From the Editor; December 2008/January 2009; Scientific American Mind; by Mariette DiChristina; 1 Page(s)

Oof. It was yet another ¿gotcha¿ moment for me working here at Scientific American Mind. Walking home from the train a few days ago, I was running through my mental to-do list. I realized that, yet again, I somehow had not gotten around to the simple task of making appointments for routine dental and physical checkups. Fact is I still haven¿t done so even as I type these words.

Why do I do that, when it¿s so obviously smarter to get a quick screening now rather than risking the bother and expense of treating a possible cavity later? Thanks to the feature article ¿I¿ll Do It Tomorrow,¿ by Trisha Gura, I now know why¿and you will, too, if you turn to page 26. Almost everyone procrastinates, as Gura explains, especially when we find a task disagreeable. But we can take steps to shortcircuit such tendencies.