I have always liked to imagine what my future could be—who doesn’t? From traveling destinations to creative projects and career goals, I fill my notebooks, lists, and Pinterest boards with ideas I would like to see become a reality. However, these goals tend to be slightly indeterminate, broad, or complex, making them difficult to convert straight into a SMART goal.
Instead of first attempting to create plans, I allow myself to relish in the sky-high possibilities; due to my personality, that is usually enough to satisfy my imagination as I jump from interest to interest. It is when I keep returning to a specific idea with a deeper desire that I know it is time to take action.
By this point, I have few goals that are at the forefront of my mind. With this narrowed focus, I can create smaller SMART goals to begin to explore the goal and try out various aspects of it. This is useful for separating surface-level “bucket list” goals (which can be completed in a shorter time frame) from more serious life goals that require both deeper and wider knowledge and experience.
If I still feel a desire to continue, this is when I can more seriously set the timeframes and checklists for my life goals informed by previous experience. Allowing myself to imagine life goals and exploring them helps to fulfill curiosities while still moving towards meaningful personal goals. It is exciting to see what the future will hold!