This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNCC chapter.

This semester has been Drake and Josh on the sushi conveyor belt. At first, it was super easy and stress-free, until one piece of sushi goes by and you don’t realize it until it’s almost too late. Luckily, you grab the piece of sushi. But then the conveyor belt starts speeding up and the sushi starts piling up. You figure out that throwing the sushi on the ceiling gets rid of the problem, and convince yourself that it’s an effective solution. And then the conveyor belt gets even faster. Before you know it, you’re so overwhelmed that you can’t be productive.

This is why I’m getting my life together and getting off the sushi conveyor belt. These things below are what I’m doing to get (and keep) my life together.

1. Buy a new planner (and use it).

Every year, I get a Lilly agenda, but not in 2018. I need to find a planner that has one page per day and squares I can check off when I accomplish something on my to do list.

2. Keep my room clean.

How can my mind not feel a little cluttered when I’m constantly surrounded by clutter? I’m going to spend a little time each day tidying up, so that I don’t have to spend hours cleaning whenever I actually felt like it.

3. Get enough sleep.

I run on caffeine to the point where my body probably gets more caffeine than sleep. Not even caffeine is more refreshing than a good night’s sleep and sleep doesn’t make me look/feel like a zombie.

4. Drink more water.

I usually only have a few sips of water in a given day. I’m going to start logging my water intake in my planner.

5. Cut the toxic people out of my life.

It’s emotionally draining to be in contact with anyone who doesn’t truly care about you. Any guy who only texts late at night isn’t worth it.

6. Exercise.

I don’t care how busy I am, I will make time for my well-being.

7. Eat more fruit and vegetables.

I’ve recently been making smoothies. When I have fruit that’s about to go bad, I cut it up, bag it, and throw the bags in the freezer. That way, I can make a quick smoothie when I’m in a rush instead of having to wash and cut things.

New Year, New Habits