On LOOKING AHEAD
Published: Monday, December 7th
Every year around this time I start to think about my goals for the following year. Maybe it’s just semantics but New Year's resolutions don't really work for me. When I think of a New Year's resolution I think of a statement of good intent; with goals there’s more to design.
I typically recommend using the SMART framework to make sure your goals are thorough. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound and your goals should check all these boxes before they are ready to go.
Some examples:
Read 12 design books by December 31, 2021
Write/journal for 10 minutes every week on Monday
Design 2 new portfolio projects and put them up on my website before June 2021
Writing these SMART goal statements isn’t always easy. I think one of the more challenging aspects is actually the achievable measure because it’s important that you try to stretch yourself. If you can easily read 12 books in one calendar year, then maybe aim to ready 18 or even 24? Why not double it, amiright?!
I typically write a handful of goals for myself each year and I group them together into themes. Not all goals need to push yourself to the limit, but as a group I like to make sure that they are challenging me.
Go on, try writing some for yourself. I’d LOVE to hear what you’re planning for next year so send me a message on Instagram (@hello_imalexa) with your best SMART goal. I’ll try to get back to as many people as I can.