Dear Anaya,
I want to stick to my New Year’s resolutions but in the past, I’ve been unable to. Do you have any tips?
-Stuck

Hello Stuck!
Congratulations on making resolutions! The first step toward any goal is establishing what you like to accomplish. One way to continue these resolutions is by making sure they are within your reach. Of course, we want to achieve the highest goals, but baby steps are just as important too! Like many things, writing out a plan to go along with your goal will suffice. That way, you’re able to visualize what exactly you need to accomplish and when. Making sure each step is within your reach will ensure your success along the way.
Another way to reach your goals is by being honest with yourself! Will you truly be able to read 30 pages a day? Many people can, and many can’t. That being said, your success is YOUR success. Try making goals that reflect your ability, not those who surround you.
If you really wanna, set time limits, or benchmarks for when you have to accomplish something. That way, you are keeping yourself in check and making sure that you accomplish all your goals in a timely manner.
Regardless of how you approach your resolutions, becoming a better version of yourself comes with experience.
-Anaya

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Dear Anaya,
Graduation is coming up soon, and I’m scared I don’t have enough service hours. How do I approach that?
-Worried About My Future

Hello Future!!
There are SO many ways you can earn community service hours! The easiest way you can get community service hours is by joining clubs! When you join a club, they’ll provide ample opportunities for you to increase your community service experiences and hours. Make sure to keep an eye out for Schoology or Google Classroom posts and meetings! And joining clubs may not be as stressful as you think. Honor societies may have stricter rules depending on what you join, but overall, as long as you remain in contact with your advisors and take advantage of those opportunities, you’ll be in great shape!! There are fliers in the hallways with a QR code for clubs; there you’ll be able to go through and see what clubs we have!
Ask your guidance counselor! They may be able to give you resources to help you find opportunities to increase your hours in school. Again, also make sure you are checking your Schoology and emails. A new opportunity may arise and be posted on the daily announcements or in your guidance Schoology. While this type of communication is not common for service opportunities, it does happen, so keep your eyes peeled.
Definitely make a good effort to make sure you are hitting those requirements! You can view how many hours you have and how many you have left to fulfill through Passport for Good. It also gives you a countdown, telling you how many days you have left to complete your requirements.
You can also add community service that you’ve done outside of school! As long as its been while you’re in high school AND you have someone to vouch for you, you’ll be good to go. So you’re not limited to what the school offers, but to the community as well, get it?!?
Utilize your sources! Keep track of your hours! And make sure to check in with clubs to see how you can help yourself. Hope this helps.
-Anaya

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Hi Anaya,
Lately I’ve been feeling like my friends may no longer like me. I feel un-included when we hang out and I’m not sure if I’m being annoying. Any tips?
Thank you,
Friendless

Dear Friendless,
First, I’d like to say that your feelings are entirely valid! Friendships, especially in friend groups can be hard, but it is important to also understand that not everyone shares the same perception of things. Getting to know how a person thinks and handles situations may not be something that you are aware of…yet!
For example, if you were to feel like now you’re not being spoken to as much, you may see it as them no longer wanting to speak to you, or caring about you, whereas they may not even recognize the lack of conversation at all. It’d be wise to first, put yourself in their shoes- everyone has their own life!
Things like a full schedule, mental health, or even just who they are as a person may play into this as well. It is difficult for some people to remain in contact with their friends unless they’re actively seeking it out. This may be different from how you operate when it comes to your friends, but there are friendships that remain strong even when people don’t talk for a few days. The idea of treating others the way you want to be treated is incredibly important however, it’s not possible in all cases due to the vast amount of differences in personality among all of us! That being said, it is also important to understand how your friends truly are. For some people, it simply does not cross their mind, not because you rent important, but because that is just the way their brain operates.
In most situations, unless you are being directly disrespected, an honest conversation will do. Take the time to sit down with them, and speak about it. Doing this in person or over the phone would be ideal so you both can really convey your emotions and there isn’t any miscommunication. So before internalizing those feelings of neglect, have a conversation with that friend or friends, and try to understand how they operate in friendships.
-Anaya

Ask Anaya (the REAL name of this columnist!) is an advice column to advise people on how to deal with their concerns and issues in the most positive way possible. I try my best to ensure that they will make decisions that will help them move forward on the right path. I hope you will write to me, in confidence, seeking my guidance. Just a reminder: I will not disclose any information sent to me. What you write will always remain anonymous. I encourage you to be creative with your usernames and send feedback so that this column will be successful in helping those who seek advice. You can email me at [email protected] or drop a note in our standing metal mailbox outside of the Art rooms. I look forward to reading your letters.

PEDIR Anaya es una columna de consejos para asesorar a las personas sobre cómo tratar mejor sus preocupaciones y problemas.​ Yo hago mi mejor esfuerzo para asegurarme que tu tomes la decicion correcta, ayudarte a avanzar de manera positiva. Yo espero que tu me escribas con confidencia, pidiendo mi ayuda. Un recordatorio, yo no voy a revelar ninguna información que me envies. Lo que tu escribas siempre va a ser anónimo. Te animo a que seas creativo con tus nombres de usuario y envíes comentarios para que esta columna sea exitosa para ayudar a quienes buscan consejos. Correo electrónico a [email protected]. Espero sus cartas.