We all do it—at least some of the time. We put off doing things we need or want to get done.

Heck, I even wanted to put off writing this article.

As I write this, the sun's shining and the wind is a perfect 10-12 knots out of the south. My boat is tied up in her slip while I sit here banging on my keyboard. I also have a long list of other things to do.

How much do YOU procrastinate? Do you think you do it a lot or a little?

Here are 7 ideas that will help you to get more of the right things done.

One of my great joys and pleasures is a sailboat Dawn and I own named "Attitude".

When Attitude was hauled from the lake last fall, I had the marina crew remove her rudder so we could recondition it over the winter. Its fiberglass skin was delaminating a bit and I wanted to stop the problem before it weakened this critical component.

Last week, I went to the shipyard to pick up the rudder. I knew it was big (it stands almost 5 feet, even without the rudder post), but I had no idea how HEAVY it was—over 300 pounds.

I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it's responsible for steering over eight tons of fiberglass, steel, aluminum and people through the water. It needs to be strong. I need to trust it to take the strain and endure the pressures placed upon it.

As heavy as it is, it's still less than 1/50th the size of the yacht it steers. It's an interesting ratio—a 300-pound rudder guides 53 times its own weight.

It made me think about what steers our lives.

As illustrated by the following story about a Chicago public school teacher, expectations do indeed play a significant role in the results we create.

Mary Daugherty was faced with a sixth grade class that was full of misfits who were so intractable she suspected they had learning disabilities. In desperation, she broke a school rule and looked at her students' files where their IQ scores were stored.

And she was amazed by what she found.

But what happens when we LOSE focus?

It’s easy to do, isn’t it?

"Betty," one of my Diamond Club Members, wrote me the other day because she was having trouble keeping it all together.

She told me she understood that success is an inside job, but was struggling with how to be empowered, confident, have a clear vision, stay motivated, keep a positive attitude and supportive beliefs.

It does sound a bit overwhelming, doesn't it?

She wanted my advice on the best ways to make the internal changes that are so necessary for our continued personal growth and ultimate success.

Good question, don't you think?

Made ME think, too.

It's a complex question and one not easily answered.

Nonetheless, I'll share with you some of my insights into some things I shared with "Betty" you might want to consider. You'll have to decide for yourself which of these are most adaptable to YOU.