Don’t you just love the days that afford you the total freedom to do what you want when you want? I don’t know about you, but to me those types of days are a gift. More often than not, my time is fairly structured with commitments to be places at specific times, accomplish many tasks and goals, and coordinate with other people’s schedules. So, when I have a day “all to myself,” I really enjoy it.

Often on days like that, today being one of them, I start with a list of things I’d like to do and then go about doing them. But on this particular summer day, I found myself getting completely sidetracked. I was futzing and putzing for hours.  To my amazement, 4 o’clock rolled around and I hadn’t done one single thing from my list. There was the non-essential internet searching, the unimportant “really could wait” errands, eating of lunch followed by visiting my favorite local ice cream establishment, The Blue Pig. After all, what’s a day without soft serve berry ice?

Even before I decided to get ice cream, I realized that I was puttering for a reason. Simply stated, I needed the day to just float.  I figured that as long as I had futzed around for this long, I might as well extend it just a bit more and enjoy a frozen treat with my husband. After we ate our ice cream, I was motivated to work. And what do you think was the first item on my list? You guessed it…writing this post.

So, if you find yourself futzing and putzing, perhaps you need to indulge. Maybe you are craving a break from your busy schedule and list of to dos. Sometimes that break becomes exactly what you need to rejuvenate and get you motivated. As long as it’s in moderation, I encourage you to embrace the desire to putter and to stop feeling guilty. For more about motivation, read chapter seven of my book, The Other Side of Organized, which focuses exclusively on getting motivated to get organized.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your pros or cons of futzing and putzing?