After
completing Benjamin Franklin’s self-improvement program quiz, the result of the
12-question quiz was the need to improve on only one of Benjamin’s 13 virtues,
the virtue of resolution. According to the quiz results, I have made some very
virtuous choices so far that closely reflected Benjamin’s own self-improvement
plan (Benjamin Franklin Virtue Quiz results, n.d.). Throughout my undergraduate
college years, I have made decisions that ensured my safety while being away
from my parents. Meaning I took care of myself, thought things through, was the
designated driver when my friends wanted to drink, and so on. In other words, I
basically had fun while being safe and by not putting my life at risk.
According
to Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues, the virtue of resolution is “resolve to
perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve” (Benjamin
Franklin's 13 Virtues, n.d.). Basically, Benjamin Franklin thought that
resolutions were meant to be kept regardless of their worth. This applies to me
because every New Year I make a resolution to myself to eat healthier, join the
gym, and exercise every other day. Unfortunately by the second month of the
year, I have misguided my intentions or have stopped completely committing to
my goal of losing weight. It not a matter of giving up, it’s a matter of keeping
my priorities straight. At the beginning of this years, I let school and work
get much of my daily schedule that by the time I even thought about going to
the gym it was either late at night or I was exhausted. Being able to reflect
on this information and knowledge, I can now prepare a better plan that is
easier to follow and stick to without waiting for the New Year to start.
The
second virtue that I would like to reflect on, even though it was not mentioned
in the results of the quiz, is the virtue of order. According to Benjamin
Franklin’s 13 virtues, the virtue of order is to “let all your things have
their places. Let each part of your business have its time” (Benjamin
Franklin's 13 Virtues, n.d.). In my opinion, this means having order in ones
life, being orderly, and dedicating the adequate amount of time to each daily
task. Reflecting on this, I have been known in the past to run around “like a
chicken with its head cut off”. Meaning, I was always scrambling around either
late for class, doctor appointments, or paying bills at the last minute.
Growing
up into my 20s I realized I needed to have order in my life, so I began by
writing down the tasks that needed to be completed each week with an adequate
timeline so as not to wait until the last minute to complete them. This helped
a little bit with the time management of my personal life but to this day I
still struggle to effectively manage my time. For example, having to take care
of parents, I find it hard to have time to concentrate on my graduate school
assignments as I have to take them to their appointments, therapy, I have to
clean, cook, and so on. I believe the only option left for me to have more
order in my life is to have more help. If I can get someone to take care of my
parents at least two days out of the week, I will be able to concentrate more
on my assignments so as to be effective on everything I must do.
The last
virtue is moderation. According to Benjamin Franklin, moderation is to “avoid
extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve” (Benjamin
Franklin's 13 Virtues, n.d.). If I understand this virtue correctly, moderation
means having things in adequate portions. For example, not overeating during
the holidays, eating smaller portions, having fun safely, and not joining
extreme outdoor activities in which I am consciously aware that my body cannot
handle the stress or pressure. Reflecting on this information, it is important
for me to realize that eating two full plates of food for dinner is not going
to help me lose weight. Therefore, I believe implementing this virtue into my
daily life can help me cut down on sweets, not overeat, eat all three meals, and
have adequate amounts of food so as not to overeat or starve.
Reference:
Benjamin Franklin Virtue Quiz
results. (n.d.). PBS. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_virtue_results.html?a=334143344444
Benjamin Franklin's 13
Virtues. (n.d.). PBS. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/pop_virtues_list.html
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