Learning sleeps and snores in libraries, but wisdom is everywhere, wide awake, on tiptoe.
--Josh Billings
My Teen Challenge
by Chloe
My parents and I set a bunch of goals when I hit 12.5 years. I have to complete them within six months, by my 13 birthday. It is a difficult challenge and I am getting close to my birthday. It is becoming very stressful during this last month because I have to complete a bunch of goals before time is up.
I had to complete goals in several categories. For example - I have intellectual, physical, courage, humanitarian, social and financial goals. For my intellectual goal, I have to write a story of 3000 words with a protagonist, an antagonist and a clear conflict with resolution. That may not seem like a lot, but it is when you wait until the last minute.
I have to run 200 miles and do three pull-ups for my physical goals. I don't have to run the 200 miles all at once obviously, but I did blow the first two months of the challenge and now have to run every day to meet this goal.
When (not "if") I complete everything, I get a Visa Debit card that has $250 dollars loaded on it every three months and I get a special gift to recognize the extraordinary effort I put in. The bad thing about the Visa Debit card is that I have to buy all of my clothes, shoes, school supplies, fun stuff, movies out with my friends, even my own underwear and socks. That adds up in the end.
I think the teen challenge has convinced me not to procrastinate. If I could start my challenge over, I probably would. I would plan it better, so I’d have time to relax every now and then and not be cramming here at the end.
Let me know what you think.