Personal Goals (Extended)
Learning Electric Guitar—Overcoming Self-Doubt
I never considered myself naturally talented in music. When I was back in my home country, my sister and I bought an acoustic guitar, and I never could play it even when I tried following YouTube videos online.
However, this time, when I decided to learn the electric guitar, I approached it differently. I came across the concept of the growth mindset from an article I read. The idea of growth mindset resonated with me: it suggests that effort, not innate talent, is the key to improvement. This mindset emphasizes that anyone can develop their abilities over time through perseverance and continuous effort, regardless of their starting point. This was a major shift in how I viewed my abilities.
With this mindset, I committed to consistent practice, even if progress seemed slow at times. I embraced mistakes as part of the learning process, rather than as signs of failure. I learned to appreciate small improvements, like mastering a chord or playing a simple song without looking at the fretboard. It didn’t matter how long it took; what mattered was that I was pushing through the challenges.
This journey has taught me that perseverance matters more than talent. I may never be a professional musician, but I’m proving to myself that I can improve at anything if I put in the effort.
Breaking the Procrastination Habit
Procrastination has always been my biggest enemy. I constantly push tasks to "tomorrow," only to feel overwhelmed later. Initially, I thought it was just laziness, but I came to realize that it was not about being lazy, but I was avoiding discomfort and uncertainty.
Psychologists describe procrastination as a self-regulation failure, often driven by fear of failure. Instead of admitting I was afraid, I told myself I was "just not in the mood." Overtime, I learned that procrastination is linked to deeper psychological concepts, such as low self-esteem and low self-efficacy, which are covered in my textbook.
These concepts relate to the self-worth you tie yourself into, and the sense of competence that you could achieve your tasks. Although I do not believe I have low self-esteem or low self-efficacy, I have noticed that when I am faced with a task that I am unfamiliar with, my self-esteem and self-efficacy tend to dip. In these situations, I doubt my ability to succeed, which causes me to delay taking action.
It is not an easy habit to break, and I still struggle with procrastination. But I am trying to shift my mindset from waiting to feel motivated to starting despite discomfort.
Reducing Unproductive Screen Time
I enjoy video games and social media, but I noticed that too much screen time leaves me feeling drained and unproductive. I wanted to reduce mindless scrolling and gaming without completely cutting them out.
In an article I read, it shows that social media is indeed designed to be addictive. The article discusses the addiction-like symptoms observed in social media users, drawing comparisons with addictions to substances like alcohol and cigarettes.
I also experience this firsthand, it seems that whenever I spend a lot of time playing video games or social media, and I go about my day, it seems that it overstimulates my brain and makes the normal tasks boring, which may lead me to go back into scrolling social media or playing video games.
Recognizing this pattern, I decided to take action. To regain control, I started setting specific screen time limits. For gaming, I schedule certain playtimes instead of using it as a default escape. By doing so, I’ve created a more intentional approach to these activities, which helps me stay focused and productive throughout the day.
t’s still a challenge to stick to these boundaries, especially on days when I feel overwhelmed or bored. However, on the days when I successfully implement these changes, I notice a significant improvement in my focus and overall productivity.
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