High School
This is where it all begins. Choices start to seem dire.
Are you going to college? What classes are you going to take? Are you an A student? What does this even mean? Are you exhausted from sports, volunteering, social clubs, and trying to stand out?
High School has become a very stressful place, with every possible choice seeming to carry your entire future.
Organizing
At this stage of your life, you’re being asked to manage more than ever before—schoolwork, your room, a job, volunteer hours, clubs, friends, music, languages, theater, and sports. It’s a lot to juggle, and anyone would feel overwhelmed. When everything piles up, hiding under the covers or giving up can feel like a tempting short-term solution.
This also isn’t the first time you’ve been asked to get organized. Along the way, there have likely been moments when things did work—even if only briefly. Let’s find those wins. We can revisit what helped, adapt it, mix and match strategies, and build a system that helps you feel more in control.
And if it feels like too much right now, that’s okay. Sometimes it truly is—and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Planning
While you’re working to manage day-to-day and week-to-week responsibilities, you’re also expected to plan far into the future—long-term papers and projects, upcoming sports seasons, plays and concerts, summer jobs, and next semester’s schedule. At the same time, parents and teachers may remind you that these demands will only increase as you move through school.
What’s easy to forget is that as these expectations grow, so does your ability to meet them. You’re already doing things today that would have felt impossible five years ago, and five years from now, you’ll be capable of even more.
Take a moment to remind yourself that you are making progress. Noticing small wins and micro-growth—especially when you’re juggling so much—is essential for staying motivated and moving forward.
Applying to College
Do you want to go to college? If so, where do you see yourself—urban, suburban, or rural; a large campus or a small one; close to home or far away? Do you know what you want to study? Or maybe college isn’t the right path right now—or isn’t necessary for your career goals at all.
It can feel like you’re expected to have all the answers immediately. In reality, these questions don’t have fixed answers—they shift over time as your interests, goals, and circumstances evolve. There is no single “right” choice, and it’s okay to change your mind. Figuring this out is a long-term process that happens through slow, steady exploration.
I can help you slow things down and focus on the decisions right in front of you. Together, we can adjust expectations as goals evolve—without mistaking those adjustments for failure—and keep your attention on the bigger picture.
