With the first quarter of 2019 crossed out of your calendar, have you stuck with your New Year’s resolutions（新年计划）? If yes, congratulations! Keep on doing it! However, it won’t surprise anyone if you are among most people who fail to make any changes.

Procrastination（拖延症），meaning putting off actions for one reason or another, may play an important part here.For example, when we read a book or write articles, the efficiency will decrease if we have a cell phone close by and we have to finish the plans next day.

Apart from procrastination, overconfidence may also be part of the problem.“Optimism and even overconfidence can produce false beliefs, leading us to overvalue our abilities,” Israeli-American behaviorist Daniel Kahneman and Israeli psychologist Amos Tversky wrote.In one famous example, planners first planned the Sydney Opera House would be completed by 1963.However, it was actually completed in 1973, an entire decade later.

Knowing the causes of the problem, we can come up with some solutions.According to US writer Steve Pavlina, we could make a to-do list of upcoming tasks, and write down a rough plan for how long we expect each task to take.

Another way is to try and be more objective -- take more of an “outsider”view.The ability to think about your experiences from a more independent point of view, rather than a shared one, is important.“It keeps you from getting overly buried in your bias（偏见）,” Psychology Today wrote.

These methods aren’t enough to send a man to the moon.You also should take action right now.For instance, if you don’t feel lazy, meeting a deadline one week ahead of time is probably a good way to finish your plan.

Mama and I spend mornings cleaning up the dirt that blows into our house. Mama says all   the dust is due to the drought, not only here in the Oklahoma panhandle(狭长地带) but all over the Great Plains.

The dirt sifts into everything. It covers our clothes. We have to wash the dishes before each meal. It also slips into the automobiles horn (喇叭). Although Papa has fixed it, he fears the dust from the road will ruin the motor, So, we have to walk to school.

On the way to school, my sister, Faye, and I wear kerchiefs over our mouths so we don' t breathe in the dirt On days when the air is so bad that they close the school, we stay home and help Mama put sheets over the windows. But the dirt always finds a way in .

Last Sunday, there was no dirt in the air, only bright spring sunshine and a clear blue sky. After church, Papa headed out to the field to check on the cattle while Mama started dinner. Faye and I played in the yard. The temperature suddenly dropped-it felt good. The heat had been building since dawn.

Then Mama shouted from the house, “Iris, you and Faye get inside. Be quick!”

I looked to the west and saw a huge black cloud of dust, like thick smoke pouring out from a chimney. All the birds flew away. “Faye, go with Mama!” I shouted, “I’ll warn Papa.”

Faye raced, toward the house. The storm hit so fast, I barely saw her climb the porch steps. Fine sand heaved against my face and in an instant the day turned into night. I stumbled over our bicycles left carelessly in the yard. I screamed for Papa, hoping my voice would lead him back.

The dirt and sand stung my skin like a thousand bees. I needed to get to shelter. Covering my face with one hand, I felt my way toward the automobile and I opened the door. Dirt flew in with me as I pulled the door closed. Papa was still out there! I needed to help him find the automobile. Worried as I was, I managed to calm myself down.

I was figuring out what to do when I caught sight of the switch for the front lights and the horn.

Suddenly Papa’s face appeared at the window.

I was still living in Peru when the earthquake happened. I had had a fight with my parents till midnight the day before because I thought they didn't understand me. Therefore, I was still sleeping in the afternoon. Suddenly. I was woken up by my dog barking at the shaking window next to me. Small quick earthquakes are very common. in Peru, especially in the coastal regions, so ignored it and tried to calm my dog so could fall asleep again. I had walked 4 steps from the sofa to get her when the whole wall-length window broke in front of me, huge sharp pieces falling right into the sofa I had been lying in just seconds before.

Fully woken up, I could hear what sounded like a million car alarms ringing from the ground. My parents were still at work, and I was alone in a 10-floor flat with a panicking dog running circles around me, so I forced myself to get it together. I lifted my giant dog in my and ran into the emergency stairs. just ran and ran until could see some street lights since the building had no emergency lights and everything was dark. When I finally rushed through the door of the hall, I could see the road below me breaking and trees shaking from their roots up.

I stayed in the streets for about an hour until my parents arrived.

After the earthquake, I had a heart-to-heart talk with my parents.