Gabrielle Alwi

February 15, 2014

English 1121

Personal Narrative First Draft

Everyone who wants to be successful is best to have a goal. A goal is defined as an aim or a desire; it can also mean a destination of journey. Everyone should have a goal. Goals can be long, short, temporary, or even a lifetime. I make goals to help myself work harder and aim higher. I believe in short term goals because its simple to achieve and it makes me plan another goal and it is very beneficial. All my life people judge me about how I grew up or what I have or even about my ideas. I also set standards to make me a better than I was before. I want to be a better person day after day and I know I will face challenges. Dealing with challenges is part of having goals. There’s always the road bump or stumbling block in every situations; I always face them and it always appears every goal I try to achieve.

My parents are from Indonesia and came to America in the early 1990’s. My dad traveled around the world during his life; he was a sailor and when he met my mom they moved to America and started a family here. For them moving to America and starting a family was a big step because it was a challenge. They wanted a better life, living in Indonesia was dangerous and it was hard to survive their so, they decided to work hard and had a goal to raise my brother and I well so that we can have a great future. I don’t remember my exact childhood but I had what I need. I wasn’t spoiled; I wasn’t a “brat,” I was the normal kid that was into music. Since I was 4, I was very into Music and so my parents supplied me with instruments. From having a drum set to several guitars. From there I new what my hobby was.  I knew I had a passion for music and I wanted that to be my goal.

I didn’t know there was rankings or levels in this life. Growing up, especially in high school, people thought of things different and I realized that they had their own standards in ways of thinking. I had friends who took things more serious than others. I also had the friends who priorities certain things more. When it came to me, I realized I didn’t have standards; I didn’t know what to expect when things came. Throughout my four years old high school, I learned a lot and did things differently. I told myself I wanted to this a certain way, or I expected from my friends a certain because I had standards. At first I thought setting standards would make me arrogant or ignorant but when I realized it, it doesn’t. Instead, I learn a lot from it and grow maturely day after day. Setting standards helps me set my goals because it motivates me and reminds me who I am and where I came from.

Without challenges in my life, I don’t seem to learn anything. I face challenges everyday of my life. At first it didn’t seem that I am facing anything, but after a while I realize I face them automatically. I don’t put myself into one, it just happens.  Most of my challenges turn into goals and it seems difficult at first but I approach it as a goal, not a challenge. For example, learning how to make new friends or learning how to keep a conversation going; I make these my goals in life if it is a challenge for me. Some challenges I cant’ face on my own, therefore the friends I trust the most that make me a better person help me accomplish them. These challenges are helpful in my life and even though it is time consuming and lots of sacrifice, at the end I look back at it and see if I did it once, I could do it twice.

Any body can set goals, but to achieve them and reach them is something else. Reaching my goals makes me realize how hard I wok and how focus I am into achieving the goals I set. It takes a lot of changes and adjustments and even sacrifice through the journey of one goal. Goals can be short term, long term and even temporary goals. Goals are meant to achieve over time and be proud of the accomplishment. I have many goals in life. Since I just started college last semester, the standards has ben raised higher and the type of challenges has change again.