Alexandra Doyle, Period 7, 12/6/21

 Goal Setting & Growth

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

The pandemic seemed to take the last bit of motivation out of me, and for the first time in my life, I struggled with school. Last year was a nightmare, and while I’m thankful it is behind me, the effects of it still haunt me. My procrastination habits and sleeping patterns have gotten worse, with me falling asleep as soon as I get home from school because of how emotionally and physically drained I am. During junior year, I had also stopped eating and taking care of myself, and didn't realize how out of the norm my situation was until I went back to school full time. I tried to just jump right back into what my routine used to be, and am still feeling the effects of it 4 months into the school year. You might be wondering what this has to do with my goals, but actually, my goals are based off of what happened to me that year. One, is to eat healthier and workout more, and two, is to focus on school and limit distractions. Procrastination has always been a huge issue for me personally, but ever since the pandemic first started, it only got worse. With the block schedule, I got used to not having three extra days to do my work, but three extra days to procrastinate. To make matters worse, there was another issue. Another side effect of quarantine; The need to be constantly entertained. My screen time was and still is off the charts, with me consuming media and entertainment like I’m starved of it. That certainly doesn’t help with my procrastination problem. I guess to sum it up, my goals are just to focus on myself, and achieve a healthier relationship with my routine after the last traumatic year.  

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

For me, September was by far the hardest month. It was the first month back, and was actually going pretty well until the lack of sleep and shock of it all hit me. As I mentioned before, I was falling asleep and taking five hour naps right after school, waking up just in time to do my homework the minute before it was due (literally). Honestly, that major change in my schedule made me realize that I had to take action. I have cut down on my screen time by at least 4 hours a day since then, and that 4 hours has given me ample time to do my homework and finish it earlier. Even when I had tests the next day and really wanted to turn on Youtube instead of studying, I would remember how awful that first month of school was for me mentally, and that would be enough to persevere and get my work done. As for working out, starting Fitness class again has made me feel a whole lot healthier, especially since I started taking the workouts home with me again. My mom and I do them together, and she has definitely given me encouragement to stick with my goals and habits. All in all, I’m proud of how focused I am again, and while I’m not one hundred percent back to my pre-quarantine level, I can confidently say that I’ve been working hard, and it’s been paying off, both in my health and in my grades.

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

Having been through quarantine with the rest of the world, it actually helped me realize that I am  not alone in my struggles, but that they are shared with a lot of people, including my friends and family. My family and I make workout and diet plans together. My friends and I constantly discuss how to study, share materials, and talk about how we all need to sleep more. I even see helpful articles online about how to adjust to normal life again. Usually, the world around you can project opinions and images that might negatively affect how you feel about yourself, but, in regards to these goals, I am actually encouraged everyday. I even go online and see famous celebrities and other people I admire going through the same things that I am going through, and that gives me more motivation to achieve my goals. Through the shared experience with the rest of the world, I perceive my goals as obtainable and worthy of achieving.