Sam, a Middletown High School junior, sprints down the field hockey field. Y-dodge here, pull to the left there. She weaves her way into the circle, and shoots. The ball sails off the ground, soaring past both the defender and goalie. Smashing against the back board, Sam makes yet another goal. Her teammates run to congratulate her, and the crowd goes ballistic.

Karen, a 45-year-old stay at home mom, runs on the treadmill. She tries to lose every last calorie she can before her weigh-in tonight at the nutritionist. For the past five years she has been battling type-2 diabetes along with her obesity. Today, she has what she hopes to be her last meeting with her nutritionist. In two years and four months she has lost a total of 136 pounds. She wanted to lose 150 by the end of the month. As she makes her way into the nutritionist’s office, she slides her shoes off and steps on the icy scale. The numbers tick away then come to a stop on 150.3 pounds. She has finally made it to her goal weight.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a goal is “something that you are trying to do or achieve.” People score goals in sports or they can reach a goal after completing a course of action, whether it be eating healthy to lose weight, or being nicer to people to become a better person.

I find goals to be a good thing. It doesn’t matter if you are five or 92 you should always have something you’re working toward.

You aren’t living for nothing, everyone has a purpose. And how can you find that purpose if you just sit on your butt all day and do nothing?

I have plenty of goals I would like to reach in my life time. One would be making if far in play-offs for the field hockey team I play on.

In order to reach this goal, I have planned a summer where I will practice and train to become the best that I can be.

Nearly everyone wants to go to college. In preparation, people set small goals for themselves to reach their bigger goal.

One may be able to get straight A’s through high school, or receive a scholarship. Maybe people don’t want to go to college right away. They might take a year off to work in order to reach a place where they are more financially stable.

Whether you believe it or not, most people unconsciously aim for something. When people reach what they have been aiming to for so long, a sense of achievement is felt.

For me, it feels like I’m unstoppable. Nothing in the whole world is going to bring me down because I just met my goal.

This is something I don’t do very often. I end up just forgetting them or giving up, thinking I’ll never make it.

But for all of you just like me, who aren’t totally motivated, don’t give up. You’re never going to reach a goal right away. It takes time.

Stick with it and don’t stop. Who knows, in the next few days, weeks or years, your life could completely change. All because you decided to shoot for the stars.