The monastery: Fall on the sword

> Dealing with backslides

Adam Tatelman
Arts Editor

 

Arey who tells you that
changing your habits is easy

is lying, especially if that person
is you. There’s a very definite
reason why “thinner thighs in
thirty days” plans don’t often
work, and it’s not because squats
are ineffective calisthenics.

People seeking to change
habits they no longer desire often
find themselves in a four-week
cycle, give or take. The subject’s
first week is full of Yes-I-Can
enthusiasm. In the second, the
new habit takes more conscious
effort to maintain. It grates. In
the third week, the new habit
starts dropping off. In the fourth,
the old, undesirable habit re-
emerges in force, and the subject
will either begin again the next
week, or give up entirely.

This is almost unavoidable
for most people who are used
to unconsciously maintaining
undesired habits. Substituting
a new habit and maintaining it
through force of will is extremely
challenging, and it usually takes
a few tries to get right. Do not

think that maintaining the new
habit will remain difficult—
after four unbroken weeks

of dedication it actually gets
much easier because the new
habit becomes unconscious.

Having experienced the four-
week cycle myself, I can say for
certain that it is a necessary step
on the way to your new habit.

In persisting through multiple
cycles, I found that I was able
to maintain them for longer
periods of time, and with less
effort on my part. In the case of
weight training, I spent a long
time trying to train at home
with my own equipment, but I
was only able to commit fully
when I entered the gym—aside
from the positive environment,
making a commitment to the
other people at the gym was a
great source of motivation.

So, don’t allow yourself to be
thrown into existential despair
because you break an impressive
streak or revert to an old pattern.
Instead of hurling yourself on
your upturned sword in disgrace
like Brutus before you, take stock
of the circumstances under which
you faltered, and resolve to avoid
that pothole in the future.

Listed: three
tips for essay writing

D o you have trouble focussing on essay writing? Here’s
a list of ways you can improve your abilities.

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

1. Doaskeletal structure
of your essay. In point
form, list out each body
paragraph or argument
for your thesis, and bullet
point some of the points
you'd like to make within
each of those arguments.
This is especially helpful
if you find it difficult to
maintain your thesis
throughout your essay,
or if you're forced to work
on the essay in small
increments due to work or
other school obligations,
as it will act like a list
that you can simply check
off, or turn to in the
event you need to remind
yourself of where you are.
It will also help ensure
that nothing is forgotten
if you have specific
points you need to hit.

 
  
 
  
 

2. Colour-code your quotes.
If youre doing a really
long essay, you might find
it helpful to use different
highlighters to keep track
of what quotes you want
to use and where to put
them. This is extremely
useful if you have trouble
linking arguments, or
if you need to work on
your transition sentences
because depending on
the text, multiple points
or themes could be made
ina single quote. Taking
advantage of this is
paramount to making your

essays flow smoother.

Strip notes. In the event
of a compare and contrast
or a research essay, where
you will be required

to use multiple texts, I
often find it helpful to
copy the quotes I want to
use onto an index card.
Doing so will allow you
to rearrange the quotes
and play with how they
function both with and
against each other. You
can even add little notes
as to what your intention
for that quote was, which
will help when you get to
the actual writing part.
Essentially what this does
is create a giant puzzle
that you can fit together
how you like, giving you
the best chance at getting
your point across clearly.

 

 

IEMIlyvyNice

Reading a classic

=

=

 

Emily Nicole Lee

ee

 

Image via thinkstock