This week I was assigned the topic “Something you learned this summer” so after some thinking I have decided to write about the value of responsibility.

I haven’t been the most responsible student, or person for that matter, for most of my life. Throughout all of my childhood and adolescence I have had a tendency to skate by on the path of least resistance. There are many times when I have chosen to be responsible, but more often than not I fall through with little things that add up. Deadlines and perseverance are the two areas of concern that I can think of, which makes sense because they go hand-in-hand.

Being the longest summer of my life (first college summer) I have had even more time to myself than usual. My summer has been filled with fantastic trips and hilarious get-together’s with my friends, but also some realizations. I’m not a kid anymore. I feel like more of an adult in college than I ever did in high school, but with that maturity comes responsibility. Perhaps my lack of responsibility was accepted, even expected at times. However, as I grow older my irresponsibility becomes less and less acceptable. My perceived character and trustworthiness will diminish greatly for long periods of time if the irresponsibility continues. It just won’t cut it anymore. And this applies in every aspect of my life: academics, organizations, martial arts, etc… No part of my life is untouched by this.

So it’s time to man up and take responsibility for everything I do from now on. Follow deadlines, listen to directions carefully, don’t procrastinate, you name it. Because if I don’t value responsibility then how can I expect to be anything down the road except for mediocre?

It’ll be a gradual but doable process, one which I plan to endure.  Hopefully I will be able to look back on this post in one year and feel accomplished for fulfilling my goal. I just have to work with diligence and never lose sight of my goal, something that rings true for every difficult task.

Time to get started.