DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a serious procrastinator. I have been like this for as long as I can remember, but it is starting to catch up with me in bad ways. I was recently late on a project at work because I took too long to get started.

Worse than that, I waited too long to order a specific item that my daughter requested for Christmas, and it was sold out by the time I got around to it. My daughter doesn’t ask for much. I got her something else, but I felt horrible. Some of her friends had wish lists that were pages long. She had only two items on her list, and one was no longer available when I finally tried to buy it. How can I be better about prioritizing my time and efforts? -- End of Procrastination

DEAR END OF PROCRASTINATION: This is a mind-over-matter situation. Up to now, you haven’t been hurt badly enough to change. Even with the examples you gave, you still have your job, and your daughter still loves you. Imagine for a moment if you had lost both of them. How would you feel?

Regarding work, it could be easy for you to lose favor with your company and then find yourself earmarked as disposable. You need to make yourself as close to indispensable as possible. Do that by showing up to work early, completing your most difficult or time-consuming tasks first and leaving with a smile on your face. Keep track of your responsibilities by writing them down. You may want to set an alarm that reminds you of upcoming deadlines with enough lead time to get them done.

As far as your daughter is concerned, think about her feelings. She is mindful enough not to ask for the moon, even though she sees other kids doing that. Honor her discipline in the future by doing your best to secure what she wants most. This is true during holiday times, but also in general. Pay attention to her, hear what she needs and be responsive. No more delays.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve noticed some extreme emotional comments on social media recently from people I don’t know well. I can tell that they are in emotional distress, but I’m not sure what I can do to help. Here’s where social media is weird: You call people your friend, but that doesn’t mean they actually are. I don’t want to get tangled up in a virtual stranger’s issues, but when I see a cry for help, I do feel like I should do or say something. What do you think? -- Cry for Help

DEAR CRY FOR HELP: One of the features that I like about social media is that people send out an SOS, and others will receive it. When you notice that someone is in distress, I think it’s right to say something. If a person seems suicidal, you can send them the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. You can add a personal note of encouragement, but you do not have to attempt to go to the person’s house to help sort things out, for example.

If a person is in need of financial support, you may see that they post a crowdfunding campaign. If you have the resources, you may want to make a donation. Even a few dollars can be helpful to a person in dire financial straits. Even more, seeing your name as a donor will brighten their spirits.

It doesn’t cost anything to tell a person you will pray for them or keep them in your thoughts, but that simple gesture often means a lot for someone who is in an extreme emotional state.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I have very different tastes in television programs. I like romance and drama. He watches shows about UFOs. It makes my skin crawl when he turns on shows about extraterrestrials and then lectures me about his beliefs -- backed up by these programs -- that aliens are living among us. I don’t believe it, but I also know that I can’t do anything about it, even if it is true.

How can I get him to watch some of my shows? I am tired of being forced to endure the shows he likes. It makes me really angry, and that’s no good for our relationship. -- No More Aliens

DEAR NO MORE ALIENS: Schedule together time and alone time. Let your husband know that you realize that you don’t share the same interests in TV programming. Rather than feeling that you are being held hostage watching and responding to something that irritates you, recommend that each of you enjoy alone time when you want to watch your separate TV shows. When you come together, consider turning off the TV and talking to each other or engaging in other activities that do not have the television as a distraction.

As far as watching something together, figure out what you both like and agree to watch that during those together moments.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just graduated from college this year, and I got a credit card for the first time. I was told that I have to build up credit in order to be able to buy property or even get an apartment. I can’t get a lease for my own place without proof that I have good credit. Nobody ever told me that before.

I don’t want to ask anybody for help. Plus, my parents really can’t afford it. They did tell me I can live with them until I get it together. I feel like a failure. I did very well in school, have almost no college debt and recently got a job, but it’s still not enough. What should I do? -- No Credit

DEAR NO CREDIT: It is true that you generally need to have established credit in order to be able to do many things, including renting or buying an apartment -- unless you can pay cash upfront for an extended period of time.

Take your parents up on their offer for you to live with them while you build your credit. Be disciplined about using your new credit card. You must use it, though. Each month, make some charges on your card, preferably using less than 30% of the total amount of credit. Always pay your bill on time. You can pay the total balance in full each month, either on time or early, or you can pay a portion of the bill on time. Either way will help build good credit. If you pay it off in full each month, your credit score will rise higher and you will not incur interest charges.

Sign up for a credit monitoring app, like Credit Karma, so that you can immediately access your credit score. A year’s worth of good credit plus some dollars in the bank should make you ready to get your own place.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I spent too much money on Christmas gifts, even though I promised myself that I would stick to a budget. Now I’m saddled with several thousand dollars’ worth of credit card bills exactly at the time when I wanted to be starting fresh financially. How can I change my habits given that I already messed up and the year is just starting? -- Becoming Debt-Free

DEAR BECOMING DEBT-FREE: Kudos to you for recognizing your folly. That is the first step to changing your behavior. Consider several options for clearing up your debt situation.

Since financial savvy is not your strong suit, get help. You may want to download a simple financial planning tracker app into which you log every penny you spend and why. You can get one that helps you to budget the resources that you have. For a listing of highly recommended apps, visit doughroller.net/budgeting/10-tablet-apps-that-manage-your-money.

For a small monthly fee, you can hire a bookkeeper to help you to get your affairs in order. Ask your friends or co-workers for recommendations. You can also find a financial adviser who will review all of your financial information and help you to get on course for a healthy financial future. The point is for you to get help from people who know more than you and who have the ability to help guide you to healthier behavior.

You may also want and need ongoing support. Consider joining Debtors Anonymous. Just like Alcoholics Anonymous, you can go to free meetings for people who are struggling to manage their money and who come together to talk about their concerns and help one another make smarter choices. To find a meeting near you, visit debtorsanonymous.org.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Like the person who wrote in about having chest pains and heart palpitations, I had the same symptoms for years, and no doctor could ever figure out what was wrong with me. Finally a cardiologist diagnosed my problem as microvascular angina, which is common in women. The small vessels around the heart constrict, giving the same symptoms as a heart attack. Medications are available to treat this condition.

I’d suggest your reader call a cardiologist. My life has been transformed. -- No More Heart Pain

DEAR NO MORE HEART PAIN: Thank you for sharing your story and how you were able to be helped by your cardiologist. One of the greatest accomplishments of modern medicine is doctors’ ability to diagnose a multitude of health conditions.

For people who have not figured out what’s wrong, don’t give up. Go to specialists until you find a doctor who can help you to determine what’s wrong and how to restore your health. It can be easy to give up when you reach a few dead ends. Hopefully, this reader’s story will help you to keep searching for answers.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)