As a professional, you have leeches. You know, the bloodsucking parasites that suck the life out of you. They can be found in numerous places in your practice, but one of the more common areas is your to-do list. Pay attention.

On your to-do list, there are several items that have been there for weeks or months. They just won’t go away. They become leeches when you have a visceral response when you see them: dread, guilt, feeling overwhelmed, or frustrated. They suck the feelings of success and fulfillment right out of you.

The leech-infected items began innocently enough. You agreed to do something, thinking at the time it was a good idea. Now it pains you to see it on your list. You think, “I need to do something about it,” then go on your way as if just thinking about acting is enough to justify delaying action. In the end, though, it’s still there, causing much consternation.

Why are these items so difficult to deal with? The two main reasons are that you don’t think you have the time to complete them or you haven’t figured out where to begin. Either way, you delay action, being robbed of vital energy.

To free yourself of list-leeches, set aside 15 minutes just to make a plan to complete the item. Put it on your calendar and don’t allow yourself to put it off. Notice the relief you feel already.

At the meeting, determine the first step you should take. While you’re at it, identify some remaining steps that become obvious to you. Set time allotments and time frames, making sure they are realistic. Feels good, eh?

Then, schedule when you will execute your plan’s first step. Once you get started, you will gather momentum to complete the next steps. You will come away asking yourself why you let this leech hang on as long as you did.

If you are interested in removing some of the life-draining leeches in your practice, you’ll follow these simple steps. You week and life will be so much better.