Amy Li, PD2, 10/20/20, Day A

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

    The goals that I have for myself currently are to focus on my schoolwork and to stop spreading myself thin. Focusing on schoolwork is one of my current goals because nowadays, schooling is conducted online. This has posed to be a great problem for me because online school simply does not feel like school. For me, school means walking from class to class, meeting and talking with your friends, and physically participating in a class lesson. All of this is not captured in a typical online school lesson as I stay seated facing a computer screen, clicking another class's Zoom link after a class ends, seeing my friends through small rectangles on my screen, and clicking the unmute button in order to speak. As a result, I often feel myself getting distracted and not engaging in learning. But since this situation is not likely to change anytime soon, I made it my goal to put more focus on my schoolwork and adapt to school as it is now.

    A bad habit of mine that has always reared its head when I overload myself with work is spreading myself thin across the work. When many things need my attention, such as college applications and homework, I try to take both tasks on at the same time. Often times, this leads to me switching between the two tasks frequently within a short period of time. As a result, I get nothing done because my focus is divided on two different things. So, I have made it my goal to stop spreading myself thin and instead focus on one thing at a time.

    

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

    For my first goal, I have started to mentally prepare myself to focus before the class starts. I also try to get rid of any distractions that may be near me. So far, this has worked well. I find myself understanding more of the lesson material and more engaged in schoolwork. As for my second goal, when I notice myself focusing on many things at once, I leave the computer chair and take a break. I clear my mind by doing some exercise and yoga. When I come back, I decide on the most urgent task and only focus on that.

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

    The world around me has affected my perception of my goals by motivating me and offering me solutions. Whenever I feel like I can't ever get myself to focus on school, I think of my friends and my brother. My friends are also enduring the same situation, yet they are learning and doing well. During my brother's online classes, I see him actively taking notes and trying to understand the lesson material. This motivates me to do the same and work hard to achieve my goal. When my head feels like it is about to explode, I recall the relaxation and calmness I felt during yoga in online gym class and aim to recreate that. The world around me has made me think my goals are achievable and that all I need to do is work hard.