This is a personal exercise in sustainability awareness. You are going to think of 12 places you can make your life a bit more sustainable, and try to do them at least for 3 weeks. Environmental sustainability changes (4) are easy; using less plastic, carpooling, turning of lights, unplugging computers, not idling your car unnecessarily, public transport, better recycling, choosing the second hand alternative, organic food, less meat, food sourcing for local (low transport costs) over imported, and so on. Some of these also point to economic sustainability because they can also save you money (water bill, electric bill, gasoline, if you pay for these), but you may wish to focus on other economic sustainability issues as well. No double dipping.

Even taking new moves to get more exercise could count as economic sustainability because improved health translates into increased earning potential. Improving financial literacy, changing where you have your money, spending less, making more, saving, buying second hand, all sustains you economically.

Last is social sustainability; maybe follow up on some networking that may serve you later, or help a neighbor, assist another student with homework or be a good listener, make new or renew contacts on LinkedIn or Facebook (but you must stay why these links enhance social sustainability) or investigate and comment on a company's efforts to be socially responsible (most big companies have a social responsibility desk). You get the picture. Think outside the box and lets see who can do the best job! Make sure you can actually do these things you list, because later you will be doing them. You are allowed one change. They must all be decided on by our next class, and if they are not doable (one student said he would learn to cook--not in 3 weeks) I will assign other tasks - trust me, you want to chose yourself.

The greatest reason for failed proposed tasks is vagueness--you must say exactly and specifically what you will do, how often, and show how it can be verified. So do not say, I will recycle, say I will divide up the trash in my house between recyclable things (list them) and not, once per week. We seek things that can be operationalized, that you can show or prove you actually did. It must be actions, not "thinking I will be more social", but "going to three MCU-sponsored social activities" or "volunteer once per week at Tabor House." It was be a concrete plan so that your manager can check up on how well you are doing. You have a week to get the first one in--I will read it, and if needed, tell you where to fix it, to resubmit before our class in 2 weeks (Dirty Dozen, second round)