Nethya Samarakkodige, 2/25/21, PD 8, Day C

Nethya Samarakkodige
Period 8
2/25/21
Day C
Modern Mythology 2021 

Goal Setting and Growth

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

At this point in time, my goals mostly revolve around improving myself in terms of how I spend my time, my mental health, and staying motivated. About a year ago, I was enjoying quarantine by spending most of my time watching movies and killing time however I saw fit, without worrying about myself or being productive. After months in the same situation, I’ve chosen to create new goals for myself and improve aspects of myself that I previously accepted without trying to change. For example, a challenge that I used to disregard was my self-confidence, which was made worse with all of the time I spent on social media. Currently, one of my goals is to pay more attention to my self-care by improving my diet, setting aside time to exercise everyday, and making changes to my daily routine to improve my mental health and self-image. In terms of academic goals, I want to focus more on the upcoming AP Exams and continue putting effort into my school and classwork. As the end of the year comes closer, it is difficult to stay motivated and continue working, especially since college applications have already been submitted which is one of the most difficult parts of senior year. 

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

I demonstrate resilience towards achieving my goals by finding ways to stay motivated and reasons to keep improving, both academically and personally. I try to stay resilient by allowing myself to take breaks in order to maintain my positive mindset about improving and prevent myself from burning out. By knowing when to stop and taking mental breaks to do things that help me de-stress, like listen to music, I maintain my motivation and push myself to keep going. I found that one of the most draining aspects of quarantine was that every day followed a very similar routine and it felt like an endless cycle. This routine becomes boring very quickly and it’s difficult to stay productive when it feels repetitive. In order to avoid falling into a boring routine, I try to find different activities to incorporate into my day or plan something that I can look forward to. I also try to plan ahead by creating schedules for each day with time allocated for both productivity and to relax. Most importantly, I try to keep a positive mindset and trust myself to make progress. 

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

In terms of my personal goals relating to my self-confidence and mental health, the world around me has both positive and negative effects. Social media provides a lot of resources to improve mental health and yourself, but there are also a lot of intimidating standards and expectations that are challenging. It is also a huge distraction from school work and is one of the reasons I procrastinate so much. Also, remote learning and staying at home for long periods of time have changed my perception of my goals because I am more optimistic about achieving them. I feel like I have more than enough time and energy to make my goals become a reality, which keeps me motivated and gives me more to look forward to in the future.