For must of us, acceptance into FIT was a dream come true. We submitted our applications, equipped our entrance essays with more wit than Tina Fey, polished our portfolios, and implored the Gods Of College Acceptance for favor.

Weeks later, a glorious white manila envelope arrived in the mail telling the good news of admission. We walked, drove, and flew from nearly all corners of the Earth to stake our claim to the collegiate fortress of magic on 27th Street at 7th Avenue.

We vowed to whip our creativity into business.

But now what?

It’ll take more than well-intentioned wishes to manifest your ambitions.

You’ll have to make your objectives smart.

Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. and Time framed.

Make your goals…

 Specific:

Get clear. What do you really want? Do you want to be the CEO of a creative start-up turned bona fide cash cow?  Would you like to be the next “It” jewelry designer? Are you determined to be a cutting edge-marketing guru? See yourself with the good that you desire. That’s the first step.

Measurable:

Give yourself a deadline.  Whether your desire is to slowly but surely exclude meat from your diet or drive off the new car lot with a shiny red one, declare a time limit. This helps you to pace yourself. It’s alright if you beat the clock or if things take a little longer than expected. The point is to hold yourself accountable and bring your visions to life. Don’t allow your intentions to wither away into idle intellectual cobwebs.

Attainable:

I’ve heard that nothing is impossible.  But if you’d like to ride a bike to Mars or sprout wings of your own before flying off into the sunset, it might be time to get realistic.  There’s nothing wrong with hard work and dedication, but make sure your goals aren’t just plum out of reach. 

Relevant:

Your goals must matter to you. If they don’t, either they’ll be poorly executed or they just won’t be accomplished.

Time Framed:

Like a good essay, goals need a beginning, middle, and end.  Similar to setting a boundary of time for your goals, framing the steps to their completion helps you to get it all done.

Holding On To My Pot Of Gold,

Jaiah