5 Lessons I Wish I Knew In Seventh Grade
When I was in seventh grade, I was really miserable. I had only one friend, was clumsy, awkward, and about one hundred pounds overweight. I grew out of it, but it was hard, and a long process.
Now I’m a freshman in high school, and I decided to recap the struggles I had and hopefully remove them for me, or anyone reading this.
1. You Get What You Give
Something I am still struggling with even now is staying persistent in an activity, even if I really don’t want to do it at the moment. But it’s going to pay off exactly as hard and as much as I try, as little or as much as that is.
Running in Cross Country right now has showed me my potential, and it’s shown me that I can go even farther and even harder, but only if I take the steps that I can in the moment, even and especially if it involves me wanting to throw up at the end. All to get a measly ten seconds less.
There is no shortcut to any place worth going.
-Beverly Sills
2. Use Your Tools
In seventh and eighth grade, I hated the first ten minutes of gym. We were just sitting for attendance, and the people sitting next to me weren’t very compatible. So I just sat there, bored. It occurred to me one day to read during this time, and suddenly it was one of my most favorite and most productive times of the day, where I had literally nothing to do but read or work on homework.
Use whatever you can to make things better for yourself, to get more work done, to make a process easier, maybe just not to be bored, and indirectly, to have more time to do what you want, to be more relaxed, and to set yourself up for success.
And there definitely are lots of sources and tools for these. Google Music offers thousands of podcasts, absolutely free. If I wanted to get into film making, my library offers cameras and microphones and computers, all available to check out with just a library card. Deciding to see a therapist and getting a new perspective can only help you with an issue. And the list goes on.
3. Do What You Want
Throughout the spring of 2018, I kept wanting to start running on a soccer track right outside of my neighborhood. But I kept being held back. What if I saw people from school, and they were in a group, and they laughed at how pathetic or stupid I looked by myself? But I finally convinced myself to go one day. It felt great, and I did not see a single person from my school, or anyone I knew at all. It was the stepping stone for the program I made for myself of running thirty minutes a day. Experimenting helped me improve my life in a department.
It won’t always work out, and it’s fine if it doesn’t. The point is, challenge your beliefs, and you will benefit from it eventually.
4. Write (and Plan) It Out
Writing out your thoughts can help you turn a swirl of vaguely related thoughts into a definite plan. I found it could make things much more neat and organized, and clear and concise.
Having a straightforward plan will get more results, because you know exactly what you want, and hopefully how you’ll get there.
I want to get better grades by the end of the month.
Strategies:
- I’ll work on homework from 5 to 6 every night.
- I’ll ask Mrs. B about how I can get extra credit.
- I’ll talk to Teddy about the math problems I don’t know how to do.
5. Don’t Waste Your Time
I used to always waste my weekends on things I hated, and I hated myself for it. I wasn’t interested, and I didn’t get anything out of it. And I was absolute terrified of the idea of living another summer like this.
Then I decided to turn the occasional habits that I did sometimes into a regulated activity, to try to make something of myself.
I’m still working on it, but instead of flopping around on the living room couch like I did a year ago, I’m working on my Spanish or doing strength training or cleaning the kitchen.
As you live, you’ll phase out of things, and you’ll find new things that you love. Just make sure that you don’t waste your time, and that you are enjoying yourself. Besides that, make the most out of your time!