DR. WALLACE: Are electric autos better than gasoline-powered vehicles? I'll be in the market to buy a new vehicle in about a year, so I'm planning ahead now so that I can be ready when the time comes.

My sister thinks I should buy an EV, but my brother says gasoline cars are not going anywhere anytime soon and that they are the way to go for now.

I'm not sure at this point, so I want to consider all options. — A Future Buyer, via email

A FUTURE BUYER: At this point in time, there are actually three options: an EV, a gasoline-powered vehicle and a hybrid, which combines both the former two technologies.

Your personal choice for a first personal vehicle may be driven by many factors including price, driving range and personal preference.

I suggest that you get a ride in all three types of vehicles from friends, family members or trusted acquaintances. Ask them about the pros and cons of each type of vehicle.

Then, when you're ready to be in the market for a car of your own, you'll have a baseline of knowledge and experience to draw from. Technology is moving at a rapid pace, and even a year from now there could be some interesting new vehicles available with nuances we haven't seen before!

LEARN TO PRIORITIZE AND SAY "NO"

DR. WALLACE: A series of very strange things recently happened to me. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. But recently, more odd and strange things continue to crop up in my life!

I remember the good old days of being in grade school and not having a care in the world. By the way, I'm going to turn 18 soon and will be starting my senior year in high school next month.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I have going on in my life right now. I'm not sure I can handle everything that is currently on my plate! — Feeling Overwhelmed Every Day, via email

FEELING OVERWHELMED EVERY DAY: Welcome to adulthood and the experience many people also go through on a regular basis. Young adults, such as yourself, often have the same affliction when they try to balance school, work, personal relationships, friendships, career, planning and so forth.

One of the keys to managing a rising to-do list is to prioritize both your goals and your personal schedule. Some items are much more important than others, and you should delegate more of your time, energy and resources to your top priorities. Your lowest setting priorities should get some time, but resist the urge to make everything at the bottom of your priority list seem urgent all the time.

Being able to politely say "no" or to defer things as necessary to keep your highest priority items on track is a skill that you should now begin to develop. Mastering this will help you in many aspects of your life going forward, since your future self will likely be busier than your current self presently is.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Chris Liverani at Unsplash