Punishing Permit Test

Before you come to conclusions and assume that I'm not smart because I thought the permit test was hard, let me explain.

If you ask almost any fifteen or sixteen year old about the permit test, most would say that it was a piece of cake.

"It was annoying cause it took forever, but it's super easy," an anonymous 9th grader stated.

"And how long did it take you to finish the test?" I asked them.

"45 or 50 minutes, probably."

Well, that wasn't the case for me. That morning I asked my mom to pick me up from school so we could go straight there. The place closes at 5 pm and it says on their website that all tests have to be done by 4, so I wanted to get there earlier. School ends at 2:25, so by 2:30 I figured we would be driving down to the DMV in Heber.

Wellll, after not being able to find my social security card, we ended up leaving for the DMV at 4:15. We got there, filled out the forms, and took my picture. After all of that the guy entering everything asks one of his co workers what time I had to take the test by. Luckily he said that it had to be done by 4:50, which left me at that time fifteen minutes to start and finish it.

I said that I would take it, and after warning me about the time and so on, he finished entering my stuff. I ended up starting the test at 4:40. Yep. I only had 10 minutes to take the permit test, which, by the way, is 50 questions.

And yes, I failed. I ended up with a score of 38/50, which was the cherry on top of my wonderful evening. Why? The score that was required to pass was a 40/50, which meant I would have passed had I gotten just two more questions right.

My permit!

If you live in Utah, are about to turn fifteen (or already have), and wan't go get your permit, study the Utah Drivers Handbook. Most people have them on hand from past tests, or you can find them at any DMV. I found a PDF version online that I've been using to study. Click here to open it.

Realistic Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I was caught up in my last post, ranting about the weather, and forgot to mention 2014 coming to a close and 2015 kicking off a few days ago. New Years Eve is a super fun holiday, filled with fireworks, champagne (or sparkling cider), and fun hats. However, one thing that comes with the holiday isn't very fun, or easy, to do. New years resolutions.

Everybody makes them and eventually breaks them. For those of you who manage to reach that goal you made at the beginning of the year, congratulations. You all must be very motivated. For those who can't manage to stick to your resolution(s), I'm here to help. Buckle your seat belts, kids.

I've learned this method/guideline to goal setting mostly through my sports teams and camps, and I'm sure a lot of you know this method as well. It's called S.M.A.R.T. The goals that you set should be:

Specific

To set a specific goal, use the four Ws; who, what, when, where, and how. The five W's. A specific goal is easier to achieve than general goals. For ex: "I want to be nicer" is very general and is hard to achieve. "I want to make three people smile everyday" is a lot more specific, and easier to achieve.

Measurable

Being able to measure your progress and achievement of your goals is key, and can give you boosts of encouragement and confidence when you are able to see your progress. Ask yourself things like "how much?" "how many?" and "when will I know I have achieved my goal?" to see if your goal is measurable.

Attainable

Goals aren't always attainable from the start. In fact, most goals shouldn't be attainable when you first make them. That's what goals are for. They take you through the process of growing, learning, and developing skills and attitudes that you need to make your goal possible. So don't ask yourself if your goals are attainable today, ask yourself if they will be attainable by the time you want to reach them.

Realistic

Making goals realistic doesn't always mean making them possible. A realistic goal should be something that you are willing and able to work for. High set goals are often easier to reach then low ones, because low set goals require less motivation and effort.

Timely

Goals should be set in a certain time frame. "I want to lose 50 lbs" isn't pushing you to get it done before a time or date. "I want to lose 50 lbs by May 1st" will make you get it done before then.
(T can also stand for Tangible. This means that the goal can be obtained in one of the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.)

Although I am slightly hypocritical, seeing as I have already broken one of my new years resolutions, most of the time making S.M.A.R.T goals will help you achieve them. Although resolutions are slightly different then goals, they both fit into the same category, and can be made using the method I described above.

If you need more help with New Year's resolutions and much more, click here.

Photo courtesy of this wallpaper site

Being Beatific

Being sad is not fun. There are countless things that can make you sad- weather, grades, homework. But most of all, I think that people are the main cause of sadness. Siblings, friends, parents, and even random kids at school all have the ability to make you sad.  Not just other people, but yourself as well. Things like jealousy, low self confidence, letting people down, and more.

My go-to when I'm sad is usually going on a run or hitting the slopes. Releasing athletic endorphins can help a lot with gaining a new perspective, and helps release all of your sad or stressed energy. Here are some other things that tend to lift my spirits. ☟

1. Eating

Food is one of the best things on Earth, and can change your mood dramatically: bad tasting food can make you sad, and amazing food can make you happy. So amazing food it is. Chocolate, ice cream, and other sweets are life. Don't get too carried away, though. "The best form of revenge is a great body" -Kim Kardashian. Some of you will hate me for quoting her, but you have to admit that she's right. Plus, I've never even watched that show, so don't make assumptions.

2. Music

Music is well known to convey countless moods, emotions, and more. Turn on a happy, upbeat song to lift your mood. Happy by Pharrell Williams is a great choice, until you hear it so much on the radio that you "can't even." However, if you just need time to get all of the misery out of your system, blast some slow sad songs and pretend you're in a music video. 

3. Read/Watch TV

These don't necessarily make you happy, but they can distract you like crazy (not always a good thing). Reality TV, romantic comedies, action movies, dystopian novel, choose your pick!

4. Animals

When people are being bipolar and dramatic, turn to animals. Dogs, cats, fish, and other pets are always there for you. They'll listen to your rants and breakdowns, and will never judge. A lot of animals are also outstanding "cuddlers." Dogs and cats, mostly. Unless you want to snuggle up to the cold, hard surface of a fishbowl.

5. Last but not least, watching funny videos. The ones below relate to my blog because they're about sports (football concussion and soccer "injury"). Jenna Marbles, MadTV, Miranda Sings, and more are also funny youtube comedians/groups. My uncle likes Screen Junkies' Honest Trailers also. 

    (Watch more Key & Peele here)

Let's Get Physical, Physical

Working out. It's something we all dread yet know we need to do in order to get those bikini bodies and Channing Tatum abs.  Everyone thinks it takes hard work and time commitment, but a lot of the time you can fit it into your daily schedule seamlessly.

Most of the time, high school and club team sports contain some type of conditioning. For lacrosse, we run. Cardio cardio cardio. As for ski team dryland, work outs consist of anything to benefit our balance, endurance, and power while on skis. I've got my workouts covered, but if your'e struggling with getting active everyday, here are some tips to help you out.

1. Take the stairs

Yes, everyone has heard this before, but it can benefit you more than you think. Take the initiative to work your legs and lungs without having to go to the gym later. Other daily decisions can help improve your fitness, such as taking your bike or walking instead of driving.

2. Break it up

Doing homework? Baking a cake? Reading The Fault in Our Stars? Give your brain a break and take 30 seconds to do some push ups, crunches, or squats. "TV watchers" are a popular workout at dryland. They're just normal planks, but they're named what they are to motivate us to do them while watching TV. Even if you do them during commercials, your abs with thank you.

3. Toe taps and calve raises

These are some of my favorites. You can do these during class, waiting in line, almost anywhere. To do toe taps, keep your heels planted on the ground and raise and tap your toes as fast as you can. You can do these while sitting or while standing. Calve raises consist of starting flat footed, rising up onto your toes, coming back down, and repeating.

Trying out the drawing thing

Another important aspect of fitness is diet. Last year I took Journalism as an elective, and we published some of our articles onto an online newspaper, TMJH Park City Post. I happened to write a short article about sports nutrition, some tips about what to eat before and after working out. You can check it out here.