Cesar Velez, Period 8, 11/16/2021

 Cesar Velez, Period 8, 11/16/2021

Goal Setting & Growth

At this current point in time, what specific goals do you have for yourself? Why?

These past few months have been stressful for me because one one looming presence that has been over me for almost an entire year. College Applications. The time has come when I need to be done with them, especially because I am applying for an early decision. My goal is to be able to finish my college application in totality including all of the little details as well as the big essays. I want to do this because Four the past three years, I have been putting in all the work and finally this is my time to show it off. Everything that I did, I did it because I enjoyed it but as selfish as it sounds, I also want to be recognized for it. Everything I did proves that I am ready for the next step, and I want to show everyone that. Additionally one of my other goals is to be able to establish a daily routine for myself. With everything that has been going on in my life, I have neglected some of the little things that don’t really serve a greater purpose other than for myself and I know that if I keep going on this path, I’m going to collapse. That’s why I’ve been trying to go for a run everyday, do ten minutes of yoga, practice guitar for thirty minutes a day, and read for thirty minutes a day. I want to do all these things because I want to better myself and as soon as I started this routine, I instantly felt better.

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

The main problem with achieving these goals is time management. I do admit that sometimes I have free time at home when I have nothing planned and all I have to do is sit down to get all my stuff done. But instead, “one more” youtube video, turns into 2 hours. But oftentimes I don’t get home until 10 o'clock and I barely have enough time to do homework before I need to sleep. Something that has really helped me this year has ironically been my phone. Specifically the calendar and the reminders apps. The calendar app allows me to put a strict deadlines like application deadlines or interviews. The reminder app lets me set small goals that will eventually lead to the completion of my application. Because of these apps I have not only managed to set a reasonable timeline, but it has also helped me keep everything esle in doing in order. Now I can confidently say whether I am free on a certain day or if I need to start/finish something later in the day. This has also helped me with setting a routine because I can work around all the other things I have in my day. For example, If I have practice at 7, I know I have to finish my homework by 5 to be able to practice guitar and read before I need to start getting ready.

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

One of the most motivating factors for me to accomplish my goals has always been my sister. I always remember her waking up before me to get ready for school, picking her up after all her club meetings at 6, only to drive her to gymnastics or dance where she sometimes didn’t

    

 get home until 11. This didn’t stop her from being one of the best in her class and getting a full tuition scholarship to her choice school. Knowing that she was able to do it motivates me everyday to push myself to do better and be better than I was yesterday. But she not only stands to motivate me but I can always count on her, the rest of my family, and my friends to support me whenever I need. I can also count on my friends, and my dad, to always keep me accountable for when I don't stay on track. This criticism is just as important because sometimes I feel that without that little push, I let everything slide and nothing gets done. There is always a desire to better myself, but with the help of everyone around me, these desires become reality and I know I can accomplish them.