You, Last?
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My mother loves to tell the story about the night of my senior prom. I was on the decorating committee, we had some no-shows, the theme was ridiculously complicated to bring alive through paper streamers and balloons, and we didn't finish until after 5 o'clock. As I was careening into the driveway it shouldn't have surprised me to peer in the rear view mirror and see my date, Jimmy, no more than a block behind me in his green MG Midget convertable.

As he pulled in front of the house (looking dashing in his maroon and black tux) I was flying up the stairs in jeans with paint under my nails and glue in my hair. I hit the shower and got ready as fast as I could. But I couldn't help but notice when I did the obligatory pre-prom parent parade down the staircase in my pink chiffon dress (45 minutes later) that Jimmy was one part beeming, and two parts annoyed.

He got over it. But it was several years before I realized how my habit of working up to the last minute, racing from one event to the next, was not just annoying others, it was cheating me. I loved being busy, but I needed to learn to stop when it was time to stop. I was putting me last.

The other day, one of the executive coaches here at Bates Communications reminded me we have a client who signed up months ago for a six month coaching program. One thing and another. Travel. Big project. Budget time. We have stopped taking bets on whether he will actually ever show up.

I'd like to say this is unusual. But is difficult for busy, successful people to take time for themselves. Who is perfect on this score? On my own to-do list, a few things have been sitting (chiropractor, acupuncture) for longer than I care to admit.

Still, if you keep waiting for the perfect time to (hire a coach, take a course, work with a personal trainer), then before you know it, next week becomes next month, next month becomes next year, and next year becomes next decade.

Taking a few things off that list (the yoga tapes that have been sitting on the shelf for three years) would help. But more important, you'll be so much happier if you teach yourself when to stop when it's time to stop, so you can start something else you want to start.

That little green convertable was sweet.