Self Discipline... or Lack Thereof.

This past week, we had an assignment in my Residential Leadership Community class to focus on an area that we would like to improve on over our first semester at Virginia Tech. We are to create an action plan, which is a detailed description of how we want to accomplish our goal, and we need to meet with our peer groups once a week to evaluate our progress.

After careful evaluation of my first few weeks of school, I have come to realize that I have almost zero self discipline.

My whole life I’ve been told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. I’ve been told when I need to be somewhere, and how I should prepare for it. Even during my year as a state FFA officer, my main duty was serving the needs of others, so my actions centered on what others wanted me to do.

Now, I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all.  By being dedicated to the needs of others, I’ve learned the importance of service and working for the greater good of all.  However, now that I’m on my own, making my own schedule, my own deadlines, and my own rules, I’m having a hard time following them because I don’t have motivation to, because my main drive to do well in the past has been to either please others or to work with a team on a common goal.

What I work for now is just for me.

(Presiding over the 84th Annual State FFA Convention this past June as the 2009-2010 President.)

So now, I’m re-evaluating my attack. My three main points of focus will be to stop procrastinating, taking the time to learn things right the first time, and to begin following the deadlines I set for myself. I have several methods to complete these goals, but my primary objective is to treat school like a job, so starting tomorrow (there’s my procrastination flaring up again) I’m going to wake up and be ready to start learning at 8:00 a.m. and not stop until 5:00 p.m.

Except for meals, of course. A girl’s got to eat. Especially when D2 has those Chocolate Days.

Also, my peer group will begin meeting at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow and continue every Monday night through the semester as a checks system to keep each other motivated and focused.

I’m pretty excited because I’m taking this on as more than just a class project for Leadership 1015. This is the beginning of the end for my procrastination and lack of self discipline.

Well, at least I’d like to think so. Wish me luck.