Many of my clients find it helpful to identify the Shoulds in their life. “I Should be nicer to my sister”, they say. Or “I Should be skinnier”, or “I Shouldn’t have this donut”.

In my work as a psychotherapist, much energy and focus is placed on problems. I want to know what is not going well in my clients’ lives, and what they would like to change, if they could. Of course, there’s always a lot to discuss. No one walks into a psychotherapy office without problems.

We are a nation of givers. It is in our very nature, our essence, our cultural and spiritual DNA. Our communities, schools, and shuls are replete with opportunities for giving. Flip through a Jewish newspaper today and you’ll come across dozens of ads for organized giving: food for the poor, infertility treatments for those who can’t afford them, even free anonymous mental health counseling over the phone. We give time, we give money and materials, we give sweat and tears. We give and continue to give.

Life can often seem like an endless stream of tasks. We run from one to the other, finishing one only to immediately focus on the next. Sometimes we allow ourselves time to celebrate a milestone or accomplishment, sometimes not, but the upshot is that we’re always on the move, keeping our eyes on the horizon.

Have you met an idiot today? Chances are you have. How about the guy who parks in between two parking spots, or the woman who yammers on her cell phone at the library? Jerk is a nice word to use, I think. Maybe you can think of a more colorful word to use as well.

The coffee in the pot is cold. Your family is nuts. Some driver cut you off on the way to work this morning. And someone on the Internet is wrong. The day is full of annoyances at work, home, school, in the car, on the bus, train…it’s everywhere, isn’t it? Some situations are “acts of God”, like the weather, or termites; others can be blamed on man, from the abstract (think traffic) to the personal (an insult at the office).

The hike is long and grueling. It is all uphill, both ways. The mountain beckons, a narrow winding path flanked by ferns and old trees. It is nice, but it’s exhausting. When will rest come? The horizon is up ahead. Yes, that will be my goal. When I get to the horizon, I’ll be fine. But the horizon is a moving target. It moves as I do. If the horizon is my goal, I will never achieve it.

What is something that you want to change? Do you want to stop an unhealthy behavior, or maybe form a healthy habit? Maybe you want to stop gambling, start flossing, or make better eating choices.

If procrastination persists, and especially if it significantly interferes with your life, it may be time to consult a mental health professional. A therapist can help guide you through the issues that are holding you back, so that you can finally do all those things you wanted to. You can be free from the anxiety of procrastination. You can do it tomorrow. Or you can do it today.

It’s midnight before the big exam, and you’re just pulling out the book to study. The garage is full of junk, and you’ve been promising to clear it out since the Mets won the World Series. There are so many things to do, they need to get done right now, and yet they linger on the list. What’s going on here? Why can’t we just get things done?