A lot of us entrepreneurs and artists always have a list of projects we want to do.

It's an impulse that is difficult to quiet. We could take up calligraphy, start a taco stand, record an album of songs played entirely on toy instruments, or finally sort that scary box of papers in the corner and see who we might owe money to.

It's a strange feeling when there is nothing to grow, fix, or tinker with.

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A leader I know is way too busy to do all of the stuff she's doing.

Still, she wants to continue to perform a certain administrative task that takes a few hours per week.

"That stuff is fun and easy for me," she said. "I enjoy it."

I understand that — I do that. Most of us do.

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When it comes to gardening, I’ve often had good intentions but failed at execution.

The tray of pansies stays on the porch until it’s too hot to plant them. The flowering vines that were supposed to decorate the back deck instead eat it alive (this kind of thing can easily happen in Georgia).

It’s the same old thing many of us face: We start with enthusiasm but not much of a plan, and then get distracted.

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A friend of mine, who had been abroad when the coronavirus hit globally and was fortunate enough to make it safely home without contracting the virus, clarified his intentions toward the end of the summer.

“I asked myself, ‘When I look back on this time, what would I regret that I didn’t do?’”

Using this guiding question, my friend decided to play more tennis and read more.

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What happens when you clear the decks to make room for your work — that most challenging work that you have been putting off but you know you need to do?

For many of us, nothing.

One of the weirder discoveries in observing my work habits, as well as those of my students, employees, and the people I coach, is that time has so little to do with whether something gets done.

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