I'm gearing up for a vacation, and let me tell you, I have so many lists. One for the work I need to finish, one for food and items to pack, and one for the house sitter and animals. Geez Louise.

I have dozens of things planned, plenty of tasks to complete, and only a couple of days before I leave.

And now, the planning cycle is becoming a barrier because I'm spending more time planning what needs to get done, than taking the actions needed to finish them.

Even the best planning system cannot prevent the paralysis and overwhelm that result from over-planning and over-commitment.

When I became trapped by the planning (I love my lists) over the doing, I knew I had to make a change, quicklike.

Here are some things that can help make our planning process more effective and lead toward action.

1. Practice Mindfulness. No, I'm not saying you have to sit down in the middle of all this scheduling mess and meditate for half an hour, but it helps to take a short pause, take some deep breaths, and get clear about what needs to happen right now. Mindfulness helps us tune into our physical bodies and environments, easing our stress response so we can think more clearly. With mindfulness, you’ll tend toward responsiveness, which will help you identify your priorities and move you away from reactivity which can keep you stuck in stress.

2. Make a List. When you drop everything that’s in your head onto a page or into an app, you no longer have to “remember to remember it,” which eases stress by allowing us to move on and make progress on our tasks,........

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