I’ve always believed we get two chances each year to start fresh.

There’s the obvious one in January—with fireworks, countdowns, black-eyed peas, and the best of intentions that tend to fade before we’ve even hung up the new calendar.

And then there’s August.

August doesn’t come with party hats or parades. But for as long as I can remember, the start of the school year has felt like a second “New Year”—one filled with fresh notebooks, full planners, new routines, and a sense that this might be the year we finally get our act together.

Maybe it’s the feel of a clean desk. Maybe it’s just the shift in rhythm. But come August, I always get the itch to straighten up my space, clean out a file folder, or finally tackle that project I’ve been putting off since, well…January.

I’m a list maker. Always have been. It’s one of my “strengths” (according to a personality test I took while procrastinating something else). There’s just something satisfying about seeing a to-do list with checkmarks next to all the tasks. In fact, I’ve been known to write something down after I’ve already done it, just for the sheer pleasure of highlighting it. Don’t judge. I know I’m not alone.

There’s a word I recently discovered that made me laugh out loud because it’s exactly what I do: procrastiworking. It’s when you put off the work you’re supposed to be doing by working on something else that feels productive—but isn’t exactly urgent. Like color-coding your inbox instead of replying to emails. Or reorganizing your office drawer instead of preparing that presentation. Or writing a column about lists when you’re supposed to be processing payroll.

But here’s what I’ve learned: sometimes, procrastiworking leads to the kind of productivity that actually matters—the kind that restores a little peace, clears a little space, and reminds you that progress doesn’t always come in straight lines.

So here’s to New Year, Part Two.

To fresh starts, blank pages, and highlighters…to doing the hard things (eventually)…and to writing “make a list” on your list—just so you can highlight it done.

–Till next time,