Diffused Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diffused Responsibility - Essay Example Rather than any one individual feeling responsible for reporting what was going on, seeking to stop it, or seeking to ascertain whether the action that appeared to be a car being burglarized was indeed as it appeared, everyone in the group, including those passersby that were not related to me or my group of friends felt that they could merely ignore the situation due to the fact that any number of other people could report what was going on. In retrospect, this type of apathy is precisely what the thieves depended on for this type of brazen crime. Looking back on the situation with the knowledge of what motivating emotion and psychological response helped to make everyone feel that it was not their ultimate responsibility does not help to make me feel any better concerning the given situation; rather, it makes me aware that if such a situation occurs again, the response I should seek to control is that of diffused

The Galapagos Islands Essay Example for Free

The Galapagos Islands Essay The Galapagos Islands were first inscribed as a World Heritage site in danger in 1978. This was extended in 2001 and they were again inscribed in June 2007. The islands are found on the Pacific Ocean, 1000 kilometer from the South American continent, they are in Ecuador. They are 19 islands which lie on equator so their seasons vary very little. They have been called a unique â€Å"living museum and showcase of evolution†. (www. whc. unesco/org/en/danger). The islands were formed by seismic and volcanic activities which are still ongoing processes. These together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, giant tortoise and many types of finch. The finch inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution following his visit in 1835. The islands are referred to as an archipelago as they are very isolated from the nearest continent and the islands themselves are separated from one another. This separation and differences in climates favors evolutionary change. As a result, populations that are related follow separate evolution tracks leading to emergence of various species and even further diversification. The species so formed become very susceptible to changes in the environment. ( www. darwinfoundation. org) The uniqueness of the island lies in its marine and land ecosystems, and presence of flora and fauna endemic to the islands and in most cases found nowhere else in the world. The marine ecosystem is composed of both cold and warm water current systems, marine landscapes â€Å"bajos†- these are underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity they rise almost to the oceans surface. Some of the coastal animals found in the Galapagos marine reserve are sea lions, fur seals, albatrosses, several species of booby, frigate bird species, sea turtles marine iguana, penguins and flightless cormorants. (www. darwin. foundation. org) The land habitats of the Galapagos are mainly determined by their vegetation which is in turn determined by the local climate. The vegetation of the area is strongly zoned by altitude. The land ecosystem has such animal species as land iguanas, land snails, rice rats among others. The Galapagos contain a total of 560 native species of flora,180 are endemic (www. darwinfoundation. org). Some of the plant species include scalesia, opuntia cacti and the Galapagos rock-pursane and other lesser known species. Human intrusions threatening the area Threats to this hub of diversity are mainly in the form of fishing and tourism by humans. In the 1990s, fishing led to a big decline in some of the marine species such as sea-cucumbers and sharks. Then, the fishermen would fish the sharks just for their fins and the remainder of the shark’s body would go to waste. Fishing is the second most important economic activity in the region and marine resources were overused by such practices as illegal fishing and over fishing. The dangers presented by the Galapagos fisheries are-: i) Large international vessels fishing around the Galapagos pelagic zones and inside the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) which is illegal. Long-lining and use of large seines are modern high-technology methods with devastating effects of depleting marine species. (www. darwinfoundation. org) ii) There has also been a rapid influx of poor fishermen from the mainland of Ecuador who serve the interests of mainland fishing companies and middlemen buyers. The fishermen are provided with capital in the form of a loan by the fishing companies to buy boats and equipment. The fishermen then sell the catch to the companies; the catch is later sold in the international market especially the Asian market. The influx has led to the human explosion being experienced in the islands and also the immigration brings with it invasive species which compete with the natural species of the islands decreasing their survival chances. ( www-darwinsfoundation. org) Tourism is the leading economic activity in the Galapagos Islands. Tourism has grown economically at 14% per year and this has lead to the Galapagos experiencing drastic, social, economic, cultural and ecological changes. (www. galapagos. org) The dangers that immigration poses include increased pollution, overuse of resources and eventually a charge in climate and introduction of invasive species. A change in climate will lead to loss of some of the species in the island. Invasive species refers to alien plants, diseases, insects and other organisms that people bring inadvertently to the islands. There are now 1,321 introduced species, compared to 112 identified in 1990. These include 748 species of introduced plants compared to 500 species of native plants and at least 490 species of introduced insects. The risk of the arrival of pathogens such as the West Nile virus, insect pests, and new predators is now high-: Dengue-carrying mosquitoes and some avian diseases are new arrivals in the islands. (www. galapagos. org,2007) Existing protection areas The Galapagos Islands have several protection areas. The Galapagos National Park (GNP) is one of this. 97% of the area covered by islands was designated as a national park in 1959. The lands not included were the settlement areas. Later in 1967, a park service Galapagos National Park service (GNPS) was set up to oversee management and administration of the park. The GNP is made up of 13 large islands, 17 small islands and 40 rocks. (www. galapagos. org/). The park authorities educate the visitors and enforce the laws and regulations of the park. The GNPS also oversees the management and administration of the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) which was set up in 1998, another protection area. The GMR’s function is to protect the waters surrounding the archipelago. 