I remember in middle school a class recommended making SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Constrained
It's the beginning of a New Year and everyone resolves to better themselves somehow. Myself included. However, I'm not a goal-oriented person. This fact seems crazy to people who do like to think in terms of target obtainment. They inform me that goals are necessary for success. How else will you know what to work for? How else will you know if you've made it?
I never thought in terms of goals growing up. But as I get older, last January I figured that I needed to start. I wrote a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2018. These dreams had deadlines and dollar signs and pounds and GPA percentages- the works. They were specific and uncompromising.
And I fell short of every single one of my plans. Drastically. As the year progressed and I faced this reality, the result was a hit on my self-confidence.
I had such a fulfilling photography business in 2018. I worked less and made more than I did the year before. I refined a lot of my systems and got a lot better at tackling my to-do lists. I met some really incredible people and got to be a part of their story. And I'm actually really proud of the art I created. However, falling short of every photography-related goal I made for myself in 2018 loomed in the back of my head. It dampened the joy of what I was experiencing somewhat.
As I move forward in 2019, I'm ditching SMART goals. Putting numbers/dates on dreams makes them either success or failures-- "improvement" is not taken into account. Instead, my 2019 New Years resolutions are system-oriented. I'm resolving to consistently behave in ways that will, over time, lead to outcomes I favor. I'm going to implement systems that will ultimately get me further than any specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-constrained (and just constrained overall) goal I could imagine right now.
I predict that having a direction without setting a final destination will work better for me. I'll keep you updated. Happy New Years! 새해 복 많이받으셔요
