Homework 8

- What is your plan for success while you are at George Mason? Does anything that Kleon mentions here resemble what you currently do?

Just like my plan to do "good work," my plan for success is to keep my parents proud. By this I mean maintaining good grades and doing better than my brother did when he was in Mason. Unfortunately, I've been focusing more on my work than school. It's ironic because I'm working in order to pay for my tuition but I'm not even doing the best I can for my eduction. However, I agree with Kleon when he says having a day job will teach you even the smallest things. I work for CDS in Costco and I communicate with all kinds of people. This has definitely boosted my communications skills and has taught me how to sell products.

- How do you see those same plans translating to your professional and/or creative life once you are done at GMU? What potential suggestions that Kleon puts forth can you see yourself adopting for your own success planning?

I feel that because I have someone to strive past (my brother), I will eventually get somewhere. I will continue to do my best because I have that constant feeling of needing to beat him. I think having the goal of trying to fill each day on a calendar is a great idea because it will eventually keep us on track with other things. I currently use an agenda, but there are many times when I forget to write in it. I think later on, when I graduate and start my career I will try to be a lot more organized.

- What's really important to you in your work, creative or otherwise?

I like to focus on the feelings and reactions that my work brings. Seeing how my viewers react to my poetry/creations is really important to me. Even if its not the reaction I'm looking for, it gives me motivation to do better.

- What do you choose to "leave out" in your work?

Although I do keep in mind of other people's opinions of my work, I don't let it get to me no matter how negative they are. I can't really explain it and I'm not sure if this makes sense, but I feel satisfaction when people are satisfied with my work, but at the same time their reactions are important to me only so that I can do better for myself, not for them.

- What are your limitations?

I'm a really sleepy girl. After I do an assignment, ONE assignment when I have many others due the next day, I'd like to reward myself with sleep. In high school I would always sleep and set my alarm really early to do my homework which would fail everytime because I'd be too tired to get up.

-On page 143, Kleon gives a list of potential things to do now that you're read the entire book. I would like you to pick one of those things and tell me which one you did and why.

From the list, I took my agenda and wrote it in after leaving it untouched for about a month. I really need to start putting myself on track especially since my job has been distracting me from school. I also took a nap; a really nice one.