Kelly Li, PD 5, 10/23/20, Day B

Kelly Li
10/23/2020

Period 5
Modern Mythology 2021

Goal Setting & Growth

1. At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

At this moment, I have both a mental and physical checklist of tasks to complete. Obviously, keeping up with classes and its online assignments are one of the main priorities written in my planner. In addition, finalizing my common app essay and college supplements are definitely really important during this time since it is heavily emphasized that college admissions are going to mainly focus on the quality and fit of our essay. However, the feeling of worry and stress for my future college and career has kept me up throughout the day and night, hurting my chances of a healthier sleep schedule. Throughout the summer, I thought that staying up past 3AM every day was only going to be temporary for the season. However, these bad habits have been dragged into the school year, so I have been trying to adjust this by looking for ways to tire myself out during the day. Whether it a short run around my neighborhood or a ten-minute ab session, I have felt more excited to sleep. Another specific goal of mine is trying to stop procrastinating, as this could also be another reason for my maladjusted sleep schedule. The random urge to be productive at midnight has fueled the procrastination, but I have been trying to fix this habit by removing the distractions on my desk and deleting necessary apps on my iPad.


2. How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

Staying on task has been quite difficult when the school environment is not what it used to be. Before remote learning, I depended on in-person conversations and the adrenaline rush throughout the school day to keep me studious and running. However, because of the changed circumstances, I had to find new ways to keep me motivated for the school year. At first, I made a planned schedule for how my day should go. Although following a schedule can be great, I disliked the boring ongoing cycle that repeats every day, so I learned to embrace unexpected spontaneous activities in order to feel excited to wake up the next day, like learning new hobbies, walking to the park, checking up on a friend, or even changing up my work setting. I have also accepted that there can be bad days where I just have to step back and practice some self-care, whether it be a yoga or nap session. Taking self-care breaks has been detrimental for staying positive and encouraged in completing assignments and essays. Inevitably, times can get tough, but keeping a determined and strong mindset in hopes of making my younger self proud has reminded me to always try my best and not let the challenges that COVID-19 brought limit my potential. My traits of being curious and hard-working have been ingrained into me since I was little so I always remember to keep working hard, even when there is not as much to look forward to.


3. How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

As a high school senior in changing times due to COVID-19, it is unfortunate and upsetting to be stripped of our last year of high school. This mindset has set me back in many ways, feeling like I am missing out on the prime time of my life. However, the tragedy of quarantine and loneliness has taught me many lessons. Although it is tragic how it feels like NYC is somehow sleeping, it gave everyone a needed time for self-reflection. I learned so many things about myself, such as my love for my hobbies, my personality type (INFP-T), and my fascination for astrology. This self-discovery has been greatly helpful for completing my college apps, as I expand the awareness of personal passions and preferences. I am also understanding more things about the people and environment around me by developing stronger relationships with friends and family and being open to new experiences. The people I have in my life motivate me to be the best version of myself and stay on task. Though the pandemic opened my senses to self-gratitude and appreciation for others, it has tremendously challenged the mission to fix my night owl syndrome and procrastination. Since there has been a lack of physical presence and genuine in-person conversations in my life, I feel less of a need to sleep early and less pressure to meet set deadlines. However, a small voice in the back of my head constantly reminds me that the future is determined by the present, encouraging me to break out of these habits before college when time management becomes even more crucial.