Content
Intro
I don't believe it's already December. Have you achieved what you had planned at the beginning of 2022?
As a software engineer, I planned bazillion projects yet made only a few. Yet, I'm still pumped when I looked back how much I've grown so far. The last month is probably the best to start thinking about the goals. And if you have not used 'S.M.A.R.T' applied yet, I highly recommend it.
S.M.A.R.T
S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that can guide to set the goals.
S: specific
M: measurable
A: achievable
R: relevant or realistic
T: time-based
I like you to think of it as a tool for thought process about goals. We all have vague goals like I want to be a better developer. What we are missing is defined specification. Like what is the definition of being a better dev? What activities to be so? I believe the process of applying S.M.A.R.T to your goals will give you more clarity around the goals.
Here is an example for better understanding. The bare bone one, "I want to be a better developer"
'S' asks which part do you want be better at. The more specific, the better.
'M' asks how to measure your goals. Any metrics? Any numbers? How could you say you make it?
'A' asks not to be too ambitious. Many times, we set almost impossible goals and be daunted by it. Worse, we blame ourselves.
'R' asks the goals are worthwhile and are in the direction of bigger goals. Otherwise, we might waste your time and effort.
'T' asks to timebox for putting effort. Will this be 3 months? 6 months? Or even longer?
The revised one, "This quarter, I want to understand more about how to handle errors/logging by making a small project in Golang". It sounds clearer. Most importantly, it includes the action to achieve the goal.
The benefits of S.M.A.R.T. is we can
- visualize your goals
- assure whether you want the goals you thought in your brain
- have an execution plan set up
Execution plan
Although we made reasonably actionable goals, it means nothing if we don't execute them. It's time to make an execution plan. Execution plan is composed of two things.
- Find out materials you need
- Have dedicated time block
Most of cases, we need to learn to be better at. Having the right materials can boost up the speed of learning. So research for resources from books, articles, or videos. Save them in any storage for lookup. Then set up time for digesting your materials. I suggest starting with 30 minutes. People can doubt 30 minutes are not enough. Yet if we spend 30 minutes every day, that is 182 hours a year! The power of compound effect. Yet, I don't restricted to only 30 minutes. Once rhythm is set in, it will be easier to spend more. 30 minutes is just a starter.
Time block
Go to the calendar and block time for each week and make it public. This brings you a couple of benefits at least.
- You declare you time before someone steals it
- You announce that you're working toward your long-term goals, which forces you to execute it
If possible, having fixed time for each day is better. Your people will remember your schedule and respect it. Plus, our brains love routine. It can be stress in the beginning. Yet, it can be a second nature once it becomes a habit.
Conclusion
So far, I wrote about S.M.A.R.T and time blocking strategy to achieve your goals. When you exercise this thought process, don't be obsessed with the perfect goals or plans. Utilize this to find out what you really want to achieve in your future and set up the decent plans to start with. While you are heading toward your goals, things will change. And that's ok. The important thing is persistence regardless of situation. Now, it's time to set up the goals of 2023.
If you want to read more about S.M.A.R.T goals
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