Guest Blog by Jenna Giulioni
The following post is an article that my 15-year-old daughter wrote for her high school newspaper. It strikes me that we adults might benefit from this teenage wisdom on how to reach our goals.
As the new school year fast approaches, there are two types of people, those praying for summer not to end and those who are looking forward to a fresh new start. The beginning of the school year is the kid version of the real New Year. Resolutions are made, although often not as officially. ‘I’m gonna get all A’s!’ ‘I will be organized all year.’ ‘I am going to study extra hard for every test!’
As good as the intentions are, usually those big goals get tossed to the side and forgotten after a matter of weeks. The things that seemed so important suddenly fall second to the newest America’s Next Top Model episode or a simple case of laziness. Those expectations slip further and further away until the memory of them is gone and the whole process is repeated next year.
So, what are some ways for the important goals for this year not to slip away?
1. “Don’t be afraid.” -Isabella, Sophomore
At the end of the day, the only thing that can hold a person back is themselves. Sometimes you are afraid to fail or afraid of what others will think. But when it all comes down to it, you only have yourself to deal with… it only matters whether or not you tried.
2. “Push yourself.” -Alma, Junior
You will never find out what you can achieve without pushing yourself to your limits. Take the honors or AP class, try out for that sport, talk to those new people. You will never know what you can do until you try it.
3. “Remind yourself of why you made your goals.” -Sarah, Sophomore
Sometimes, the biggest problem with moving forward is forgetting why you wanted to do it in the first place. Try writing down why you want to reach your goals, whether it’s for college, your family, or just for yourself. Even the most focused person will have their down days and need their memory jogged.
4. “Don’t psych yourself out.” -Dashel, Sophomore
Of course your goals are important, but they are not the whole world. And although it is preferable to stay directly on course and hit your goals right away, that won’t always happen. Prepare for setbacks, not everything will be perfect, but in the end, you can do it.
Very fun article. Glad to see my favorite girls working together!
Thanks, Nick. You set a good example for her on the newspaper!
Julie – how wonderful that Jenna is exercising her writing muscles at an early age. It will server her well.
Jenna – your article was well-written and interesting to read. From one writer to another – keep up writing! It’s a fine craft and one that you will use your entire life.
Thank you, Mrs. Miller. That means a lot coming from a real author…. not just my mom. Jenna
That’s really great.
here comes one more aggressive super soul from same DNA (Just kidding).. i have to admit that i never got such a beautiful thoughts. in-spite being busy always in this fast forward life forgetting that we do have soft play button. i really like first(Push yourself.” -Alma, Junior) and last (Don’t psych yourself out.” -Dashel, Sophomore) if every future leaders follows this two points. then they will reach real heights.
All the very best “Jenny”
thank you julie for introducing us your diamond.