It may be big (start taking better care of myself) or small (return the cable box), daunting or just annoying, but whatever it is, it’s taking up significantly more energy and brain-space than it deserves. I can tell you from experience, both personal and from watching clients struggle with lingering tasks, that what lies at the heart of this frustration is indecision. The good news is that if you’re willing to make a decision right now and act on it, I can almost guarantee that you will find immediate relief and open up room in your life for things that really deserve your attention. And what better time to try a new approach to something in your life than Rosh Hashanah?

The weeks surrounding and including the High Holidays are set aside as a time to look at the way we live our lives, the way we treat ourselves and others, and the roles we play in the world. The entire month of Elul, the month that directly precedes Rosh Hashanah, is designated as a time of introspection, preparation and accounting. It is a time, according to Rabbi Simon Jacobson in his book, 60 Days: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays, to take “an honest look at what is trapping us and preventing us from moving forward.” When we know what blocks our path we can find a way around it, and when we know what we are searching for we can find our way towards it.

Whatever it is you’ve been meaning to do and haven’t, know that you have three choices:

· Do it

· Delegate it

· Eliminate it

These three options really cover all the bases. Either it’s going to get done (by you or by somebody else), or it’s not—and either way it’s going to get off of your to-do list. I’m not saying it’s easy to make the decision—if it were we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I am, however, suggesting that there’s great value in thinking about why this particular task has been hovering in the background for so long, and that by choosing one of these three steps and taking action you can move forward in your life.

One reason tasks stay on the to-do list is that they seem too big to actually achieve. You’re not willing to let them go, but you don’t know how to get them done, so they keep getting pushed off. For example, I used to imagine that taking better care of myself meant a complete overhaul of my lifestyle, from exercising regularly to eating healthfully to getting eight glasses of water a day and eight hours of sleep a night. I would begin this regimen on a Monday, and, shockingly, by Tuesday I would have given up. The whole plan went back on my to-do list for some other time when I would be “ready.”

Guess what? I was never ready. Waiting to be “ready” is often an excuse, a convenient back door through which we can slip when we want to avoid something scary or challenging or big. Instead, try this approach:

· Give yourself permission to make one small change at a time. Setting up reasonable expectations paves the way for success. When you succeed with one change you’re more willing to risk another.

· Break the task down into small, doable steps. Ask yourself one question: “What’s the next immediate step I have to take in order to make this happen?” and focus only on that.

· Have a deadline. Look at your calendar, decide when you want to complete this step, and write it down.

· Celebrate your achievements, however small they seem. Acknowledge what you’ve accomplished, pat yourself on the back, write down the day’s successes before you go to bed. Positive reinforcement helps you recognize your strengths and empowers you to take on new challenges. We hear far more criticism than praise on a regular basis; make it a point to tip the scale in the other direction, for both yourself and others.

The New Year offers us the opportunity to take stock of the choices we make and the results we get. We are even provided with an action plan that can be used to reshape our destinies: repentance, prayer and charity can transform our fate. This process combines introspection and action, and can serve as a guideline for reassessing your personal priorities and goals. Look at the things that are dangling on the end of your to do list. Why are they there? Do you really want them to happen? What’s getting in your way? And then decide: Do it, delegate it, or eliminate it. Once you make your choice, take action. The results will transform both your circumstances and your spirit, and it will truly be the beginning of a new year.

Jennifer Zwiebel is a Professional Organizer and Time Management Consultant based in New York (www.jenniferzwiebel.com), co-author of The Organized Student: Teaching Children Skills for Success in School and Beyond, and co-founder of The Kosher Hostess.