Dear Anthony,

Many of us have busy lives and often struggle with the challenges of managing our time. The simple fact that you want to put some thought and effort into this is a great sign. Many teens struggle with being “overscheduled” or simply being involved in too many activities.

An important first step is to list all of your current activities and responsibilities. Once you have completed this list, rate each item in terms of how important each activity is to you -- e.g. very important, important, somewhat important, not important at all.

Keep in mind that leisure activities and finding time to relax and have fun can be as important as good grades in school. You need to find a healthy balance between all parts of your life.

After completing your ratings, then list your activities and responsibilities in order of importance.

Next try to create a daily schedule and include your most important activities first. As you begin to fill all your time slots, you will need to consider whether you can cut less important items from your daily schedule. Maybe these are things that you will be able to do at a later time, during school breaks, or over the summer.

As you finish your daily schedule, remember: The main thing is for you to be in control of your schedule instead of your schedule being in control of you.