The reason for everything that you do is: the future. You want a better future right? One that’s as stress-free, care-free, easy, and fun as possible. You want to be successful at what you do and love it. So:

Don’t forget that everything you do will help towards the future. And success is impossible without hard work. When you feel like dropping everything and quitting, remember there’s a big picture, and at the end of every hard road, there’s a wholesome reward. Do whatever you need to keep yourself inspired. Think of others. Your parents, your friends, your family. Your pride. What of it? You should be the best person you can be, the best YOU possible. Still lacking inspiration and fiery passion? Think of your role models. Is there someone close to you, a family member, an older friend, someone that you look up to? Analyze WHY you look up to them.

• I know someone my age that I will never cease to admire. I really admire him because he is so hardworking, and focused. But stereotypically boys aren’t supposed to be like that right? He defies the norms. I feel as though he already understands what life is really about, and is able to expect the hardships that might accompany it. He knows exactly where he’s going, and how hard he has to work to get there.

• Someone else that already graduated (and now goes to a very prestigious school) might not have been the smartest or the most talented, but she got to where she is right now because she was passionate about what she did (started a non profit organization); she had know-how and social skills. She is a positive influence, and she’s going somewhere. This proves that you can succeed without the conventional talent/grades resume. An extracurricular can carry you to college, only if you have true passion for it and develop it into something that you can look back and be proud of.

• Someone very close to me wasn’t the best at her initial sport, and she sucked in academics; but she stayed up with her mom attacking math problems night after night and managed to bring her grades into a respectable range, giving 110%. And when she didn’t find passion in her initial sport, she turned to something that interested her and invested all her time in it (and now she’s nationally ranked!) Only someone with that zeal could manage such success – it comes entirely from hard work and passion invested into the activity.

The burden of living up to these people might very well be the inspiration you are looking for, and will help you succeed in the future.

Advice: learn everything you can before college. There is no disadvantage for that. Maintain a good but wholesome social atmosphere.

Are you burnt out? No fear. Drop everything and get a good night’s sleep tonight. This breaks the vicious cycle of stress and sadness. Pull the blinds shut, lock the door, warn your parents, turn off your alarm, and wake up naturally. Stay under the covers for a while if you really need to; the relaxing sense of being able to wake up whenever REALLY CALMS YOU DOWN. It drastically decreases the rushed feeling that a overworked teenager often gets. School day? Doesn’t matter. Doing this will ultimately be more productive and helpful; who cares if you miss ONE DAY of school? Also, eat your absolute favorite HEALTHY food. Scientifically, I think this makes you feel better.

Blog positively about it; share your thoughts with someone you know you can trust. Create a realistic schedule, and stick to it, no matter what. You must give yourself breaks. Regulate your lifestyle.

Youtube, Facebook? Shut that down. I have the same problem, but after weeks of perusing useless sites, I’ve really gotten bored with it. I only have “quiet work ethic” playlists that allow me to focus on my work, and I’m ultimately not that bothered by it.

Another good idea is to exercise for leisure. If you feel way too tired to continue exercising, that’s fine since you’re on your own time. This means that the only person that could potentially push yourself to work harder is YOU, and YOU are the one who determines how much progress you eat in a day. I personally feel much more energized after I exercise, and that 30 minutes outside can easily trade off with the time you spend on useless sites, like Facebook and Tetris and Tumblr and Youtube. YEAH.

Remember your parents. They sacrifice so much to educate and raise you; your life is brimming with opportunities that they never had. They buy you clothes. When was the last time they went shopping for themselves? They invest so much in you. The least you can do is pay them back, right? They are always right, no matter how wrong they seem at the time.

Moreover, it seems as though almost everyone my age (16) does some sort of extracurricular activity. In my case, I participate in policy debate. Others might swim or write for the school newspaper. Whether it be an academic activity or a sport, there’s bound to be some passion tied into your motives for participating in it. But how much passion do you really have for what you do?

If you are doing something mainly for social reasons or for something pretty to go on the ol’ college resume, you are probably wasting your time. The whole point of college resumes is to present many “roads” for colleges to look at, for potential “roads” that a student could take in the future. By participating in an extracurricular for any other reasons than passion/interest, you are creating a false “road” for colleges to look at, and the road might…deteriorate if you ever try to cross it.

So stop worrying about the clothes, the hair, the fashion, the boys. Who’s gonna remember that years from now? Is it really going to benefit you that much? Focus on the important stuff, skills that you will learn for life. Key to success, this is.

I think I’ll end this post on a personal note. No one is a failure until you die. My dad always likes to say, “WE’RE NEVER LATE!” (when we’re 2 hours late to a party) but this applies because it’s never too late to change the direction of your life. Right now would probably be the crucial time, because you might forget and fall back into that miserable circle.

Hard work shows itself over a long period of time, after surviving each day, day by day.

No matter how many obstacles life throws at me, I’ve had more than my share of inspirational speeches delivered effectively to me, and I’m glad I could share them with you. Thanks for reading.