Effective time management is often cited as key pillar of success in today’s dizzyingly fast-moving world. But how can you make the most of your day and ultimately take control of your life in the midst of millennial lifestyle’s endless responsibilities and rising challenges?

You often hear fellow millennials complain about being perpetually overloaded and blame accumulating responsibilities for their ordeal. But more often than not, the underlying reason has to do with the fact that they have consciously chosen to juggle too many things at once all while binging on new opportunities. And while this may seem as the right approach to follow early on, it is hardly ever viable on the long run and can lead to major consequences such as exhaustion and total burnout. Protect yourself by focusing on optimizing the opportunities you currently have, no matter how small, before you go out actively seeking new ones that may seem more exciting at first glance.

Countless articles, self-help guides and experts have reiterated the utmost importance of chunking down tasks, especially large ones, into smaller, more manageable duties. But what is even better about this popular strategy is that it allows to better track your progress on a step-by-step basis and celebrate important milestones in the process. It is the small successes that come with every completed step that will ultimately culminate into a comprehensive and healthy sense of achievement as you get closer to the desired end result.

Do not be afraid to give yourself some space! You are not always expected to follow someone else’s rhythm when working on a certain task. Still, you often get caught up in the spiral out of either nervousness to take things at hand or lack of personal initiative. Remember that no one has the power to control your time unless you allow them to. This is why you should not shy away from politely inculcating your own rhythm of work/preferences into the projects you are about to undertake or even have already started. Know where to draw the line, give realistic promises you can keep (based on previous experience wherever applicable) and learn when to put an end to things once (and ideally before) they get out of hand and/or begin to harm you.