The Joy of Reasonable Goals

My dreaded season of grading has begun. It’s the least favorite part of my job, but in order to offer students timely and relevant feedback, I offer grades with commentary soon after an assignment’s due date.

This means I’m nearly always grading something.

So today, I set reasonable goals. I might say, “OK, let’s grade three portfolios in the next hour.” Of course, I might grade five or six or even ten. But I love setting reasonable and attainable goals. It feels good to achieve them. When I do, I’m motivated for the next hour of grading where I might challenge myself more.

But I start small with reasonable goals. One needs the joy of accomplishment. For you? Is it cleaning just one space? Answering a few emails? Writing one paragraph? Make it reasonable. You’ll do it. Then, the joy comes.

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