Responsibility is one of the pillars of character here at Girls and Boys of Character. 

If we look at the sticker selected for our Visions and Goals assignment, it reads, “Charge Yourself, Self-Improvement”.

Practicing self-improvement can begin with small steps. 

The first could be to make a personal commitment to charge yourself with taking the responsibility to improve yourself.

This means to be accountable for, liable for, or in control of your own self-improvement.

After making the commitment to become accountable for your own self-improvement could be to start with a small goal.

Such as increasing your water intake. You could add four more ounces a day to whatever you’re currently drinking.

A way to encourage yourself to increase your momentum would be to remind yourself of the many benefits of drinking water.

The benefits include:

•          Lubricating and cushioning joints.
•          Helps to eliminate waste through urination, perspiration and bowel movements.
•          Helps to regulate body temperature.
•          Is good for skin health.
•          Can increase mental awareness.

If you look at our Mentee’s journal entry, (we were given the permission to include a picture of), they were asked to list seven things they needed improvement in.

Take a moment to list seven areas/things you need improvement in. 

Take some time to write them down.

Review your list to determine if there is a trend.

Next, prioritize your list of improvements.  Which one will you focus on first?

Additional steps to take would be to share your list of improvements with a close friend or mentor, asking him or her to help you be accountable. 

This is a step we have taken at GBOC.  We are helping the girls and boys in our program to be more accountable to their self-improvement goals.

We don’t beat them over the head with it, but we ask them about their day. 

We ask them what they’ve done to work on their goals of self-improvement.  Slowly but surely, the discussion of charging ourselves with self-improvement is becoming a welcoming conversation.

They are now excited about sharing how they’ve overcome some of their challenges by applying the pillars of character.

Take the challenge and charge yourself with self-improvement.