Here's the question I struggle with: How do you set "goals" when you don't know what you want? I have been stymied by this time and time again. If you don't know what you want to accomplish, how do you set any "goals"?
You set a goal "find out what I want" and start working on that goal on a daily basis.
The OP lost me at "SMART" which is the very first word in his article. SMART goals are not smart. They stem from "management by objectives" and are not a good way for individual personal goal setting.
SMART Goal: Spend 30 mins on Sunday researching what new thing I will try that week. During that 30 minutes, identify the smallest reason why I find that thing interesting. Repeat for 8 weeks.
I have few long term goals, primarily health/fitness (now at the sustainment phase of this) and financial (to be able to properly retire without needing supplemental income). Most of my goals are near-to-medium term. I base them off of things I want/need to do but cannot for some reason.
I cannot, presently, understand the systems at work to the extent I want to (astrodynamics, satellites and such; calc, linear, and physics are 15 years in my past). So I'm deliberately setting aside time to study and practice those topics to enable my understanding of astrodynamics and what we do at work. I don't intend to master it (that is, to the extent of the literal rocket scientists in the office), and I don't know that I'll need or use it after this current position. But I do want/need to know it now so I've established goals around it.
I want to make furniture, and have the ability to do decent work. I took some courses and enjoyed it, and demonstrated to myself I wasn't incompetent at it. But I have no equipment in my home to do it. So I'm setting aside money to buy some basic equipment, and planning to set aside time to spend on it once I do.
What, in your life, is currently blocked from you or are you not at your desired level? Create near-term goals to remove the blockers or achieve your desired capability/level. If you start to make a habit out of thinking this way and developing routines and systems to enable these goals, it may become easier to make long term ones. Or you may never really make long term goals, we don't all need them.
The OP lost me at "SMART" which is the very first word in his article. SMART goals are not smart. They stem from "management by objectives" and are not a good way for individual personal goal setting.
Personal goals develop as you work on them.
I recommend Mark Forster's SOPP book on more of this: https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/book/1820695/secrets-of-product...
(not affiliated)