If you follow me on Facebook, you know I’ve recently been plagued by the growing amount of paperwork on my desk. This pregnant pile of paperwork has been adding multiple do’s to my already extensive “to do” list. I have to admit, its become a bit overwhelming. When the inbox on my desk begins to break out of the periphery, I find myself sorting and organizing the various pieces into comparable piles in hopes of making it easier to address.

This morning, as I sat sipping my morning coffee contemplating my piles and do’s , I experienced a flash of insight – most of what was creating my bulging paper piles and “to do” list was comprised of to do’s requested by others. What??? How did that happen?

I do recall one of my early coaches telling me I was “a yes waiting to happen”. In my moment of caffeinated clarity, I discovered I had allowed my “to do” list to be hijacked! It was no longer my to do but rather had become a “you do” list.

It probably started like this: “Can you do this? Can you do that?” Plus there were the items I  readily volunteered to do because the yes within eagerly raised its hand. What was even more profound was the discovery that many of the actions were not in alignment with my strategic plan. Yikes! Being pulled off track can happen so quickly.

Even though I feel compelled to provide a list of things for you to do that would reduce your “to do”, I realize I would only be creating a “you do” list. For the time-being I’ll suppress the urge. It will be one less thing for both of us to do.