Paul Smolensky, Period 2, 12/22/22

Goal Setting & Growth

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

At this current point in time, my specific goal is a successful college application. This is important to me because an education in a good college will provide me with knowledge and skills I need to achieve my long-term career ambitions. These ambitions are very important to me because I believe that the work I want to perform is, hopefully, one of the most important medical breakthroughs in human history. If I, and like-minded professionals are successful, then the medical field will be propelled into a new era. I demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal by staying focused, organized, and dedicated to my task. I set aside time to complete my application, research my chosen career and universities, and financial aid opportunities, even when this leads me to have less time to devote to personal activities. Resilience is crucial to me for multiple reasons. First, on a more basic level, I need to devote time to this task if I wish to be successful. The work will not perform itself, and I need to allocate appropriate resources to ensure that I have everything finished by the deadline. On a more personal level, I think that high school is a time where we sample true adult life for the first time, while still having the safety net of parental and scholastic support. I think that facing this challenge and having the willpower to do what needs to be done, despite not wanting to, is a very important skill to cultivate, as it will be vital in our later lives. The world around you affects my perception of this goal in a number of ways, both positive and negative. On the one hand, talking about my goal with friends, family, and professionals such as the SITHS College Office allows me to gain valuable insight into the process and its place in my life. These different perspectives and avenues of information allow me to make an informed decision. On the other hand, the world also makes my task harder. With costs rising by the day, I seriously need to consider financial independence, and how exactly I will achieve this goal with my chosen career. I need to ensure that the work I will perform for the rest of my life is not only fulfilling but profitable. This is how the world affects my perception of my path forward.