BDS

Today my BDS starting out frustrating but ended on a high note. I think I may have sat down in a bad mood after an argument with my landlord.

I was glancing over my outline preparing to begin a new paragraph. This is one I had been dreading because it required a ton of sources. Citations. Sigh. I looked at my scribbled notes from class that highlighted the writing problem blocks we have been discussing. Apprehension noted.

Another item I focussed on was ensuring my writing was speaking to the correct audience, not just me.
I consciously wrote with those two factors in mind and also discovered another method that helped.

During my 5 minute break, I re-read the assignment instructions. Of course I knew what they were, but re-reading them trained my brain to think about the project more specifically than I had been. What better way to ensure your writing is meeting the expectations of your professor? The assignment sheet is a great reference to use.

I realize this sounds a little dumb. Of course the assignment sheet is a good reference, your thinking. Duh, your thinking. But reading it slowly, thoroughly, and reading it again, is a great memory to have in mind when you return to writing. It fuels your critical thinking, and forces you to question if the sentences your writing are valuable. It's a good way to exclude anything that appears to be good but doesn't serve much of a purpose(like those sentences with unnecessary embellished vocabulary that college kids squeeze into papers to stretch out the page count).

My writing was quite mindful today.