YES, YOU ARE CTUALLY* GOING TO FINISH YOUR 2023 TO-DO LIST

Push past procrastination and tackle that tedious task, once and for all.

- POPPY PRICE

From school stress to sports to choir practice to organizing Secret Santa, to say your sched is packed is an understatement. But there's just that one nagging to-do (maybe it's from six weeks ago...or even six months ago) that's dragging you down, making it impossible to end the year with a clean slate. So here's the best holiday gift we could ever give you: the power to push that last pesky thing off your plate. And, ah, no thank-you card needed.

THE TO-DO: THE ESSAY YOU PROMISED YOUR SISTER YOU'D EDIT

Your sis has been working on her Romeo and Juliet essay for weeks, and the deadline is fast approaching. She's hoping you'll send constructive notes, but you've also got a ton of research to tackle for your AP history final. Editing takes you a while, and you've already got a countdown clock in your head of how long you have to cram.

Helping a sib or pal with a project is a kindness that'll definitely come back to you, but it can be tricky to juggle multiple supersized tasks-especially when you already feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. The answer? Prioritizing.

CROSS IT OFF: To organize competing to-dos, first write down all the things you need to get done ASAP, then write down the other activities and events you're committed to that week/month. Then, create three categories: Must Do, Want to Do, Can Wait.

Your own work should fall into the first category, and work for others should come second or third. Then, set a limit: Spend 30 minutes editing your sister's essay, rather than agonizing over it for hours. Done!