3000 species of marine plant and animals are found in the GMR. The necessity of the GMR became apparent when in the 1990s fishing activities around the archipelago increased and almost had devastating effects on the marine species due to the high demand of both sea cucumbers and sharks’ fins. The GNPS also approves itineraries. This ensures that no one place is too frequently visited. This serves to distribute tourism to all the islands, decreasing chances of harm to the environment. The GNPS works together with the Charles Darwin Foundation, now known as the Galapagos Conservancy. The foundation provides the scientific and technical know-how required in maintenance of the natural biodiversity and ecosystems of the islands. Other protected areas include Sangay National Park, Limoncocha Reserve, and Antisana Ecological Reserve which has the Antisana volcano that is 5758 meters high. The reserve was created in 1993. The Cuxabeno Forest Reserve is another protected area, for two thirds of the year the forest is submerged in water and when it is not, it is made up of dry futbol fields (www. ecuador. com/,2007). It was established in 1979. Part of the 6000 square Kilometer rain forest makes up part of the Amazon Rain forest. There are indigenous people found in this forest whose contribution to reservation is through jungle tours and eco-tourism. Existing efforts in Galapagos to protect and preserve the area include:- i) Registration of fishermen to fishermen’s cooperatives. This has enabled the monitoring of fishermen’s activities and from this an estimate of how much fishing is going on can be got. Also, it makes it easier to track illegal fishing. ii) Establishment of the Galapagos Marine Reserve in March 1998. In this area, all fishing is banned. The area covered by the GMR was expanded TO cover 40 miles around the whole archipelago. These are also zones of protection around the islands. All these are patrolled by GNPs park rangers. The sea shepherd conservation society assists with carrying out patrols in the service. iii) Approving the designation of the Galapagos Archipelago as Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) by the Marine Environment Protection Committee(MEPC). PSSA is defined by the International Marine Organization (IMO) as â€Å"an area that needs special protection through action by IMO because of its significance for recognized ecological socio economic or scientific reasons and because it may be vulnerable to damage by international shipping activities†. ([IMO,2001]www. dorwinfoundation. org) iv) Introduction of residence controls which decrease immigration and in turn lower the flow of alien species. The aim is to curb population growth. The controls are however difficult to implement because it is difficult to determine genuine residents and those who come and go but have permanent residence elsewhere. (www. law. emory. edu/ ) v) Education of residents, tourists and Galapagos policy makers on how beneficial sound conservation, practices, polity and sustainable economic activities are for example finding alternative viable economic activities for the local fishermen. vi) The success of Project Isabela. This project has seen a large area being freed of feral goats and pigs. Subsequently there has been an increase in Galapagos’s rails. Areas that had been previously degraded have now become resting areas for petrels and re-establishment of vegetation like tree-terns and endemic scalesia has occurred. Also native invertebrates thought to be extinct are now being identified (www. darwinfoundation. org, 2007) vii) Successful breeding programs for tortoise run by the Charles Darwin Foundation and GPNS has led to repopulation of some islands with their native reptile species. The giant tortoise was becoming extinct due to hunting by humans and other animals. (www. galapagos. org) viii) Inclusion of various sectors in the management board of the Galapagos National Park service has been instrumental in bringing about an attitude of conservation and preservation. At first the local people felt that the government was only concerned about plant and animal life. The multisectoral approach involves key players in fishing, tourism and conservation sectors and also the local person. (www. galapagos. online/) Including the local people has helped to enhance the concept of conversation because the local people no longer feel neglected. Should human intrusion go unchecked, the loss will be great. Maintenance of the rich biodiversity of the islands is achievable of the ecosystem can support sustainable economic use where the local people, conservationist and players in tourism and fishing industry feel their needs have been put into consideration. An example of how the biodiversity can lost is seen in the fact that the present tortoise population is very small. Poaching, destruction of habitats and the presence of invasive species are the main dangers to the tortoise population. (www. galapagos. org, 2007). Though the near extinction of the giant tortoise caught the attention of people and the process was reversed the giant tortoise is not out of the woods yet, and the work of repatriation needs support. In the process of poaching the tortoise, various invasive species which trampled on the tortoise’s habitat were limited and multiplied faster than the tortoise would, leading to destruction of the tortoise habit. The mangrove finch is another species being driven towards extinction. Again the greatest threat to be mangrove forests and the finches is the exploding human presence in the Galapagos. (http://www. galapagos. org/about. html). Increased activity among humans increases the risk of disease further especially avian pox, black rats, cats, fire ants the parasitic fly philornis. All threaten the mangrove finch as well as vulnerable species in Galapagos (http://www. galapagos. org/about. html. ) For the mangrove finch to be saved there has to be study of the mangrove finch and its habitat. Activities that would require support in the mangrove finch conservation project include: ? Creating potential captive breeding facilities for the mangrove finch. ? Resting degraded mangrove finch ecosystem, including establishment of new mangrove forest plots. ? Releasing the captive-bred birds to sites on Isabela and Fernandina islands where the mangrove finch once thrived. For the future generations to be able to see and be part of the abundant biodiversity in the Galapagos islands the necessary funds and a coalition of leadership are needed to successfully conserve and preserve the world heritage site. Otherwise, we risk losing not just an area rich in natural biodiversity but a site of origin of human philosophy and in the process part of the human race. Because of ecological interdependence, there can be no climate changes that will affect animals and plants only, whatever adverse effects will affect flora and fauna will also affect the human race. This means that no part of the ecosystem will be spared the price of not doing all that is necessary to protect and preserve the balance of nature. Conclusion Islands are generally smaller than continental areas but are basically more or less the same with similar social, economic and ecologic changes happening. This then means that islands can and should serve as a model to the rest of the world for these changes (www. darwinsoundation. org). In coming up with solutions to the Galapagos problems we are more or less coming up with a prototype to solve problems that will occur in other continents of the world, but if we cannot resolve the issues then it means that we will also fail in achieving a society where there is a balance of nature and social economic sustainability in the rest of the world. References Charles Darwin foundation, Galapagos Risk; Ground Breaking Analysis Produced retrieved July 6 from http://www. org/en/library/pubs/2007/galapagos Galapagos Conservancy, ‘Breaking News: Galapagos in â€Å"Danger† Retrieved July 6 from http://www. galapagos. org/about. html. ‘Protected areas’ Retrieved July 7 from http:www. ecuador. com/protected-areas UNESCO, Galapagos islands, Retrieved July 7 from http://whc. unesco. org/en/danger UNESCO World Heritage in Danger List July 7 from http://whc. unesco. org/en/danger/ .

