At the end of every school day, I begin to think about the various tasks I have to complete that night. Some cause me little stress, while others seem so mountainous they consume all of my energy.

No matter the amount of stress I’m feeling, I do not begin working immediately after getting home. Rather, I sit down for a snack with a notepad and pen and write a to-do list for the day.

Now, the scattered thoughts that floated around in my head during my morning routine are organized in a tangible, concrete list.

This process offers clarity and motivation, for every time I check off a box on the list, I can see progress. I get satisfaction upon completing something large, like finishing an essay, but I also get satisfaction upon completing something small, like starting a load of laundry.

Relying on a list of tasks is the way I add structure to my life that, at the moment, is filled with ambiguity and large amounts of pressure.

We, as high school students, juggle many deadlines, assignments, expectations, and activities, both inside and outside of school. On any day, at any moment, I may have 10 or 20 homework assignments and other various tasks in mind that require my attention.

Because some of the tasks may be overwhelming and time consuming, it is a natural inclination to push them aside in the midst of stress. However, in the long term, this habit is harmful.

No matter the magnitude of a task that lies ahead, there is always a place to begin.

Any project, regardless of its complexity, can be broken down into comprehensible, individual steps. Each step can be written on a list next to an empty box waiting to be checked off. While each step may seem innocuous when it is isolated from the rest, there is no way to achieve the end goal without completing each one separately.

“Most goals obviously take planning to happen and typically, if you don’t break down the steps, you can miss out on some of the really important pieces,” said Mr. David Braaten, Business Education. “I really feel that things start making more sense when you realize the small things fit into the big picture. Even if something is a long term, far off goal, what we do right now affects whether or not it will happen.”

I recognize that the thought of making a to-do list is not enticing to everybody. However, I encourage everyone to to experiment with them. For if we avoid the unnecessary stress that accompanies procrastination by attacking our responsibilities head on and one-by-one, we will live much simpler and happier lives.