Nikita Erastov, Period 7, 12/7/21

 Nikita Erastov, Period 7, 12/07/21

 

Goal Setting & Growth

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

I currently have multiple goals in mind, so I will divide them into short term and long term goals. My short term goals are to start going to sleep earlier, finish my college applications, and to continue working on music. I’ve noticed that I haven’t been feeling fully rested lately, which is why I want to try to start getting more sleep every following night in order to get more energy. However, the amount of homework and other responsibilities have been constraints, but I will try to get things done quicker in order to have more time to sleep. College app-wise, I am more than halfway done with submitting all of my applications. My goal is to find time to finish them all by the end of this week or next week. I also want to continue working on music and hopefully create more job opportunities for myself. 

Being a high school senior, my long term goals are to finish the semester strong, get accepted into colleges, and most importantly attend a college with as little financial responsibilities as possible. Colleges still require a senior mid-year report, which is why I don’t want to slack off just yet and contract the so-called “senioritis” this early into the school year; it’s still my responsibility to keep up my grades after colleges don’t require them. I’ve lately been feeling apprehensive about getting into college, since I have a common notion to doubt my own abilities, which is why I am hopeful that I will get into the schools I applied to. Although it’s common to take out a loan to pay for college, I would like to be financially stable as an adult. This is why my school options will also be based on the tuition that I will have to pay to attend. Overall, my goals are based on self improvement and just natural steps that are part of my life at the moment. 

 

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

I demonstrate resilience by thinking of consequences, as well as using a rewards system for myself. I wouldn’t really consider myself closed-minded, but if an assignment is given to me I will not think twice about missing the due date or not completing it at all. I assume my resilience towards most of these goals can be generalized by my personality traits, specifically my morality and consistency. These traits can be applied to each goal I wrote about. For example, if I feel discouraged while working with music, I give it some time and sleep on it, coming back to it the next day. I don’t think about giving up because it would hurt me. 

I also use a rewards system to stay resilient through troubles. If I feel like a goal seems too unattainable at the current moment, I try to think of all the good that will come from completing the goal. For example, I enjoyed procrastinating my college applications, but thinking about all that stress being lifted after I finished made me more motivated to finish them. Speaking of procrastination, I like to reward myself after achieving a goal, whether it be with food or entertainment. This helps me stay motivated to complete other goals. 

 

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

The world around me mainly affects my goal of getting into a good college. In this case, the world around me sets up expectations. My parents hold me to high standards (as they should) and seeing other people around me succeed makes me think of feeling the same way. When I feel discouraged, I look at just about every adult in my personal life and think that if they all managed to succeed in their own ways, then it’s truly possible to follow your own path to get what you want. To add, the college admissions process is filled with stress; just when you think you stand out to colleges with your good grades and extracurricular activities, you start to remember that many other students who are just as qualified as you are applying for the same spot. This perspective makes me feel afraid, but I understand that I will end up going wherever I am supposed to.