Time it's different: stop procrastinating yet again through still another year of failed resolutions.

• Author: Sacco, Peter Andrew
• Position: Psychology

IT IS THAT TIME of the year: the flesh start; you know the one that you have been waiting for to get it right "this time." Of course, you have heard every cliche possible: "It's never too late to try." "If you fell already, then climb right back up on that horse." "Setbacks are nothing more than life lessons to get things right the next time." Yet, what if every time and every year seem to be the next time? Are you running out of next times and wondering where to go from here? Oh, gosh--not 2015.

You probably are like many others in the multitudes of positive, optimistic, and "meaning well" intention setters who really carved in stone what they were going to do differently for this flesh new year of 2014. It all started out good, even great, and seemed so easy for the first couple of hours, then a little more difficult as the day went on, and then, by days three or four ... back to square one--again and again.

Why is it so ridiculously difficult to keep your resolutions even when you thought you had everything set in place? Basically, two things occur that lead the proverbial ship you are steering to go into the iceberg---procrastination and intention. Two terms that end in "tion" cannot be good you probably are mumbling.

Procrastination, the act of deliberately avoiding something or looking for a distraction to get out of anything that seems unpleasant, is the best place to begin. However you slice procrastination in this sense, you can see it as not being a very positive act. In fact, it is very destructive in that it hinders your ability to evolve or change in a positive manner. Procrastination renders people from achieving their goals, dreams, and living to a higher standard. The subsequent problem is procrastination becomes habitual and eventually even addictive--so much so that it evolves into a lifestyle. Did you know you literally can procrastinate about procrastinating? It goes something like this: I promise I am going to change for sure this time, like I said many times before, but this time I mean it. If you break this statement down, you merely are "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk." To borrow a phrase from Nike, you need to just do it. Once you become habituated to procrastination, you have a new can of worms to fry, which derails you off of intentions.

Intentions are the plans or goals of achieving something you have your mind set on. Everyone has goals and intentions, no matter how small or large they are. They can...