I'm lazy. My parents tell me to do something and I say, "OK, in a little bit," but then I don't. How can I overcome this fault of mine?

A. We commend you on your desire to change. That's an important first step that many people don't take.

So much of what we do is habit--both good and bad. Fortunately, it's not as hard as you might think to build good work habits.

We develop a lazy streak by habitually neglecting necessary duties. By putting off what we know we should do, we build up an unnecessary dislike and even fear of our assignments. What are normally small jobs grow into gigantic chores in our minds.

Here's how to make the jobs your parents ask you to do easier.

Make up your mind to do the task right away. The longer it takes to get started, the harder the chore will seem.

You'll have to do the job sooner or later, so you might as well get enthusiastically right into it. It won't hurt you. What will hurt is the constant strain of thinking about it and your parents nagging or disciplining you for neglect.

Make a checklist of regular chores that your parents routinely ask you to do (like taking out the garbage, cleaning your room or vacuuming the car). Nothing will please them more than getting jobs done before they have to ask you.

The satisfaction of making your parents happy and knowing that you've contributed to maintaining your home will become a good habit. You'll hardly remember that you were ever lazy!

- Answer prepared by Victor Kubik, a minister of the Worldwide Church of God

Taken from Youth 90 magazine