Goal Setting

"Goal-setting is powerful because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life" - Jim Rohn

Every success story began with goal setting. Just like Mr. Rohn said, setting goal shapes our dreams into reality by providing us with focus, inspiration, and encouragement. Goal setting is crucial for success but knowing how to make SMART goals is even more important. Here are four of my personal goals that demonstrate the five characteristics of SMART goals (specificity, measurability, attainability, relevancy, and timeliness).

1. Self-care

Self-care has been on my list of goals for the longest time. For some reason, it is very challenging for me (and I know for someone else as well) to just relax and not overburden myself with work, stress and all that fun stuff. When I tend to load myself with a lot of work, it becomes extremely unhealthy. Sleep deprivation and lack of appetite are just some of the many symptoms of this character flaw. Even though this kind of personality helps me stay on top of things and suppress the procrastinating-side of me, the long-term health effect can be detrimental. This goal has been on my list for the longest time and I have just now beginning to find ways to achieve it. Every night, I try to unwind before I go to bed by treating myself with an episode of Netflix or some entertainment videos on YouTube. In addition to that, I have been striving to sleep at least eight hours every night and time management has been a key player in achieving this goal. This goal is attainable as long as I keep up with these self-care routines and soon, they will become habits. I wish to check off this goal in three months.

2. Research Opportunities

Obtaining a research opportunity in college is like looking for a job. My goal by the end of freshman year of college is to obtain a research opportunity at a professor's lab. This goal is relevant to my future career as I hope to delve further into molecular biology and understand the science behind medicine. One of the best ways to ask for research opportunities is to directly email professors by introducing yourself, your interest and showcasing your eagerness to learn. I have emailed a few professors so far but no luck yet. I understand that getting into research is not as easy as many of us thought it would be. It takes a lot of patience and courage to go out and seek for these opportunities. I know I will be able to achieve this goal if I continue to be patient and continue to email professors. Hopefully by the end of my freshman year I will be able to land on a position as a lab assistant.

3. Medical School

Getting into a medical school is my semi-long-term goal. In just a few years I will be applying for medical schools just like many of my peers. Hopefully through hard work and our passion for science we all will get into medical school and become who we wish to become. All of us who are looking towards a career in the medical field understand that this journey will be difficult but not an impossible one. Our character will be challenged in this journey, but just know that it is by "living in beta" that these challenges shape each of us into someone better and more resilient. It is also through maintaining a positive perspective that our goal will become a reality. In my previous blog, I have talked about the importance of maintaining a positive perspective and showcase some of the tips I have adopted to maintain my personal perspective.

4. Medical Practice

Starting my own medical practice is my long-term goal. It is a goal that I wish to achieve maybe fifteen years from now. By then, hopefully I will have graduated from medical school and obtained some years of clinical experiences at hospitals. As a college freshman, I am unsure of how what my life will become in fifteen years or how I would began my own practice, but having a long-term goal is beneficial in a way that it keeps my vision clear and keeps me motivated towards all my other personal goals. Starting a medical practice, I feel, is somewhat similar to starting a business. The business might thrive, or it might not. It is going to take a lot of courage to be able to take that risk in life. Learning to take risks is just as important as goal setting. The trick is to know how to take smart risks.

Stay tune for future blogs on how to take smart risks!