This week has held a crazy amount of milestones for me. I turned fifteen, got my learner’s permit, and passed my Tae Kwon Do full-rank test. All of these things happened in quick succession, one after another. I almost didn’t have time to realize how many things I had just accomplished in three short days. And now that the chaos is over, I find myself wondering, What next?
Turning fifteen wasn’t exactly an accomplishment I can say I worked hard for. It is, however, one of those milestones that I’ve been thinking about for a while. Fifteen is the age where you start high school, learn how to drive, and it really just seemed like the age where everything starts. I’ve been thinking about turning fifteen for a while, and now that I’ve made it, it almost feels surreal.
I also got my learner’s permit for driving this week. Driving is one of those milestones that I almost didn’t really think I would reach. It seemed like something that grown ups did, that I would learn when I was a grown up. And now, I’m learning how to drive, but I don’t feel like a grown up. My mom took me out driving in a church parking lot the day I got my permit, and then I even got to drive on some of the back roads home. It was one of the most amazing, most exhilarating, and most terrifying experiences of my life.
The last milestone that I reached this week was passing my full-rank black belt tests. The testing process in Tae Kwon Do can be complicated and confusing, and it isn’t easy to explain. But I think it will suffice to say that at this test I tested for black belt. On September 26, there is a Major Black Belt test, which is a more formal and ceremonial occasion. However, passing this full-rank black belt test was a surreal experience, because I’ve been working toward this goal for almost five years.
It is incredible how these milestones that I’ve been waiting and working toward for years, all seemed to occur in the same moment. I was turning fifteen, starting to drive, and getting one step closer to earning my black belt, all in three days. Now that I have reached these goals and destinations, I find myself looking forward, thinking, What next?
What new goals will I set? What new milestones will I set for myself? These are questions I am already trying to find answers to, as I believe it’s always important to have a goal in mind. Setting goals and thinking about the future is important, because it lets us always keep striving to improve ourselves, our lives, and how we choose to live them.
These milestones are important ones, that I have been working toward for years. There are always smaller milestones that are being reached daily, and there will always be bigger ones that will take even longer to accomplish. This week, I have reached three of my major milestones. Who knows what I will reach next? Never forget to set goals for yourself, and just as important, always remember to keep reaching for them. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”