I always appreciate the start of a new year, a chance to etch out time for myself to reflect on where I've been and where I'm going. In the midst of our day-to-day lives, it can be easy to lose sight of our ability to asses and, oftentimes, make simple adjustments that can possibly yield drastic results to improve aspects of life. I think about my desire, this year specifically, to really improve on particular aspects of my teaching. At the beginning of the year, I was able to create a realistic and practical plan for improving one specific aspect of teaching - questioning and discussion. I identified a book and a few articles that I thought would be beneficial and I read them quickly - it felt good to know my plan wasn't just a plan! Of course, reading about improving the quality of my questioning isn't going to do anything unless I can effectively put it into practice...and sometimes, that's where the breakdown is. In the daily grind, it can be easy to forget about the specifics of what I'm trying to improve. It oftentimes comes down to writing myself a note on my lesson plans or adding a reflection of some sort to the to-do list that sits on my desk. Even with the best of intentions, the train falls off the track when the conductor's retired to the dining car (not sure if that analogy was prepared to be taken THAT far, but you get the point). Setting a goal and having a plan is half the battle, but it sure an't the whole thing.
My go-to role model/mentor/sensei for everything life, happiness, and life improvement, Gretchen Rubin, wrote about the idea of resolutions vs. goals in her first book, The Happiness Project. While we (people, including myself) enjoy the opportunity for change that comes along with the start of a new year, there's a distinction to be made between a resolution and a goal. Rubin writes, "You hit a goal, you achieve a goal. You keep a resolution. I think that some objectives are better characterized as resolutions, others, as goals. 'Run in a marathon' or 'Become fluent in Spanish' is a good goal. It’s specific. It’s easy to tell when it has been achieved. Once you’ve done it, you’ve done it! 'Eat more vegetables' or 'Stop gossiping,' or 'Exercise' is better cast as a resolution. You won’t wake up one morning and find that you’ve achieved it. It’s something that you have to resolve to do, every day, forever. You’ll never be done with it."
My instinct is to poo-poo goals opposed to resolutions, but I've come to realize the point isn't for one to be "better" than the other as much as it is to simply recognize there is a distinction between the two. While being more active is a resolution I will always be working on, setting the goal of running my first half-marathon was what helped me jump start it. While they are finite, I do well with goals, with the feeling of accomplishment that comes with a visible achievement. When I think about the upcoming year, I see a place, and even a need, for both goals and resolutions. Regardless of what you call it, these goals/resolutions require a lot of the same things - commitment, persistence, resiliance, and a dose of reality.
And thus begins the real work - actually naming my goals and resolutions for 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment