Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Thing 2: 7.5 Habits (Revisited)

Of the 7.5 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, the habit I think I struggle with most is #2: "Accept responsibility for your own learning." This is not to say that I usually find myself unable to achieve that which I set out to do. However, I am ever a procrastinator. In my schooling, my hobbies, my past jobs, and even the books I read, I tend to let my obligations run up against the clock, and I often find myself racing to finish before a deadline. In these cases, I don't really take responsibility for myself, but allow my obligations to take responsibility for me.

On the other hand, habit #3 ("View problems as challenges.") seems to come easiest for me. I love the idea of a challenge. When I was younger my parents would hand over their broken appliances to me, and I would then take them apart and sometimes get them to work again. One line from a John Lennon song ("Watching the Wheels"), "There are no problems, only solutions," is a quote that I hold dear and feel reflects my own life philosophy. I am genuinely an optimist, and truly feel that to accomplish any kind of goal, it helps to view the process as possible and constructive.

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