Sloth, The Sleeping Sin
Of the seven deadly sins, one of the lesser understood ones is Sloth—that is, inaction, or failure to act upon what you should or need to do. Laziness may not seem like much of a sin, but think about how it adds up. Nowadays, whenever we do something, a million things get in our way, so we often put the task off until later and later. Then, when we're just about to do that task, something unexpected comes along and takes precedence. Instead of waiting, seize those moments of quiet or boredom. Take advantage of them by finishing the task. You will get two immediate benefits from this: peace of mind and the completion of the task.

At times, you may even benefit from avoiding the complications of unforeseen events that might have occurred if you did not perform the task. For example, if you put off writing a paper for a course until the night before it is due, you may be exhausted in the middle of the night when a friend calls who needs to be taken to the hospital. On the one hand, you won't be able to finish your paper on time if you help your friend. And, on the other hand, you may be so tired that you get into an accident on the way to the hospital. If you had listened to voice in your head that told you to finish the paper, all these problems could have been avoided.

My Foresight Needs Glasses
My ex-girlfriend use to say, "Hindsight is 20/20." Why, then, do we rely so heavily on foresight? Often I start imagining all the obstacles I will face before I even begin a task. My mind wants to help me, but, in fact, it's scaring the shit out of me. I have this desire to imagine what will happen—to try to predict the outcome. The task at hand will benefit me, yet I feel that it's an obligation.

Today, when I feel my mind trying to predict a negative outcome, whether it be an excessive amount of time or an embarrassing situation that may occur, I stop and tell my mind, "We'll think about this later." Then I continue on. Once I complete my task, I reflect on the results. As it turns out, I have an overactive imagination, so my results are never as bad as I anticipate they will be. I recap and admire how swiftly or effortlessly the task occurred, compared to what I had imagined. Remembering to recap will reinforce future actions and eliminate the fears I might feel in the future.