If you made New Year’s resolutions, were any of them carried over from last year? “I aspire to be more organized! I want to be healthier! I wish for financial security! I will get to it someday.”

How long have your “to do” items been on your list or rattling around in your brain? This can be exhausting and maddening. If not now, when?

Do you have a moment to sit quietly? Spend focused attention on one item. Ask yourself if it is important to you, or is it a “should” from somewhere else? Did this item come from inside you or is it a suggestion from your mother, your partner or the media?

If you discover:

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li]Not important to you after all: hit delete, scratch it off the list and let it go.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Important but not a priority now: make a note in your calendar or planner for a reasonable time in the future and let it go for now.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Important and a priority: each night you put your head on your pillow and the thought pops up, “I still haven’t ________.” It makes you crazy to think about how long you have been wishing you ‘could’ or ‘would’. Now it is time for some action. If not now, when?[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]

But first it’s time to consider what you want to do and why you want to do it.

As to why, consider the difference it is going to make; the satisfaction you will feel upon completion.

As to what, picture what the change looks like when it is complete; the impact it will have on you/your family/your days. Getting clear about the why and the whay helps give you the motivation necessary to act.

You can’t move forward without taking the first step. Refuse to think about the whole project. It is time to take that first baby step. When that is done, take the next small step. If you get interrupted, no problem. When you get back to it, take one more step.

If not now, when?

Sandra Wheeler of Waterford is a feng shui practitioner who runs For Peace of Mind LLC and is a certified residential organizer. Her website is forpeaceofmind.biz.

Your Turn is a regular feature in the Times that invites readers to share their ideas and personal stories.