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2. I made a commitment to myself when I was in tenth grade to not drink soda for a month. I realized and was trying to acknowledge that I had an addiction to Coca Cola for my whole life and I wanted to make a change. I decided that if I stopped drinking soda for thirty days then I would lose my dependency on it. Since soda was around a lot, my mom drinks it all the time, and there were opportunities at get-togethers, it made it quite difficult. Mentally, I really craved it and just wanted it because it was nice to have with meals. I didn't like the bland water I was drinking but after a few weeks of making it through I started actually enjoying the water and feeling better. I got through the commitment I made and I was really proud of myself.

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1. My most challenging course is College Algebra this semester. The subject itself is probably my toughest. Ever since easy math went away it has been my biggest struggle with school, until Physics came along. The fact that it's a hybrid class probably doesn't help. I don't like how much information I have to learn and that it is not easy stuff to comprehend or remember. I like visual things and being able to see facts and phrases but math is all conceptual. It's so hard for to me to ingrain it in my brain.

2. Next time I take this course, I will do a regular face-to-face class and try to pick a different teacher that more understands my needs of students like me.

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B. I am off course in college. I was planning on graduating with my AA in May of 2016 but because I am failing my math course that is no longer possible. In order to get off course I need to reevaluate my plans and figure out what the best choice is for me. I think I may apply to UCF instead of getting my AA and see where I can go from there. The lesson the University of Life is trying to teach me is to learn to adapt to different situations and not give up completely.

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My Personal Rules for Success in College and in Life

1. Be on time.

2. Study with others. 

3. Don't procrastinate on homework.

4. Keep a planner for all your assignments.

5. Start on bigger assignments early.

6. Prioritize by doing the harder things first.

7. Ask questions when you are lost.

8. Ask for help from your peers.

2. I like my rules, I think these will help a lot in my success for college and life. My rule that is most important to me is #4 because keeping a planner and writing my to-do's and assignments really keep me on course and helps me not forget what I have to work on next.

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IG: In what area of your life are you off course?
Me: I'm not learning the stuff I want to, like web design.
IG: Would you like to say more about that? (Expansion)
Me: I feel like I'm often busy doing other things and I'm scared I won't do well with it.
IG: What self-defeating thought patterns of yours may have contributed to this situation?
Me: I think they are other people who are smarter and better than me at this so it feels like it could be a waste.
IG: Why do you think that? (Clarification)
Me: I've always grown up being insecure with myself at least a little, and I have a constant confidence level to where I feel like I can't achieve things.
IG: Interesting. A lot of people go through that insecurity. What different thoughts could you choose to get back on course?
Me: I could choose to think and remember that I have a nice goal at my age and not many people know exactly what they're doing or what they want, and I do have some experience that I need to just build on.
IG: What self-defeating emotional patterns could have contributed?
Me: I get worried and nervous when projects seem to big or the stuff seems to complicated. I'm not sure if I could do it.
IG: So you want things to always be clear to you.
Me: Yes. It scares me when I don't get something.
IG: That's understandable, but it is all part of the process. Everybody has to go through learning. What different emotions can you choose?
Me: I can choose to be thankful for knowing what I want to do and happy that I have great resources to do it.

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1. One self-defeating behavior pattern I have is that I get really distracted by just scrolling through social media on my iPhone. Even though I barely watch TV, this is something that also wastes a good chunk of time when you add it all up. Instead of doing homework, I might just lay down on my bed and scroll through Facebook or look through my Instagram feed, or watch videos of cute babies or something. This habit is definitely because of how easy it is to get distracted with technology these days. When I was younger, or even two years ago, I did not yet have a smartphone so scrolling through Facebook while laying down in bed is something I didn't even have an option of doing. The effects this has on my life is that there is a lot of time wasted that I could be using to better myself and work on my goal. If I changed this, I feel like I'd be a lot closer to doing the job I want.

2. One of the self-defeating thought patterns I have is that I wonder if I have the discipline to be a web designer or am even good enough to do it. When I have a lot of time my brain goes to this and it thinks further down the road and looks at a future where it is not possible. What may have caused this is that there are so many adults who are not doing what they love, so I think about that and how it could definitely be an outcome for me. This has caused me to be unsure when I start tasks that work toward my goal. If I improved this pattern, I could probably get more stuff done that has to do with my goal and get further and further.

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1. Earlier this year I was off course in my work life because I took offense to a lot of things and took everything too seriously. I was making choices that was all about myself, or rather thinking about only myself, in these work situations and not about other people around me. I started going to church and giving my life to God, and that's what helped me get back on course. It was definitely difficult making changes in my daily life to calm down and just acknowledge that I need to put everyone else before myself. I was able to stick with going to church with my good friends and being in that positive environment gave me weekly reminders about what is most important in life. As a result of this change, I became a lot happier of a person and even though I did go through struggles during that season of my life, the most important thing is that I found what I actually wanted from life. If I hadn't made this change, I definitely feel like I might be depressed today.

2. Today, I am off course in learning web design, which is what I want to do as a career. I finally left that job I was at and realized it wasn't as important to me as I thought it was. It was a fun place to work but it largely hindered what I actually wanted to do. After getting to know God I realized that money isn't as important as I think it to be and I need to just slow down and look at my priorities. I wanted to work as much as I could just to get the number in my bank account higher. After realizing that wasn't what was making me happy, I knew I had to leave my job and now I am going to work on myself and teach myself skills that'll get me the job that I would love to have in the future.