"Even if you're on the right track,
you'll get run over if you just sit there."
--Will Rogers

A colleague of mine recently shared that she enjoys procrastination so much that she has decided to give herself permission to do it daily.  So, once a day she sits down and plans, schemes, and lists anything that comes to mind -- particularly things she knows she "should" do. She said that "it feels delicious constructing those plans with full awareness that I'll probably not carry them out!  Who cares? The fun is in the planning!"  She reported that since she started allowing this frivolity, she gets it out of her system in one sitting, and she no longer feels the desire to procrastinate.  She has cut in half the amount of time she "wastes" in this manner, which has freed her to fill the time more productively. She says, "Since it's going to happen anyway, why not be at choice?"

A few hours after I read my colleague's e-mail about how she plans to procrastinate, Oprah was on TV interviewing life coach Martha Beck about how to de-stress your life.  During her interview with Oprah, Martha suggested that instead of making a To Do list, we make a NOT To Do list.

That same week, I came to the realization that I had overcommitted myself when I agreed to be part of a weekly teleconference meeting over the next eight weeks.  As I thought about the topic of the teleconference, I had to laugh.  The teleconference topic -- Balancing Between Work and Life - hit a nerve.  I realized I was getting out of balance myself!

How often do you commit to something that you later regret, and then say to yourself, "Well, I HAVE TO DO IT because I gave my word!"   Then you go on your way, grumbling about how overcommitted and stressed out you are.  That's what I used to do, and I am getting better at recognizing when it's in my best interest to renegotiate commitments I have made.  In this case, I renegotiated my participation in the teleconference, and by doing so I have freed up several hours a week of my time over the next eight weeks.

I think it is more than coincidence that I was bombarded with similar messages from several different sources, all within the same week.  Perhaps the universe was telling me something that I needed to hear.and just in time for March Forth Day and National Procrastination Week, which coincide with each other the first week in March.

Last year at this time I wrote an article titled March 4th.Time to March Forth!, and the year before that my March article was titled Fear Not! - The Perfectionist's Credo -- an article about procrastination.  To do or not to do -- to march forth or to procrastinate -- that is the question.  Or IS that the question?

It occurred to me that perhaps the best way to march forth in my life is to NOT do some things.  to just say NO!  I think that's why my colleague enjoys her procrastination exercise so much, and why Martha Beck has helped so many of her clients reclaim their lives by creating a NOT To Do list.  We're all too busy being busy!  Meanwhile, life is passing us by.

Several years ago I made a poster that says, "Every time I say YES to someone or something, I am saying NO to someone or something else."   (Remember, I'm a recovering workaholic!)  This poster has helped me make better decisions about what I say YES and NO to.  Given that procrastination means not doing something, perhaps one of the reasons that many of us procrastinate is because our lives are so full of things that deserve to be on our NOT To Do lists.  Of course, there are also many other reasons for procrastinating.

"With so many options and choices nowadays, you will
have to start saying no to some of the good things
in order to accommodate the best things."
--Harold Taylor

How do you determine what goes on your NOT To Do list?  Here are some suggestions:

What do you want to do and who do you want to be during your lifetime? What legacy do you want to leave behind?  How will your life have made a difference on this Earth?

NEXT, get clear about what you choose to do with your time.  What are YOUR key roles?

What do you choose to say YES to?  What are you most passionate about? What are you best at doing? What do you choose to say NO to?  What are you not passionate about that you are currently involved in? Review your calendar and your regular activities, and ask yourself if what you give your time to is most important to you?  How can you best honor your own health and well-being (physical, mental, spiritual, social needs)? Does your life feel balanced among all of your key roles?  (Example: parent, spouse, friend, volunteer, professional, hobbyist, etc.)

THEN, lighten the load.  Free up your time for what matters most.

Make lists of the following: Commitments you will renegotiate that are not important or are less important to you. Activities that simply don't need to get done - things you choose to let go of. A "Perhaps List" of things you might do or that you plan to do but choose to defer for later. A Delegation list. If you don't enjoy doing it or are not good at doing it, delegate as much as possible. Click here for tips on delegation. Schedule time for the following: Activities that will honor your own health and well-being. Activities which are important to you.  Build in balance as you consider your key roles.  Be aware of your self-talk. This is not about "have to" or "should."  It's about what you choose.  Time to do weekly planning. Keeping a weekly planning appointment with yourself will help you stay more focused on the deeper YES so you can JUST SAY NO to the rest! Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/sixsteps.html for an example of weekley planning. Time for family meetings. One common theme I hear from my clients is that they want to spend more time with the family. Work, responsibilities, and overcommitted schedules seem to be the biggest obstacle. The Family Meeting provides an important opportunity for communication and planning as a family.

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule,
but to schedule your priorities."
--Stephen Covey

If you're still procrastinating around doing the most important things you want or choose to do, here are ten tips to help get you moving:

March 3-9 is National Procrastination Week. If you're ready to get unstuck and March Forth, I'd be delighted to assist you in the process.  Click here to request your complimentary coaching session.