and goals, and this includes the small stuff. This includes the “small stuff”. Not addressing the little things is the main route to becoming a scatterbrain and accumulating stress. The processes of writing goals down allow it to be tangible and “real”, making them more likely to be accomplished. Some of my daily reminders are “don’t internalize other people’s reactions” and “don’t forget to drink more water”. Writing the small stuff make a big difference. Keeping a journal rather than an agenda book gives you the advantage to use it for multiple purposes. It is not strictly limited to “to-do” lists.

Thoughts, observations, ideas, and occurrences are also important because they act as fuel to accomplish goals. For example, if you were touched by a gesture someone made, write it down. That may encourage you to do the same to somebody else. Sometimes, it really is that simple. My friend gave me the greatest compliment the other day when she told me that I reminded her of the model Bella Hadid. I wrote it down and dashed happy next to it. It’s nice to remember the small things that made that day special because we often forget. I also wrote a reminder to send a thank you text to my friend who gave me a thoughtful gift. On the other hand, if someone said or did something which didn’t sit right with you, you can write down that down as well, for it acts as an outlet for your emotions and a safe space to explore those emotions free of judgment. These types of notes make a world of difference in our method to address an issue and help us better understand our own viewpoint instead of letting unaddressed feelings accumulate in our souls.

Ultimately, being organized means aside from noting the big responsibilities that are obvious to write such a due dates, tasks etc. it’s rewarding to write down the small goals on the back of your mind because it’s usually the small things that add up to become clutter and anxiety if you don’t get to them. Another tip on how to organize your journal is to categorize your responsibilities into sections such as work, school, family, friends, self-care, miscellaneous etc. This can be done by using different colored pens for different types of responsibilities or simply writing down the task under its respective category. It’s your journal and you can write down your tasks any way that encourages you to be the most productive version of yourself.

2. Invest In Your Soul

You may be wondering how self-care has anything to do with being productive or de-cluttering your life. Well, let me tell you. A person is much more likely to accomplish their goals if they are energized. It is easy to get absorbed in routine and become engulfed with so much stress that you end up taking a nap all day instead. Yes, that is exactly what I did after some assignment due dates felt too close for comfort and I shut down. Instead, make designated “you days” and “you time”. Don’t create excuses about not having time, but instead become creative on how to make time for yourself. If you are a morning person, wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual and use that time for some yoga, reading, meditating, drawing, etc. Make sure your activity involves no social media or technology. You time means purely you time. As author Stephanie Perkins wrote, “The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” You time is an investment in yourself.

Spending time with yourself, clearing your mind or doing a therapeutic activity lowers your stress levels. When people are stressed they are less likely to make wise choices because their bodies are in “reaction” mode and there isn’t too much time for reflecting and logic during that crunch time. On the other hand, when your stress levels are under control, you are better able to balance your time, priorities, and schedule. You’re less likely to feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities but energized to accomplish them without the heavy anxiety on your heart. It’s very easy to let stress control our lives but when we reclaim the wheel, we regain control over our own actions and path. For this reason, it’s necessary to take breathers and the time to better understand your own needs as you evolve and grow.

Lastly, give yourself credit for your accomplishments instead of dreading the “what ifs” and mishaps. If you missed a due date, hurt someone without intending to, had a bad encounter, or your closet is still a mess, instead of becoming discouraged, compost those feelings into productivity. Acknowledge what you gained from negative experiences, how you can prepare differently in the future, what that mishap means in bigger picture, and put your worries in perspective. It’s easy to focus on what’s wrong instead of what’s right. The more time you take to reboot, focus on your positive attributes, accomplishments and strong points and actively work on communicating with yourself, the better you will become at translating this balanced energy and decisiveness of your wants and needs through your actions.

3. Establish Priorities

There are multiple factors of our lives we are juggling at once from school to work to family and friends and all the other sub categories in between. How do we balance our lives without being overwhelmed? Prioritizing. This is one of the most important things to master in order to de-clutter your life. When you establish what your priorities are you are better able to time manage based off that hierarchy of importance. We can’t always have our cake and eat it too, and sacrifices must be made.

When I was a first year in college and joined a sorority I was overwhelmed by the amount of work the girls in my chapter did while maintaining their grades and social life. I firmly believe sorority girls are super women. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to maintain all aspect of my life as well as my sisters could and found myself declining parties, sister dates, etc. because it took me longer to finish my homework and I prioritized going home on weekends to see my family. You have to understand your own priorities and responsibilities in order to better balance your life. If you are having trouble balancing a relationship with your friendships or schoolwork with social life, take a step back and see what is more important and how you can allocate your time accordingly. It’s easy to become absorbed with what’s more fun and lean toward those activities but you have to put yourself in check if you notice yourself prioritizing short term happiness and avoiding responsibilities that can lead to long term satisfaction.

Priorities change with time and a person who once prioritized their social life can shift to prioritizing one on one time with a handful of friends, or shift their focus on their work and family. Your priorities right now may not be the same priorities of the future. Being mindful of your long-term goals is helpful when deciding what to do today; your future self is directly affected by what actions you present self takes. If you realize you have given attention to something that is not a priority, such as watching mindless TV, de-clutter your life by dropping that activity. If you have been giving your time to a friend who doesn’t help you grow but causes more stress in your life, de-clutter by slowly distancing yourself from toxic relationships. You have the power to allocate your attention and time to whatever you want to. It’s easy to lose sight of our prioritize sometimes when distractions get in the way but the more aware you are, the better you’ll be at catching yourself during these moments. It’s not difficult to become a prioritizing time managing ninja who values their time towards productive activities, which will contribute to their overall happiness and satisfaction. Even if you slip up by focusing on drama that wasn’t worth your energy, it’s okay because you’ll catch yourself and get back on the wagon and learn as you go how to handle different situations. Mastering life is a work in progress but we can slowly master it one ninja move at a time.