Lesson 01 Hard Goals, Smart Success

영어I-Lesson1-읽기본문.hwp

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Have you written down your New Year’s resolutions? There are many types of resolutions. Every student sets goals to improve his or her life in some way or another. However, they have some difficulties in achieving their goals. What can they do to stay on track? Let’s take a look at three students who have different goals. They need some advice on how to succeed.

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Min Jisu (18)

People say I am smart because I get good grades in my classes. However, they give more praise to my cousin, Yonghun, because he sometimes gets better grades. I have studied past midnight almost every day, but my grades are not improving. It’s frustrating. On the other hand, Yonghun doesn’t seem to study hard. He often gets together with his reading club members or hangs out with his friends on weekends. I thought that I could do anything if I just worked hard. What can I do to get better grades?

A.

Jisu, here are a couple of tips for you. First, make sure the goal is what you really want to achieve. Do you really want to get the best grades for your own satisfaction, or are you just trying to satisfy someone else’s expectations? Figure out what you expect of yourself, and then go for it! Second, many students say they want to improve their grades, but this is not a very specific goal. What kind of grades do you want, and in which subjects? For example, determine which subjects are giving you the most difficulty and set specific goals, like "I will study math for one hour a day."  By making your ultimate goals more specific, you will be able to get results more quickly.

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Steve Denton (18)

My goal is to buy a brand new, top-of-the-line tablet PC. I got my older sister’s laptop computer two years ago, and she had used it for one year. It’s not cool or useful. I can get a brand new tablet PC for $900. I got a part-time job, but I don’t earn much money. I have only saved about $100 a month since February. It will take me almost a year to buy the tablet PC I want! My mom suggested that I buy a cheaper new tablet PC that doesn’t have all the features. But I’m tired of compromising! I want the best!

A.

Steve, it’s very easy to be tempted by nice things that others have. However, remember that these things don’t always bring happiness. Sometimes, they can bring stress: imagine how you would feel if you dropped or lost your new, expensive tablet PC. It wouldn’t cause you as much distress if the PC you broke or lost didn’t cost you nine months’ salary! Also, it’s just not realistic to try and buy everything that we want. Sometimes, it is important to lower our expectations and shoot for things that are within reach. Set realistic goals and you will not be setting yourself up for disappointment.

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Liwen Cheng (18)

I want to get in better shape, but I seem to hate exercising. My mom suggested I use our treadmill at home, but I got bored with it after just one week. Then my dad suggested I go running outdoors with him, but after a few times, my legs really hurt. I started making excuses, and finally my dad stopped asking me to go running with him. I am not seeing any progress on my goal to become more fit.

A.

Liwen, it seems that you get bored too quickly to see any progress. You should join an exercise club or a sports team to find others who are also interested in being fit. By working with other people who are going for the same goal, you will have psychological support, and you might also learn different techniques that will help you achieve your goal. And remember to keep a record of your progress. Note how far you can run every day without stopping and how well you can do a certain exercise day by day. By noting your progress, you can see how your effort is paying off, and you won’t get bored!

As you can see, there are many ways to overcome obstacles in achieving your goals. You can adjust your goals, or break your big goal into a series of smaller ones. Every small success you have on the way will get you closer to your ultimate goal. Every failure you have on your way will teach you something valuable about yourself, and make your final success that much sweeter!