Setting Goals the SMART Way

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” - Albert Einstein

Admittedly, I’m a terrible planner. I have attempted to rigidly plan my goals in the past to no avail. Yet, as I begin to reflect on my time spent at UCLA the importance of post-graduation goals plagued my mind. Often, I receive questions about what my post-graduation plans are. I struggle to answer these questions efficiently and effectively, but I believe the SMART goal system has greatly assisted me. The implementation of this system has allowed me to engage with my goal “ideas” in a way that organizes them and grounds them in reality.

As such, listed below are some of the immediate goals I have in mind.

Securing an internship/stable job over the summer

• Specificity: Admittedly, I don’t have a specific company or job in mind but I have been looking for more casual jobs at local bookstores and skimming their qualifications. Though, I have also looked at a few openings in marketing and internships in entertainment and skimmed their qualifications.

• Measurability: Yes, the goal is measurable with a simple “Acceptance,” or “Rejection,” via email, phone call, etc. I do not have a specific number of jobs I wish to apply to in mind, but I will not completely commit to one.

• Attainability: I had this goal in mind before I entered the Honors 50 class. I specifically chose this class for the e-portfolio and resume/cover letter aspect. I did this so I did not procrastinate on constructing these items over the summer and could look for jobs as soon as possible. After writing up my resume, I took another look at my LinkedIn profile which I abandoned for some time. I plan to also continue my job hunt on LinkedIn.

• Relevancy: I want to reach this goal so I can earn a stable income and garner more work experience for graduate school. While my GPA is in a good place, I believe relevant work experience will make my application stand out more. A greater amount of work experience will put me on a path toward securing jobs that actively incorporate my passions.

• Timeliness: My goal is to begin networking with some faculty here who have gone out of their way to compliment my work and writing so I can attain strong connections that may lead to job opportunities. As mentioned, I believe producing my resume and beginning to look at my LinkedIn was a strong start. By the end of the quarter, I hope to start sending out job applications.

Writing More

• Specificity: I plan to at least write 50k words over the summer months of one of my novel ideas that I have played with since my junior year of high school. While I have tried I have never completed a rough manuscript of the project with a definite beginning and end. I plan to change this over the summer or select another creative project of mine to work on.

• Measurability: To measure this goal, I hope to complete Camp Nanowrimo in July wherein individuals are challenged to write a hefty chunk of their creative manuscripts in a month. It is a relaxed version of the November version of Nanowrimo. In Camp Nanowrimo you can pick how many words you wish to write. I thought about splitting my goal to at least 20k words in June and another 20k words in July. This leaves August as a wrap-up month. In terms of time, I hope to at least write for an hour a day even if the quality is subpar.

• Attainability: Since I laid out the time effectively, I do believe this goal is realistic. At the very least, being an English major at UCLA has taught me to write fast and my research-focused thesis forced me to squash my inner critic which often inhibits my ability to get projects written promptly. I wrote twenty pages of creative writing in less than a week for my senior seminar requirement. It is certainly possible as long as I dedicate at least an hour a day to the craft.

• Relevancy: While I have strong samples of my analytical writing, I want more polished samples of my creative writing. Moreover, my dream has always been pursuing creative writing for entertainment so producing a creative manuscript is a must for a career. After years of dedicating my time to analytical pieces, being able to spend more time on creative pieces will further rejuvenate my passions.

• Timeliness: At the very latest I hope to reach this goal by the middle of September of 2023.

Apply for Graduate School/Research and Tour Graduate Schools

• Specificity: I don’t know what “field” in graduate school I wish to pursue yet. Nonetheless, UCLA is my top choice for graduate school so far. I believe more research is required to narrow down my field of interest and ensure UCLA is the graduate school I want to attend.

• Measurability: I plan to take at least one gap year or two. I am undecided and it is dependent on how my summer plans play out. In my off time, I will tour other prospective schools, but also further research the graduate fields UCLA offers. Tangible achievement of the goal is based upon an acceptance or a rejection letter.

• Attainability: Thus with my GPA and independent research, I do believe it is realistic. Throughout the summer as I begin to network, I will also begin to think about Professors and faculty that may provide me with good letters of recommendation for the future. Even if I decide to take two years off it is important to get letters of recommendation soon so professors have a fresh memory of who I am. On the other hand, research and touring campuses are possible during the summer months. Nonetheless, I am considering taking two years off of college to prevent burnout over the summer, though I remain open-minded when it comes to the upcoming fall applications.

• Relevancy: I am stuck between whether I want to go into film or law for graduate school. Though, either one of these choices will put me on the path toward a career that is relevant to my future endeavors. Even if I pursue law, I can still write creatively. My only hesitation regarding that is the overall cost. Though, this is an issue I hope to analyze more and reflect upon in the summer. I believe achieving goal #2 will provide me with better insight into the matters of what graduate school I wish to attend.

• Timeliness: I hope to achieve this goal at the very latest in fall 2024.

These are just a few of the methods I utilize to effectively reach my goals. I hope it inspires you!