Thing 3- 7 1/2 Habits

The easiest of the 7 1/2 habits for me to manage is the 4th one- having confidence in myself as a competent and effective learner. I can think of at least three areas of my life in which this habit applies.
1) My first instinct is to respond with my learning how to be an effective parent. I feel like I am fumbling through this particular challenge without knowing the answers to anything! I seek out and appreciate the advice of other resources that might be able to provide me with support or knowledge.
2) The second way that I feel like I am an effective learner is in my household projects. My dad happens to have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to home improvement. My husband and I bought a 100 year old house seven years ago and it has needed serious improvements! Throughout this time period, I have often sought the advice from my dad on how to fix things, starting first with changing a light fixture. Now I regularly complete plumbing, electrical, and construction, as well as aesthetic changes to the house. I attribute my success in this area only to taking the risk of learning how to accomplish these projects. The projects in and of themselves are quite easy, but my dad has taken the intimidation out of the equation and made learning the processes enjoyable.
3) I should probably comment on my teaching, as well. Within 4 years, I went from teaching 5th grade to 7th grade math to 7th grade language arts. Needless to say, one cannot be intimidated about learning when changing grade levels and subjects! Seeking the expertise of my colleagues is a daily occurrence!

The most difficult of the 7 1/2 habits for me to apply is definitely the concept of Play. Who has time for that!? My nature is very task-oriented and I am totally a list checker. Too many chores to do, too little time! In overcoming my difficulty with the idea of play, I am going to set aside time, just as I have carved out time for this course, to implement many of the Web 2.0 concepts into a family oriented blog space to share with relatives who are thousands of miles away. This will be my one and only New Year's Resolution!