The One Resolution You Can Make Today

Happy New Year, dear readers!

A bright and shiny new semester is beginning with new classes and new teachers. As it begins, we look forward to the future, hoping that the next year will be better than the last one. We also make resolutions, promising that we will do something differently.

In that spirit, I have a resolution to make and, no, it is not about dieting. I respect the courage of everyone out there who made some kind of resolution about dieting or exercise, but I also ought to mention that the bowl of sweets at the Writing Center waits for your inevitable surrender.

My resolution, however, does have something in common with dieting and exercise: It needs a plan in order to succeed.

It is really easy to say that you want to go on a diet or exercise more, but actually doing it is much harder. Sometimes the failure occurs due to a lack of will. More often, though, failure happens because there was no plan involved.

We dash out the door in the morning, having eaten a healthy breakfast, but then lunch rolls around, and the only food options are greasy fast-food. We get to the gym for exercise, only to realize that we don’t know where to start.

The place that you have to start is with a plan. A plan helps with overcoming obstacles and, I know, that no matter what else the year holds, it holds obstacles. Obstacles like sudden assignments or personal problems that keep me from getting things done. These obstacles are not impossible to get over, but they will be difficult if we don’t have a plan in mind.

My resolution this year is to stick to the plans I make in the face of obstacles. I hope that with each obstacle and assignment, I will become a better person and a better writer.

It also helps if I have someone to hold me accountable for what I plan to do.

Writing Center appointments can help with accountability for papers because knowing another person will be looking at it makes it less likely that I will slack off. Setting up an appointment online is an easy way to get a head start on 2019: https://mc.mywconline.com/.

As we start another semester, I have a goal in mind and people to hold me accountable. My question to you, dear readers, is if you do?