Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly-- Goal Setting One Step At A Time

Sometimes, our biggest dreams seem so distant that it feels like they were only meant to be, well, dreams. But there’s always a way to break down an aspiration— no matter how ambitious— into small digestible steps that you can use to climb your way up to that big dream of yours. Sure, it’s gonna be a grind and it’s going to take A LOOOONNG time… But like Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist obsessed with the question “Who is successful and why?”, said in her TED Talk,

we must have “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals, [stick] with [our] future, day in and day out,” and treat life like “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

I also found that the best way to commit to these long term goals is to write down what it is that you want to achieve and what necessary steps you have to take to get there. I’ve been using a Passion Planner for the past three years and it has done wonders for my productivity. It's helped me focus on what I really want to do and, consequently, infusing a sense of intention as I remember that this is all in the name of my goal. At the beginning of your Passion Planning journey, they ask you to fill out your own “PASSION ROADMAP,” a sort of purpose and interest-based wish list separated in timely categories: 3 MONTHS, 1 YEAR, 3 YEARS, and LIFETIME. But the folks at Passion Planner recognize that in order to make those dreams a

Start Passion Planning! Image from Passion Planner

reality, you need to break it down into goals that are S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely). They have you highlight one goal in each category and of those four goal, they have you identify which “would have the most positive impact on your life right now.” They call this your GameChanger. Finally they have you further break that GameChanger into steps and assign due dates in which you wish to achieve that specific mini-goal. As you go about your year and fill out the planner, they check back in with a MID YEAR ROADMAP where you can look back at your first Passion Roadmap, check off what you have done, and move on to the next step in your journey to achieving your dream.

In every one of my Passion Roadmaps I wrote 2 things: a Chance the Rapper lyric (“My life is perfect, I can merch it/ If I die I’ll prolly cry at my own service” -Blessings 2) and “Have a positive impact on the world.” While I would love to make this a blog on Chance’s lyric, I’ll actually focus on the second goal: change the world.

Because this world is so big, I want to first change the world of the people around me. It may not be the entire world, but if I can somehow touch the lives of others, maybe I can inspire them to do the same. It’s a chain reaction of sorts. I will just talk about a few mini-goals I have to get me to this ultimate goal of having a positive impact on the world, how each goal is S.M.A.R.T, and discuss some even mini-er goals within that one. I hope you’ll stick around until the end for some final thoughts and advice as you start to make your dreams a reality!

---

1. Become a Health Care Provider

Since we spend a huge chunk of our life at work, I decided to pick a career that puts my ultimate goal at the center of all the work I have to do. Armed with a love for biology and a desire to work with other people, I decided to pursue a career in health care. This allows me to have a relationship with the people I work for while also giving me a chance to directly see the payoff of my work. Beyond that, I’m very interested in people’s growth and development, whether that be in a clinical sense (going from infancy to adolescence to adulthood) or just maturity in skills or understanding of life. As you will see throughout the blog, I believe even the smallest improvement is worth celebrating. Above all, I believe it’s a huge honor to witness and be a part of anyone’s personal growth. That’s why I want to work with kids (and maybe because a part of me doesn’t want to grow up quite yet either).

As for the “timeliness” of this particular goal.... Well, it’s definitely going to be a marathon: finish undergrad with a high GPA, secure a high MCAT score, get accepted into med school, med school, then a specialty in pediatrics. That’s about 10 more years before I become a practicing physician! But good things come to those that wait (and work hard) right? Ultimately though, I believe that this job will be worth it as I ensure that these kids are in good physical/emotional/mental health. Even if I don’t change the world, maybe these kids will!!

2. Develop skills outside of major courses— Explore classes and declare a minor/double major (?)

Because becoming a certified physician takes A LOOOONNG time, let’s break it down even further. While all those bio, chem and physics classes are absolutely necessary for med school applications, I believe it’s equally important to take courses in the humanities. Sometimes in the hard sciences, we focus so much on the microscopic level that I forget I’m looking at a living thing. Humanities courses lets me step back and look at life with a broader lens that’s equally as complicated, and (arguably) more compelling, than moving molecules.