Oedipus the king the poem

Oedipus the king the poem The poem was written in ancient period and it highly reflects the value and beliefs in the ancient period. The poem starts by Priest of Zeus and his followers appearing to the King Oedipus with tree branches woolen wrapped. This shows cultural belief of appearing before the gods alter when you want your needs attended to by the goods. The priests talks on behalf of his followers and explains to the king about the outbreak of a plague in the society that is killing plants, animals and human as well. However, King Oedipus heard them and explained to them that he had sent his brother in law, Creon, to the oracle which belonged to god Appolo at Delhi so as to get answer for to the solution of the plague. Afterwards Creon arrived and since he was bringing good news he had worn laurel leaves with berries around his head. Appolo said that plague was to end after the killer of Laius is found and killed and Appolo had promised that serious investigations would reveal the murderer. However, this was bad news for the king. Ironically, asked to review the facts. All that was known at the time was the Laius had left for Delphi never to return. There was to be no investigation immediately because of the sphinx problem. There is one of Laiuss men who escaped and ran back to Thebes and on arriving he found Oedipus in the process of being hailed as a king. This made him to keep the secret with him since the killing Oedipus was the master planner for the killing. The witness just said that Laius was killed by robbers who attacked his chariot along the way. The witness because of fear for his life asked for a transfer from Thebes and he went away ever since. However, ordinary people because of desperation said that Apollo ought to come to Thebes and say who the killers were. This is because people never had faith on the investigations of their king and thought that only a foreigner who is powerful than their king who could bring justice to their land. Oedipus to his defense told them that nobody has power to tell gods to do what they do not want to. Later, they suggested that they bring Teiresias who was a blind psychic to carry out the investigations. He was believed that when he was a young man, he ran to magic snakes which changed his gender for seven years and this was to enable him tell which gender enjoyed sex more compared to the other. This was said to have been a secret only known by gods who ended up punishing him with permanent blindness. This explains how people believed in superstitious powers and feared their anger actions. (Lawall,45) In conclusion the poem about Oedipus the king has a thematic meaning that reflects culture and beliefs of the ancient period. First, the ancient period is seen as the era of psyches and superstitious powers. The society believed in prophesies form gods regardless of their morality status and their realization is seen as to never tarnishing someones reputation. In the poem Oedipus feels guilty for his deeds but to the society this has been prophesied that that could have granted him self-defense. Second, the kingdom was dictatorial and highly immune to justice. Poet says that society was turning a blind eye to the faults of the king. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The poem on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is romance poem which was written in the middle Ages in late 14th century. This poem represents values and beliefs of middle ages in a big way. The poem illustrates the role of a man in the society. A man was to perform certain things, have a particular look, and act in a particular fashion. Some of behaviors which demonstrated masculinity included battle, sexual activity and pleasing ladies with deeds and words. These demonstrations appeared somehow as Christianized shadows of Gallo-Celtic ideals of heroism and godhood. In the poem Christianity stands strongly against heroic ideals and poet describes its passage in the period. In the testing Fits, the third Fit illustrates how Gawain gets involved in a game with Lord Bertilak who was the castles lord in which stayed awaiting the confrontation between him and the Green knight. They traded for three days he stayed inside the castle, what they gained during the day. He did not realize, though, that that the game was a part of Green Knights tests against him. The first two days, the game proceeded well, with Bertilak being the meat deliverer, and Gawain delivering the kisses Lady Bertilak bestowed upon him faithfully. In the third day, Gawain was trading the Ladys kisses for Bertilaks fox meat, but not girdle she had earlier given him, because he had vowed to her that he would not. This happened to be Gawains only mistake, as we see in the Fourth Fitt. Which concludes his trials when he faced off against the green knight for what he was thinking was the second time, but later discovered it was the third. In Gawains meetings with Green Knight, it is noted that two of the three trials were also the three part trials unto them. These were the three nights which were in the castle, and the three blows with an axe at the end. The sets of the three were considered to be magical in nearly every culture of the world, because they usually were the representatives of a basic family unit. However it was strange that there