Habits of Mind

Things I Need To Improve by Lauren Lindsey
This is my last year in high school and next year when I start college I do not want to start with the same bad habits that I had in high school. Many things people do knowing its bad and they still do it any way and that how I feel about some of academic behaviors. After reading the article I realize some of the habits I’m lacking are Managing Impulsively, Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision and Thinking Interdependently. These are the three habits that I am going to work on improving before entering college.
Managing impulsively is my biggest problem. I am organized but I don’t plan or follow my plan the way I should. I will think a plan through and when it becomes to put the plan in action I don’t follow it or change at the last minute. This is a very bad habit because when I need things to be in order they are not and I end up behind. If I was to manage impulsively everything would be done with ease instead of so rushed.
When I’m explaining something I tend to stop mid-sentence because the way I thought about what I was going to say sounds different now that I began to say it out loud. The habit Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision would help me a lot in this problem. If I thought more clearly my explanation would be clear. When I tell someone something I don’t want to give them the wrong idea about what I’m saying. I think it’s hard for me to explain things because I think with my emotions. I try to relate everything to an emotion and although I know how I feel I don’t know how to explain to others what I feel or make them understand if I do find a way to explain. I could really use help in this habit.
Thinking interdependently is the ability to work with others and understanding how this can benefit one’s work. I have no problems with people or get along with others but when it comes to work I prefer to work alone. Then reason I like working alone is because I know exactly how I want things and it’s hard to explain a vision. If I work in a group I like to do separate work and just collaborate at the end instead of working as one. This is a bad habit because their will not always be times when I can do things my way, so this needs to improve before college.
Managing impulsively is the habit that I think will be the most helpful now. Thinking and communicating with Clarity and Precision and Thinking Interdependently should be easier to improve then managing impulsively. As of right now I pledge to improve my bad habits of mind and improve my intelligence. Before I get to college these goals must be completed!