Resolutions, Oh My!

 

Hi everyone and Happy New Year! Funny that the title of this post is resolutions, because it’s not something that I’ve ever been too good at making, in addition to making happen!  Often resolutions come with a self-discipline needed type change that I’m just not fond of taking; “this year I will cut down on sweets, exercise every day, not spend my life on Twitter”, etc, etc. In addition I just don’t like putting myself in the position to be let down; why add to my life another possibility for feeling guilty. I think there’s just too much risk involved in the whole process, and although I don’t think of myself as a perfectionist, I don’t like failing; who does!

Webster defines Resolution as: “A firm decision to do or not to do something”. So maybe it’s the firm decision part I’m not lovin’. I’ve never been the best at making decisions and having them have to be firm ones, well that makes it even harder! Plus I kind of like being flexible; the firm decision thing just seems a bit too stuck in the mud for me.

However, I do know that what I need to do may not be what I want to do, and just maybe, what I need to do lies in the fact that I avoid making firm decisions! I do know that I need to do a better job of, as my mom would say, “sticking to my guns”. Inherent in all of this is my ever-present need to FOCUS. So here lies my Plan for Change (better terminology, right?!):

  • Create a daily plan and make every effort to stick by it. More specifically, take my Hiveminder To-Do list, prioritize items based on need, and fill in each period in my daily planner with what I need to accomplish. Student needs are top priority. Do not plan to get anything accomplished during busy periods; if I do it’s a gift! Plan time for social learning; from blank to blank I will check Twitter or Paperli posts, LM_Net e-mails, diigo groups etc, no excuses!
  • Only take on what I truly believe that I can effectively complete. Also, involves step-by-step-daily planning including prep time!
  • Observe how long it takes to complete a task so that I can best plan in the future. Stop saying, “No prob, I’ll have it done first thing tomorrow!” since it’s simply not always possible.
  • Leave at 5 PM no matter what; my family needs me!

On a smaller note, I so need to do a better job at book talking books and for that matter reading them! We’re lucky to have been given a nice budget for books, but for our students, the choice is overwhelming.

Whoa, I do feel better. Maybe this Plan for Change thing, aka New Year’s Resolutions, isn’t all that bad. Thinking, for me the process is more about reflection than anything else. Now that makes sense, first reflect, then change; a process I can wrap my fingers around. Looks like Google had it right too…”As you look back at 2012, let’s look forward at 2013″.