were to be only two sets of the three sub-trials instead of three, which required that I might have missed something in the first fitt, but I could not have found even a hint that trial of beheading the Green Knight had three divisional parts. In the last trial, Green Knight swung for three times at Gawains neck and finally nicking him during the third swipe. By having given the three blows, Green Knight revealed that he was Bertilak, and explained to Gawain that each blow was representing every night spent in the castle. Gawains only mistake was not that of mentioning the girdle to Bertilak, for which he had been nicked with the axe. Gawain would not accept that he had passed the three tests, and that, in Bertilaks eyes, was even a further proof that he had passed. Gawains perfect honesty and humility rendered him worthy to receiving wisdom that Bertilak had to offer. Nature verses the human society appears as the main conflict in the poem by which Gawain had to deal with during his time. He was had to confront the forces of nature which were against him. These natural forces were in the form of Green Knight, sexual desires, winter landscape, and ultimately, fear of dying. Throughout his life Gawain countered this with faith in God and chivalric values he had. But in the end, fear of death he has overcomes his senses of morality and led him to accepting that green girdle. This poem is enriched with constructs descriptions of human, like architecture, food armor, clothing and the cutting of hunted deer. This implies that there was a ritualistic, overly technical in-depth sense to those descriptions. There are areas where poet seems to be hinting at power of those human constructs. For instance, concept of Courtly Love is one such an elaborate of human construction, but in the third fitt, it is based mainly on the conversation between Gawain and Lady Bertilak. Despite the poems Christian message, it has strong roots to the Celtic myth of paganism. There exist many elements that are common to pre-Christian Celtic mythology; such include the waiting the period which runs for twelve months and a one day, beheading, and temptation game. The Green Knight is himself seen to be a strong pagan, similar to Green Man or Woods Wild Man who symbolized fertility in folklore. Gawains journey cannot be seen as a heros archetypical encounter with the otherworld, which is an essential theme in paganism belief. The pentangle is a pagan symbol; thus Gawains shield, represents pagan and Christian nature of the poem. (Mills,56) In conclusion, thematic meaning of the poem mainly describes the fall of men and loss of innocence. This shows how leaders in the middle age period faced many challenges most of whom lied under human character. Biblical parallels are found in the turning up of Bertilaks castle and role of his wife as a temptress. Accordingly, Gawain lost moral innocence when his chivalric value system is shattered off by the end of poem. An allegory as such seems to be emphasizing more on the poets message of Christianity, and relationship between the divine and mankind. The Paradise lost The poem was written in 16th century. It is about Adam and his wife Eve- how they were created by God, given the Garden of Eden, the Paradise, and how they lost it. The poet, Milton, is seen to have taken the story from the bible in the book of Genesis and expanded on the same. The poem also has the story about the origin of Satan who was originally called Lucifer. Lucifer is seen as an angel in heaven who tries to lead his followers against God and is sent into hell. He plans a revenge attack against God and thirst for revenge made him to cause mans downfall by tempting the wife of Adam. He turned into a serpent and tempted eve to eat the forbidden fruit which angered God and made him through man away from the paradise. The poem starts in hell, here Satan and his angles are recovering from a tragedy defeated they conceded in away they had waged against God. They opted to build a paradise which would serve as a meeting place as they plan to return to the battle. Instead they decided to go to a new world which is said to have been created. This reflects the nature of human in architectural development and innovation since Satan and his angels were eager to go and explore the new world said to have been created. Satan goes to explore the new world. At the exit door of hell is met by Sin and Death who restricts his exit. He uses another tough journey through chaos until he gets into new world. God sees his approach sand foretells the failure of man. His son offers to sacrifice himself for the salvation of man. This reflects the belief of the people of this period where they believed that Gods son offered to sacrifice himself for the salvation of man. Adam and his wife fell into Satans temptations and God sent them away from the Paradise. (Bradford,78) In conclusion, the poet was trying to explain the origin of mans failure to the people of the Renaissance period. This is the period in which art, architectural work and landscaping had started taking course in the world. The poem shoes God as the first creator or builder of objects where Satan told followers that there is anew world which has been created and poet views the world as the den of sins since it is where Satan carried out revenge attack against God.

