I have only a few goals for the up coming month, but the goal that I have that I am sticking to the most is obtaining level 3 and maintaing it.  Of course I want to graduate this program but what is working for me is taking every little step one little step at a time.  What I am doing at the time to move towards this goal I am handing out corrections, being a leader, and assisting staff.  But I am willing to do what I must to advance towards my goals.

I set a lot of smart goals for myself, because I realize by looking to far into the future I can’t see the present.  With School my goal is to double if not triple my track every week.  I want to be finished with school before june.  I also want to be finished with geometry by the end of this month.  For my program, I had voted up yesterday.  I want to be an upper level, and not just a good one but a great one.  By following and enforcing high standards, yet still being able to sit down and talk to my peers that I have been where they have been, I do this now, yet I feel I can still do more.  Communication with my parents, I made a goal that for this letter, I am going to let my pride down.  My parents and I have been on an ongoing cycle of let’s move on.  But before, I do I just want to say this; I am going to let my pride down and explain to my dad how I feel but without adding my two cents in the mix.  It is time for someone to take the initative and I am going to be the bigger person.  This I know will assist us in getting somewhere.  This month, I have a phone call only with my dad for the first time. I want to write in my letter what I would like to address, and state what he would like to address.  In Feburary, both my parents will be on the phone, we will be able to address everything out in the open.  In order to achieve these goals, I set that I will need to stay focused.  When school gets hard don’t give up, ask for assistance.  I also don’t want to get stressed out over little things.  I have been working on that, and I see it really helps.  I know it does get stressful on upperlevels but I know that I can make it through to a brighter day.  Above all patience, especially with my family.  Somethings my dad states I don’t agree with but I know we can work things out over time.  Something with my mom, even though somethings she says makes me sign deeply, I know she loves me.  These are the main goals that I am focused on right now, school, program and communication.  With the tools that I have obtained, I know that I will be able to achieve them.

My immediate goals for the month are to go to discovery and graduate it.  I’m going to accomplish this by going to discovery and doing what I have to do while in the seminar.  I’m going to be level 2 and keep it.  I’ll reach it by lowering my correction intake and following the rules.  I’m going to focus on my attitude because sometimes I don’t realize I give it when I do.  I’m going to reach this by not letting my attitude take over and just fight it.   Also going to continue to work with my parents, when something bugs me tell them how I really feel about it don’t avoid the issue.  Work hard at school by doing my work to the best and ask for help if I need it instead of avoiding that class.  Lean how to recongize my problems.

Coming home for me is one of the scariest things I can imagine.  Sometimes I try and convince myself that it will not be hard and life will be so much more simple after my program.  The only problem is that I am a recovering addict.  There are drugs every where in this world.  No matter what town you live in or which state you reside in.  Being in Ivy Ridge is a blessing for me, to be able to live in a sober and structured enviornment is extactly what I needed.  Everyday I wake up as a happy young man whose purpose is to help himself and others while showing his individuality.  But out in the streets its a whole new story, there are drugs around every corner.  I know my parents are scared about the possiblity that I might fall back into my old habits, but I am terrified.  We are taught that fears should never run us and I am a strong believer of that concept.  But what I went through at home to me was a living nightmare, being unable to sleep because my body was so strung up on cocaine, or not being able to be there for my family because I was too drunk.  I have dug myself into a hole and the only way out is to climb through my program and back to where it all began.  Life is too short to spend it messed up on drugs and that is my biggest fear.  To fall back into a life of hatred and depression would be the most painful thing that I could ever endure.

My fears about returning home is that I am not going to be trusted right away and that is going to create a lot of anger for me.  I am so scared to go home because I think that people will not meet my family expectations and I will not have any friends to hang out with.  There are not always going to be people that are nice and warm hearted like the family reps, directors and all of the other staff here at the Academy at Ivy Ridge.  I know that God will always be my friend and love me no matter what.  Also my parents, my parents have been very supportive of me while I have been at the Academy.  Over all my biggest fear is being around the non-working people with in society.

A goal is something of value you want to accomplish.  They’re as simple of challenging as you want to make them.  For me a goal is a promise to myself, a way for me to challenge myself to get more out of life.  I set weekly goals to push myself in school and with my peer but a challenging goal in which I strive my hardest in is my relationship with my parents.  As an immediate goal I am always looking for ways to improve relationships with my family.  At home I consistantly chose friends, alcohol and drugs over the ones who loved me the most, my family.  Being here at Academy Ivy Ridge, I’ve noticed my poor choices and work to improve them.  As someone wise once told me you learn more from your set backs than you do your success.

My Goal is to work on that, my set backs.  I want to become a family of strong unity, re-build the broken bridge of trust, be and stay respectful to those who care so much about me to see I wasn’t on the road to success.  This goal may sound challenging and at times I feel it may be impossbile but I keep an open mind and continue working on it.  I work through bringing up poor choices, learning from my se backs.  Being a respectful and hardworking kid in my program.

My immediate goals for the next month are to work for level two and prepare myself to get level 3 before my birthday, which is in march, so I can have a phone call with my mother.  To reach my goal to do this, I plan to take myself out of positions, participate more in morning group, and be more quiet.  I know exactly what I need to work on and the rules that I constantly break, so now I just have to focus on not breaking those rules, and following them.  I will work my butt off for the remainder of January, and the entire month of February.

My Goals for the next month are to become level 3 and pass my track for 3 more weeks.  I’m going to work for these goals by first being more comfortable with me and accomplishing level 3 for me not others.  Because somtimes I do things for others and accomplishing level 3  because it’s something I can do on my own and it’s not like they just hand it to me, it’s putting effort in to it, making myself proud and building better relationships for passing my track 3 more weeks in a row, because I have been slacking lately in school.  I don’t always put my all into it and even at home I didn’t put my all into school.  I don’t always pass my track.  When I do feel like I accomplished something and I actually like school I just struggle in the same classes.  I know I can sit there and study for like 20 minutes and then ask if somebody can quiz me, I can also get peer help and teacher help whenever I am struggling, because I want to get around 2 or more units done with in a month, usually it takes me a while to get just one unit done.