Let’s have a show of hands for all of those who have ever felt like falling apart trying to juggle all the elements life throws at us.

I have no problem admitting that more than once I found myself utterly overwhelmed with everything on my plate.  I think we’ve all been a nervous wreck at least once or twice. A full class schedule, work, cleaning, cooking, running errands, doctor’s appointments, car maintenance, making time for friends and family, making time for my boyfriend, miscellaneous things that come up, and last but not least making time for myself.

So what’s the secret?

There are several tricks that help me. The two most important ones up my sleeve are key in helping me find a balance.

The first and most important trick is to prioritize.

When there’s so much to do it’s hard to choose what comes first.  For example — before making the decision to clean the house I might stop and ask myself: “Should you really be cleaning right now or should you hold off until you get your homework done?”  Another example is the dilemma when my friends call on a Friday night after I’ve just snuggled up under the covers about to watch a good thriller on Netflix and enjoy some me-time. Before coming to a final decision I try to weigh my options: “Hmmm, Catch up on relaxation time, or go out celebrating with my friends?”  I try to be brutally honest with myself in deciding what’s more important, and by doing this I usually come to the right conclusion.

The second trick is to organize.

Taking full advantage of your calendar is key in consolidating your life. I recommend Google Calendar. If you have a g-mail account you are automatically connected and it’s free and easy to use. Forget spending $30 on that planner at Staples. Forget messy handwriting, crossing out, and not having enough space to write. We are living in a modern world, but you don’t need to be tech-savvy to use Google Calendar, it’s that easy. I can link Google Calendar to my phone, which makes it convenient to use on the go. I color code my events, set a time for them, and set a reminder. That way I’m notified through an alert on my phone so I don’t forget anything. I write my homework, assignments, due dates, birthdays, and everything else on my calendar, all in the palm of my hand.

With every year and more experience I find new ways to balance my life.

These two habits have helped me become a better juggler. I can juggle twice the weight with less energy; all while balancing everything on a unicycle in this circus we call life.