Matthew Saw, Period 2, 11/18/20, Day A

• Goal Setting & Growth

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

  Right now, my main goal in life is to get through this difficult and strange period in all of our lives. In a better world, this pandemic would never have happened, and I would have been able to get through my senior year of high school like any other normal year, but we don’t live in that world, and I understand that there are people who much worse off than I am right now, so I know that I have to keep pushing forward. I want to graduate high school and get into college so that I can finally start on my real goal of being able to support myself and pay my family back for everything they’ve done for me. I want to be able to contribute to the world, but to achieve that goal, I first have to be able to achieve the goal of getting through this one specific time in my life where things are just a bit more difficult for me.

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

  I feel like I am demonstrating my resilience towards my goal by continuing to work as hard as I always have. I do my best to make sure that I don’t let the fact that everything is different now affect my work ethic and determination. The school day is spread out across three days now, so that gives us students more time to work on our assignments since they aren’t due for at least three days after they’re assigned, but I always make sure that I do those assignments the day they’re assignments, even if I don’t submit them until later. I also make sure to study for my upcoming tests throughout all of the cycles leading up to it instead of just the cycle or day before I have to take it. I continue to do this because I want make sure I’m not getting lazy, and if I want to achieve my goal of getting through this school year like it’s a normal year, I have to continue working like I would during a normal year.

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

  The way the world is around me right now affects the way I perceive my goals in a major way. The current pandemic is why my main goal right now is what it is. Obviously, the quarantine has made my life more difficult, as it has with most people, but I’ve also found it to be somewhat motivational. Everyday, I see my friends and peers working hard to get good grades and get in college, despite the current situation, and it makes me want to work harder too. As much bad news is shown everyday on the TV, there’s also moments and stories of people coming together to make life better, and that helps me keep moving towards my goals. So in a way, the way the world is right now might have been the reason why I had to shift my goals slightly in the first place, but it’s also what helped me to realize how achievable my original goals really are if I just keep pushing and never give up.