“Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I shall be too late!” The White Rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland"

As the year draws close to a close, we start to wonder where the time went. We had great plans for 2009, but for many of us, those plans took a backseat to just surviving, either financially, physically or perhaps even both.

Now, like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, we are worried about being too late: too late to achieve what matters, too late to fix what was broken—in short, too late to make the changes we need to make. And the fear of being too late keeps us from trying because, after all, if we are too late, what’s the point?

What we need to remember is that it is never too late. As long as we have breath left in us, it’s not too late. As long as what we wanted still matters, it’s not too late. As long as we have something of value to offer the world, it’s not too late.

On “Zero-Tasking Day,” you are granted 60 extra minutes—proof positive that, not only is it not “too late,” but that time can be found for what matters. Recognizing this will help reduce your stress level and place you in a better frame of mind to move forward toward your goal.

“We are not retreating—we are advancing in another direction.” —General Douglas MacArthur

No one could accuse Gen. MacArthur of stupidity or cowardice. One of the best-known American military leaders of World War II, his successes during the war undoubtedly played a major role in the Allied victory.

But as the above quote illustrates, he also knew when it was time to reconsider the path he had chosen and revise his battle plan to ensure success.

Sometimes, the right choice is to go forward, plowing through an obstacle until we get to the other side. But other times, the wiser move is to reverse course or change direction.

It’s the difference between stubbornness and courage, or obstinance and wisdom. The former is ego-driven, the latter is motivated by objective reasoning.

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”—Unknown

Despite the claims of plastic surgeons and cosmetic companies, we can’t turn back the clock. We can’t go back 20 years (or more) and choose a different college major, we can’t revise our choice of career or spouse, we can’t undo decisions we made—or didn’t make.

In “The Rubaiyat,” Omar Khayyam wrote, “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.” And while his words sound ominous and depressing, they are simply a reminder that the past can’t be changed.

But the future—ah, it is filled with possibilities, opportunities, chances to attain old goals or establish new ones.

Just because we made mistakes or bad choices in the past doesn’t mean we are doomed to keep making them. Rather, we must figure out what went wrong and do it right the next time, identify what we have learned—about ourselves and life—and put that knowledge to good use, recognize the strengths and abilities we have developed and rely on them to get us where we want to go.

The past is set in stone. The future, however, is as flexible and changeable as raw clay, ready to be shaped and formed.

“No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back.”—Turkish proverb

Several years ago, I was in Minneapolis for a book tour. Unfamiliar with the area and lacking a GPS, I ended up on a highway that wasn't on my sheet of directions. I wasn’t sure if I was heading in the right direction and the road signs were of little help. So I kept going. And going.

Finally,when signs for the airport started surfacing, I knew it was time to turn around. I was clearly off course.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always come with such clear indications that we have made a wrong turn. Or, even if all the signs are there—complete with flashing lights!—we still hesitate, believing that turning back is an indication of failure, of giving up, or not giving it our all.

That’s nonsense. Once we realize that the course is not taking us where we need or want to go, we must stop our car (figuratively speaking) and make a U-turn, getting back to where we lost our way.

There’s no shame involved. Rather, it’s a testament to our intelligence and objectivity. We are smart enough to know that we are off-track and objective enough to remove our emotions from the issue and accept the reality of the situation and do what needs to be done: turn back and start over.

“It’s never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise.”—Nancy Thayer

Somewhere, back in your early twenties, you had a vision of what your life would be like: what profession you would follow, where you would live, whether you would be married or single, with a houseful of children or childless—in short, you had a plan.

For some of you, your life turned out pretty much how you wanted. But for others (myself included), what I thought my future held turned out to be dramatically different from the reality I have lived. And through the years, when things didn't turn out as I had planned or wanted, I was faced with two choices: accept the current reality and figure out what to do next or stay firmly attached to my original vision, even though it was no longer applicable or appropriate.

Life is a journey, but it rarely follows a straight or predictable course. Instead, it is full of twists and turns, detours and roadblocks. Sometimes, the plans need revising; sometimes it is ourselves that need fine-tuning or renovating. There's nothing wrong with that. As any home improvement show demonstrates, nearly everything can be improved with a little tweak here and adjustment there.

It's when you are unable to accept that fixes are needed that you place yourself at risk for becoming "rut-bound": stuck in a rut and unable to move forward.

Review, revise and move forward.

“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action." Herbert Spencer

There’s an old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you that counts.” I’d like to put my own twist on that and say, “It’s not what you know but what you do with that knowledge that counts.”

In other words, knowing is not enough. We need to make a change, in ourselves or in the world, based on that knowledge.

We know that many parts of the world are suffering the triple scourge of poverty, disease and ignorance. We see it on the television, read about it in the paper, and, depending on where we live, may even see some evidence of it in our own communities. That is knowledge.

But if we fail to act based on our knowledge, we are perpetuating the problem.

We know that racism, ageism and sexism still exist. But when we are confronted with it head on, or witness its effects on someone else, if we remain silent, we are allowing it to continue.

Knowledge is a sword that can only destroy ignorance and prejudice when it is wielded. Keep it sheathed and the blade will eventually tarnish and dull.

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." Robert Frost

In almost any political debate, you can mark the inevitable progression from well-mannered speech (“my learned colleague”) to abusive attacks on the opposition’s intelligence, heritage and morals. The louder the voices get, the less likely it is that anyone is listening to anybody else.

And the same holds true for family debates: between parent and children, husband and wife, brother and sister.

Why do we feel the need to drown out the other side, even if we don’t agree with them? Is it because we resent any other viewpoint but our own?

Or is it fear: fear that the other person might actually have a valid point, that beliefs we have held close to our heart could be flawed, that we might, in fact, be not as wise as we thought we were?

A healthy debate allows both sides the opportunity to express beliefs, opinions and facts. And research allows each party the opportunity to not only independently verify what has been stated but also gain additional and valuable information.

The more we learn about all sides of an issue, the better able we are to adopt a position based on facts, not emotion.