Alyssa Abed, Period 8, 12/1/21

 Alyssa Abed, Period 8, 12/1/21 Modern Mythology 2022

Goal Setting & Growth

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

I have so many goals for myself that, at times, it can be a little overwhelming. First and foremost, as generic as it sounds, my main goals are college related. I admit, I’ve put off a lot of the college work I have to do, and with only about a month remaining to get it all done, I’ve begun to stress out. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to stop putting it off because applications aren’t going anywhere. I think a part of it has to do with my reluctance to move on to that next stage of my life. Regardless, the pressure is on and, as of now, I’m going to have to go into work mode for this next month. I started over this thanksgiving break actually, locked myself in my room and worked all day, for 3 straight days. It’s been draining. It’s especially hard trying to balance finishing my college work and all of the schoolwork that keeps piling up on top of that. While this all sounds pretty bleak, honestly, I’m pushing through, because I know that this is only temporary. As my dad says, hard work and dedication. Changing the narrative a bit, I do have other goals that are important to me: my book list, participating more in class, and prioritizing my mental health. One of my goals is to participate more in class. Sophomore year was my best year in terms of participation, as I had fully adjusted to being in highschool and enjoyed most of my classes (without russian class, maybe it would have been all). But then, covid hit. I don’t know what happened or why, but this year I find it really hard to participate. English has always always been my favorite class and in every English class I’ve been a very frequent participant. So much so that I would get the “anybody else besides Alyssa want to answer?” from my English teachers. But now, ironically, I find English the hardest class to participate in. I don’t know why. It’s weird, because by no means am I a shy person. I have things to say, and yet, I can’t seem to get myself to raise my hand. The days that I do try to push myself, I’m filled with dread and anxiety. But, I’m working on it and I’ve made progress, so I’m not worried about it. Another one of my goals is to just prioritize my mental health when I need to and let myself take breaks. My last goal, and my favorite one, is to finish my reading list. Last

 New Years I made a single resolution: read 24 books throughout the year. A couple of days ago I finished the Handmaid’s Tale, my 23rd book. One more to go. I’m thinking for 2022 I’ll double that number. Ambitious, I know.

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

Like I said before about my college goals, they’re overwhelming. It’s a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but, like I said, I’m not letting it get to me. I know that this stress is only temporary. I’m a big advocate of the saying “time flies”, because it sure as hell does. I know that before I know it, I’ll be looking back on December and wondering how I’m already in January, or February for that matter. Just how I know I’m going to be looking back at this blog while I’m writing my third one and thinking “wow, it feels like it was just the other day that I was writing this”. So yeah, this month is going to suck, but it’s only a month of my life and I know I can get through it. I would say that my resilience comes from my optimism. For my other goal, participating more, I’m feeling quite optimistic, because I know that I’m going to get there eventually, I’m just taking it at my own pace. I’m not going to give up, especially because I know I’m capable of it. I’ve done it before. When I feel like I’m getting overwhelmed, I just tell myself to take things one step at a time. And that’s exactly what I’m doing to achieve these goals. As for prioritizing my mental health, I’d say it’s less of a goal--as I’ve achieved it--and more of a reminder. I want to continue to prioritize it and take a step back when I need to.

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

Most obviously, my peers around me have impacted my perception of my goals as they’ve shown me that it is possible to achieve them. Sure, we’re all different--we may come from different backgrounds, have different capabilities, and, of course, have different goals--but still, we all share in the goal to do our best. Seeing everyone around me driven to do their best, motivates me to do mine. Yes, at times, these same peers disencourage me, because how can I compete? But, overall, they help drive me to do my best because I know that if they can do it, so can I. My friends, especially, help me recognize my potential and push me to achieve my goals as we work alongside each other. As I mentioned earlier, one of my dad's favorite sayings is:

 hard work and dedication. With no other context. Oftentimes, as I’m doing homework he’ll just come up to me and say “hard work, dedication” followed by approving nods and nothing more. I’m not sure if he’s acknowledging my hard work and dedication or simply offering advice, either way, I’ve taken those words to heart. That’s why I know that with hard work and dedication I can push past any challenge and get through any rough patch before I know it.