Throughout this course, you will be asked to reflect on a set of questions presented and respond in a well-written post to your Reflection Blog. Do not simply list and answer the prompts. Instead, write your blog, incorporating your thoughts into your reflection. Make certain to incorporate your own experiences into your reflection.
Pablo Picasso said that “every act of creation is, first of all, an act of destruction”. Consider this statement in light of constraints we place on ourselves in the workplace. What are some constraints that you need to destroy before you can engage in creative problem solving? Give an example of how a constraint you placed on yourself prevented you from solving a problem. Reflect on what you could have done differently and how you will prevent that constraint from limiting you in the future.
As I consider
my next steps within the ERAU organization, I realize that there are
constraints I put on myself, up to this point. As an Associate Campus
Director, the next advancement opportunity at an ERAU Worldwide Campus is
Campus Director. The thought of being a Campus Director (CD) used to scare me; I
was afraid of being a CD because I was afraid of failing. It is unfortunate that I
allowed my fears to guide my decisions and hold me back from pursuing great
opportunities.
CD candidates
must have a master’s degree. Surprisingly, pursuing my master's did not scare
me; the biggest issue was that I placed unrealistic expectations on
myself. My unrealistic expectations included no life-disruptions, no
issues with work-life balance, no mistakes, no sacrifices and no time wasting
behaviors. However, as I continued in my MSLD pursuit, my life was disrupted;
I lacked work-life balance; I made mistakes; I had to sacrifice many good
things for the greater thing, and realized that I was wasting time. I was
wasting time because I wanted to complete each course, flawlessly. My wasted
time was essentially procrastination. Citing Ellis and Knaus (1977), Haghbin,
McCaffrey, and Pychyl (2012) stated that people who procrastinate tend to
irrationally believe that they are inadequate (p. 250). For example, when I was
unable to submit an assignment on time, I withdrew from the course instead of
taking the low grade. After withdrawing from the course, “life happened” and I was unable to
take courses back-to-back as I originally intended. I limited myself and allowed
perfectionism to overrule perseverance and completion.
I know, I know, this regret-loaded blog sounds quite sad; however, my story of constraint
regrets does have a happy, realistic ending. For example, I learned that I have to stop allowing
fear-based reasoning to hold me back from pursuing the things that bring me joy. Now that I am
aware of my character defects (limitations), I consistently evaluate them so
that I am not allowing them to determine my future. Finally, my new MSLD goals are perseverance, excellence, and degree-complete, not perfection. I certainly will do my best but I will not let imperfection keep me away from my desires!
Haghbin, M.,
Mccaffrey, A., & Pychyl, T. A. (2012). The complexity of the relation between fear of failure and procrastination. Journal of Rational -
Emotive & Cognitive - Behavior Therapy, 30(4), 249- 263. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10942-012-0153-9
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