Potential and Challenges for Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Soils

Agriculture occupies a larger portion of global land area (about 35%) than any other human activity (Betts and Falloon, 2007). Agriculture soil stocks have been suggested as potential measure to sequester atmospheric CO2 to help stabilize its concentration in atmosphere and has been estimated that 0.4-0.9 Pg C year-1 can be sequestrated within global agricultural soils (Paustian et al., 1998). This has been supported by the fourth assessment made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, that identified agriculture as among the economic sectors having the greatest near-term (by 2030) greenhouse gas mitigation potential, largely via soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration (Smith et al.,2007). However, currently, there is much uncertainty and debate due to uncertainties associated with quantifying the impact of the various crop management practices on green house gas emission ,the spatial and temporal scales involved in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from, and C sequestration in, agro-ecosystems, uncertainty of future climatic conditions that affect type of crop mana...

Outline for Dissociation and the Drama of Nothing Essay

This part can be used to introduce the whole concept of the paper. This can be the part where trauma and can be defined, as well as descriptions about dissociation. Facts such as statistics, diagnosis, and treatment can be mentioned here. The Drama of Nothing This section explains the concept involved in the treatment process of the dissociated person. This is a good place to put related literature and studies of how effective using scripts and enactments can bring out the trauma that is dissociated by the client. The Conversational Model This includes the description of the conversational model and how this model can be effective in the dissociation case of the client. Nothing to Be Done The script can be written and described here. Trauma Theory This section can be used as the theoretical framework of the paper, where the theory on trauma can be discussed and how it applies to the paper and to dissociation. The Unnamable This will involve the process of the treatment of the client, as well as the step by step procedure of the treatment. It may also discuss how the theory and the model are incorporated in the play. Conclusion This will consists of the conclusions and the generalizations regarding the topic discussed.

