Independent Writing:

　　Some people always follow their dreams even if the dreams are ambitious. Some think we should focus on achieving realistic goals. Which do you agree with?

　　Life is full of challenges and unexpected things. When we think about the future, sometimes it’s hard to tell what lies next. The important thing to do is to keep a goal in mind and try to accomplish it if you can. I believe that we should challenge ourselves in the goals we make for ourselves, but at the same time we should be realistic.

　　First, I think goals should not be unrealistic. For example, I like acting, but I have no plans to try and be a movie star. I am not that talented and even if I thought I was, it is very hard to find success being an actor. Take Penny from The Big Bang Theory for instance. She moved to Hollywood to become an actress and ended up being a waitress. I know she is just a fictional character, but the same thing happens in real life I am sure. So, it is important to make your goals realistic.

　　This does not mean that you should not set high expectations for your goals. I believe that you should try to be as successful as you can in the career that you choose. The important thing is to make sure you have ambition. People should try and find a job they love, they should not just settle for any job they can find. If you do not set a challenging goal, you might end up like Jim from The Office, who has a boring job selling paper. Even though Jim met Pam at the office, he could have found a much better job working somewhere else. I think that is a waste of potential.

　　The best kinds of goals are ones that are challenging, but still realistic. A goal that I have set for myself is to study in the United States. I know it is very hard to get into a good school in the U.S., but my English scores have always been pretty good and I am a good student all around. I know I have the potential and that if I work hard enough, this goal is possible to achieve.

　　There is a saying that you should reach for the stars. I like this saying, but you should not forget to bring your jet pack with you. When creating a goal for yourself, it is important to make it challenging. However, it is also important to make it a practical goal.