Vanessa Tam, Period 1, 11/9/21

 Growth & Goal Setting

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why? How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

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

If you were to ask me what my goals are for this year, I would blurt out at least twenty completely different goals that I want and am striving to achieve. Since it is also our final year of high school, which many consider to be the "best four years of your life," I have far too many things on my bucket list and hardly any time to fulfill any of them. Like many of my peers, one of my more general goals is to have a healthy balance between extracurriculars, college applications, social life, and school. It’s been such a tough transition from remote learning; everything seems so fast-paced and hectic now. At times, it feels like I’m overloaded with work and unable to explore and indulge in any of my hobbies. 

One of the hobbies I’ve picked up during quarantine is reading. On the third week of March and the beginning of lockdown, my power went out. With no digital screens to keep me company, I turned to the books that sat on my bookshelf, untouched and drizzled with dust. So I forced myself to read. About ten pages in, I was completely immersed in the story; by the time I finished reading, the sun was already down. But now that we’re returning to normalcy, I almost feel guilty for picking up a book when I should be studying for my upcoming exam or drafting my next college essay. 

In an effort to reignite my love of reading, I decided to dedicate myself to reading one book a month. Last month, I finished The Silent Patient. I reasoned with myself that not only would I enjoy this, it would also help me to enhance my writing skills for upcoming college essays, essentially killing two birds with one stone. 

Similarly, dance has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I’ve moved to Staten Island, I haven’t been able to attend classes at my studio; consequently, I’ve stopped dancing for a period of time. During the summer, however, I went down memory lane in search of old photos and videos, when I came across some old dance videos on my computer. Watching those videos on stage made me realize how much I’ve missed performing and dancing. Around the same time, I stumbled across an article and video showcasing a dancer’s impressive hip-hop development with just two years of classes. I, like the dancer, did not take hip-hop classes despite it being one of my favorite styles, so their story definitely inspired and motivated me as it demonstrated that it is in fact possible to improve tremendously in such a short amount of time. 

Unlike reading, I did not follow a structured plan for dance; nonetheless, I have been engaging in dance-related events and joining several dance teams and clubs both inside and outside of school to further pursue my passion. I even took jazz fusion and hip hop classes back at my studio again since the commute and school were no longer conflicts. I also taught and practiced a variety of hip-hop choreography to work on my flexibility, musicality, technique, and stage presence. A downside of not dancing for a few months is my loss of flexibility, which is a crucial part of any style of dance.  As a result, I aim to stretch for at least an hour every week to regain my flexibility once again. 

There are times where I push work to the very end of the month and am on the verge of not doing them. But consistency is key, and I know eventually I will get into the habit of doing these things. The world around me has shaped my perception of these goals. Witnessing the accomplishments of the talented individuals around me who shared similar goals, and seeing the prospect of those goals being met has further reassured me that those goals were attainable and compelled me to pursue my own. In the meantime, I'll enjoy my senior year while continuing to work on these goals, and when I am ready, I'll broaden my range of goals to pursue.