Induction for new Social Care Workers in adult social care Essay

It is vital that diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination is understood and adhered to at all times as a social care worker. By this we mean treating everyone equal no matter what their race, gender, religious views, ability, culture, age or appearance. We expect Service Users to be included in events and not excluded because of a disability or any other reason. We expect EVERY Service User to be treated fairly and equally. If the above standards are not adhered to our Service Users will not trust you as an individual, they will not trust us as a company and they will feel excluded and let down by you and could not trust you or our company again. We deal with the most vulnerable people of society and it is vitally important to not discriminate these people, they need your trust, they need your confidentiality, they need to be treated equally, THEY NEED YOU. They do not want to be excluded, they do not want to get low self-esteem because of your actions, they do not want to be judged by you or anyone else. For example, we had a new Social Care Worker who wanted to take our Service User to her local shop where she had not been for a few years because of a sudden disability. Upon arrival at the shop she could not gain access because there was no ramp to push the wheelchair up. Our Social Care Worker spoke to the shop keeper explaining that her Service User would very much like to shop their but felt excluded because she couldn’t access the shop. The shop keeper remembered the Service User and had missed her coming to the shop and didn’t realise how difficult it would be for disabled people to gain access to the shop. A few weeks later he had built a ramp for wheelchair access and re-arranged the shop to make wider aisles. The Service User was able to be included as any other person would be now, when shopping in her local shop and the shop keeper was happy to help. We also require our Social Care Workers to support others in promoting diversity, equality and inclusion, we will provide full training and support but it is down to you as an individual to support others. We expect you to share your knowledge and experiences with our other Care Workers to promote diversity, equality and inclusion. You will have regular performance reviews and you can pass on your ideas, examples and experiences then, or whenever you like by just contacting us.

Setting Writing Targets

Setting Writing Targets Setting Writing Targets Setting Writing Targets By Ali Hale When you’re working on a big, long-term writing goal – perhaps becoming a published novelist, or making a living from your writing – it’s easy to get discouraged or distracted along the way. Sometimes the gulf between where you are with your writing and where you want to be can seem like an impassable chasm. This is where it helps to set smaller, specific writing targets: ones that you know you can meet, and which will take you step-by-step towards your eventual goals. 1. Work out your priority for the year In 2007, I was focusing on short stories: my target was to write at least two every month and submit them to competitions or publications. I ended the year with over twenty five finished short stories. It’s usually not a good idea to split your focus between several projects. If you write around a job or family life, pick your one priority for the year: whether it’s finally getting around to writing that novel you’ve been planning, building up a collection of poetry, posting regularly on your blog, or polishing up your business writing skills. 2. Set realistic targets for yourself In my case, I could manage two complete short stories per month whilst working full time – it was a bit of a stretch some months, but achievable. If I’d tried to write a short story every week, I’d have given up before January was over. Try not to give yourself a target that relies on outside forces: aiming to have something published every month is laudable, but it’s influenced as much by the whims of editors as by your own writing abilities. Some good targets could be: Writing 500 words of your novel every day. Writing a poem every Saturday. Posting a new entry on your blog three times a week. Reading two chapters of a book on writing every week, and trying out some exercises. 3. Keep track of how you’re doing When you have daily or weekly targets, keeping a visual record of progress can be very motivating! How about putting a tick or gold star on the calendar for every day that you meet your goal, or keeping a wall chart of word-count progress by your desk? If you prefer a more high-tech approach, Joe’s Goals is an easy way to keep track of how you’re getting on. You might also find scheduling writing sessions in task management software such as Remember the Milk helps – sometimes, our brains work well with a deadline. 4. Assess whether meeting your targets is getting you closer to your goals It’s great to be ticking off those four completed poems every month, or those three blog posts each week – but after a few months, take a good look at whether meeting your targets is actually taking you closer to your goals. If you’re trying to win writing competitions, are you getting short-listed yet? If you want more readers for your blog, have visitor numbers risen? If your aim is to improve your writing skills, are readers commenting more favourably on your work? Sometimes, you might need to revise your targets in order to make faster progress towards your goals: your target of four poems each month might be too ambitious if you’re rushing them and producing sub-standard work, and you might reach your goal of a competition win sooner if you instead just wrote one great poem each month. Do you have big, long-term goals or dreams for your writing? What smaller targets are you setting yourself on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to help you reach these? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs and HeteronymsGrammar Review #1: Particles and Phrasal Verbs