An essential part of health care is personability. You have to know how to speak with, relate to and understand people in order to provide the best possible care. Humanities helps develop this understanding. Because we’re not just cells or highly efficient biochemical machines; we’re also spirits, emotions, and a product of the culture around us.

I also want to take a deep dive into developmental psychology by applying for the Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) minor here at UCLA. It’s a unique program that gives students volunteering opportunities and a the chance to work directly with children. It’s perfect preparation for pediatrics!! Ultimately both humanities and ADP will help me build skills to be the best physician I can be, skills that go beyond the classroom.

Uke Therapy :) Image by Hannah Busing

In Fall 2020, I’m going to enroll in Psych 130 (an introduction to developmental psych) and get a feel for the field. If I’m hooked in the first half of the quarter, I’ll apply to be in the Summer 2021 ADP cohort in late October. I’ve also loved all the humanities courses I’ve taken and have been particularly moved by musicology. If my schedule permits, I’m also considering pursuing an individual field of concentration (aka "create your own major") in music therapy.

If you’re an undergrad reading this, remember to take time to explore the vast number of classes in college. There’s so much out there, things you’ve probably never even encountered before! Who knows, maybe you’ll find a completely new passion! Be open to the flexibility of life and don’t rush to settle!!

3. OPERATION IMPROVE

Stephen Curry— the Golden State Warriors’ star point guard, one half of the famous “Splash Brothers,” 2-time league MVP and 3-time NBA champion— has become one of the greatest NBA players of his generation. But when he was just 16 years old he was the underdog amongst his peers, a mere youngin at that particular basketball camp. However, Alan Stein, a world-renown athletics coach and author of Raise Your Game, put his money on young Curry after recognizing his unique and relentless drive to improve (and to do whatever it takes to be the best of the best). After watching Curry train, Stein calls us to follow the NBA star’s unwavering work ethic by posing the question

“Are the habits that you have for today on par with the dreams you have for tomorrow?”

Remember life is a marathon. It takes time and a whole lot of work to get from start to finish (and if you’re not challenged in the process, you’re not thinking big enough!). Each step forward is important and each day is an opportunity to push yourself closer to checking off that goal.

In the blank pages at the back of my Passion Planner, I have what I call OPERATION IMPROVE, a chart that helps me determine and achieve my daily goals. When I wake up, I fill out this chart by filling in the blank to the statement “Today, I’m going to be better at _______." Then, I write what I can do to achieve that goal. Before bed, I reflect on my day, saying how I achieved my goal and the benefit of doing that. Similarly, if I didn’t achieve my goal, I grab a red pen and say why I wasn’t able to do what I set out to do. Then I try it again the next day.

Snippet of my Passion Planner-- Operation IMPROVE

My ultimate goal is to change the world, someway somehow. But my other ultimate, daily goal is to IMPROVE. In anything and everything that I’m doing. Sometimes it doesn’t seem related to that other ultimate goal. But deciding to improve in something is always a step forward. It also makes goal setting and goal pursuing a habit that will eventually prepare me to break down that ultimate goal.

Sorry this post was so long... But I want to give you some final thoughts as you start breaking down your goals:

Like Angela Lee Duckworth said, life is a marathon. It’s going to take a lot of work to make that dream a reality, no matter how big or wild it may be. But if we take the time to break down and outline some S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) goals, that dream will start to feel easier to reach.

Sometimes your aspirations change. That's ok! What you did before wasn't a waste if it isn't related to your new goal. Think about what that experience taught you and use it to propel you on this next path.

Life's a marathon. But we just have to take that step forward

Each day is an opportunity to step forward in this long marathon and we should ask ourselves “Are the habits that [we] have for today on par with the dreams [we] have for tomorrow.” It doesn’t matter if you’re crawling, walking, running or flying— just move forward. Have a relentless drive and don't shy away from the work. That’s the key.

Finally, I want to leave you with one last thought from the late, great Kobe Bryant:

“Those times you get up early and you work hard. Those times you stay up late and you work hard. Those times you don’t feel like working— you’re too tired and you don’t want to push yourself— but you do it anyway. That’s actually the dream… And if you guys can understand that, then what you’ll see is that you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams don’t come true; something greater will.”