Ray Lian, Period 7, 3/9/22

 Ray Lian, Period 7, 3/9/22

Goal Setting & Growth

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

As of right now, I want to get better at running and to incorporate running into my daily routine. I tried out running because it was something that I have always liked and wanted to do since forever. I’ve always found peace and joy while running and I just find it more enjoyable than everything else. Now that I am in my senior year of high school, my schedule has opened up a lot more and so I actually have the time to commit to a hobby. I want to push myself to do something that I know is ultimately going to be healthy for me in the long run. So I joined the track team in our school. I joined with the goals of getting in shape and becoming healthier, but as time passed while I was on the team; I realized that I also wanted to get more speed, endurance, and strength as well. My initial goals are still there, but I found new short-term goals I wanted to reach and complete. Watching everyone else on the team run their best at competitions really motivated me to push myself to fulfill the goals I have set for myself and I know it is going to be a journey worth the time and effort.

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

Throughout the three months I’ve been on the track team, all the workouts have been extremely vigorous, difficult, and tiring for me. It was nothing I’ve ever done before. Prior to joining this team, I could barely run a quarter of a mile without feeling like collapsing. For the first couple of weeks, I felt like my legs were going to fall off, yet I continued to attend practices to do the workouts and recovery runs. I put my mentality in the right place, knowing that I will improve if I continue working hard. Eventually, a couple of months passed, and I was still going to practice and run. I saw results in my abilities to run, though not at the level I want them to be at. But I know that I have been improving and getting stronger. The rewarding feeling I get whenever I see myself approaching my goal little by little is extremely encouraging. I am determined to better myself. The idea of quitting has never crossed my mind since I joined the team because I found something I enjoyed doing.

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

One thing that I have been very conscious about is the fact that I am senior on the team, yet my abilities are subpar for that of a senior. Despite being one of the older members, I always saw and found myself at the bottom of the team. Sometimes it would demotivate me because I could never catch up with the rest of them because this is a sport that requires a lot of time and effort. But after some time of thinking about it, it was the wrong way of approaching it. The toxic mentality of comparing yourself to others and not having the right mindset doesn’t help you reach your goals. So I focused a lot more on my goals and finding joy on my journey to reach them. Whenever I watched my other team members race, I would always get inspired to work harder because I see them at their best and I also want to see myself there.