100 Awesome Goal Ideas it’s Not Too Late to Start! 

What are your big goal ideas for this year? Are they new goals or recycled ones you failed to achieve before? When you think of setting new goals does it overwhelm you? Annoy you? Leave your mind blank? 

Sometimes the hardest part about setting goals is coming up with good ideas of goals you would like to try. If that’s the case for you this is the right place to start! 

I am kind of obsessed with self improvement and I really like learning new things about myself, setting new challenges and doing my best to try and achieve them. If I fail I don’t give up. I will try try try again! Because of that I compiled this post with 100 goal ideas you can start any time of year because personal development, believe it or not, does not just happen in January. 

Why Set Goals? 

First of all, why should we set goals in the first place? Why not plug along the same as always? Why add pressure to an already stressful life? Do I really need another commitment? 

While I totally understand all of those statements they aren’t really valid. Why? Because goals are all about SELF improvement and because of that they help us reduce stress and can make life easier in the long run. In a world where we have so many commitments to everyone else a goal is a commitment to yourself. A goal is something you do for you because you see the benefit of it!

I think you can agree that we all have things we want to improve about ourselves. Maybe we want to quit a bad habit, start a new good habit, learn a new skill or change our living situation. Those are all things that will make our lives easier and more fulfilling but you know what they say; 

A dream without a plan is just a wish. -Katherine Paterson 

So that’s why you should set goals! You need a plan! But how do you make a plan? How should we go about setting goals? 

How to Set Goals

Setting goals sounds easy right? You just sit down and decide what you want to do, write it on a sticky note and smack it on your mirror! Right? 

Well…that might be the reason you have failed in the past. In actuality you have to plan out your goals a little more carefully if you want to succeed. In fact, there are seven steps of goal setting that will help you make things really happen this time. 

The first step is to create the goal. That means that instead of throwing a bunch of goal ideas on a piece of paper and hoping they happen you actually pick one that is realistic and very specific so you know what you are actually aiming for. 

Once you have the goal you need to do the second step which is to break it down to what actions you will need to take daily or monthly to reach it. Then in your third step you will set a timeline and the fourth step is to think about the specific steps you need to take to reach your goal. 

When it comes time to act your fifth step is to set everything up to make it as easy as possible to achieve your goal. For example, if your goal is to go for a walk or run every morning you will set out your clothes and shoes the night before. If your goal is to paint every week you need to set out your painting stuff and plan some ideas. 

Your sixth step is a sneaky trick to make sure you are successful. You will need to connect this new habit to something you already do. In that way the old habit becomes a trigger for the new habit. For example, I wanted to read my Bible daily so I connected that to my morning coffee. You could connect your run to your morning podcast, your gym time to right after work or your painting time to your Saturday breakfast. 

Last but not least, your seventh step is to go for it! You can’t dream forever. You have a goal so get started! 

Still Looking for Goal Ideas? 

Remember how I said your goals have to be specific? Well, what are your goals? Are you still looking for ideas of goals that are attainable, specific, beneficial and fun? Well stick around because I’m gonna give you lots of ideas you might like to try! Just don’t pick too many of them. 

Ideas for Goals Related to Your Health 

We all want to get healthier. Probably the most popular goals people set are related to losing weight and working out. The problem is there is so much advice on how to do that it can be hard to know what to do and if you aren’t specific you don’t have a goal. 

Here are a few ideas for goals to be healthy.

• Drink 1 ounce of water per 2 lbs of body weight every day. 
• Sleep 8 hours every night.
• Take a 20-30 minute walk every day. 
• Run a mile every day. 
• Lift weights three times a week. 
• Find a type of exercise like dance or pickleball that you enjoy. 
• Make at least a third of every meal vegetables. 
• Eat more protein. 
• Cut down on dessert. 
• Drink less or no alcohol for a specific period of time like a month or more. 
• Cook at home instead of picking up fast food. 
• Take vitamins. 
• Eat less sugar. 

As you can see there are a lot of little goals here. Nothing too massive. You won’t be able to do all of them. You might be able to run more than a mile or do more walking. There might be a specific diet plan you want to try. The goal is to be healthy and when you develop daily healthy habits you will naturally lose weight and feel better. 

Ideas of Goals to Have Fun

Now it’s time to focus on fun goals. Fun goals often take the back burner because we all seem to be a little too obsessed with the bad stuff we want to change about ourselves instead of the cool upgrades we can make throughout our lives. 

Here are a few ideas of goals that are fun: 

• Return to an old hobby like painting, drawing, dancing or music. 
• Take a class in something you have never tried before. 
• Plan to take a fun hike every month. 
• Take at least 2 trips this year. 
• Have a weekly or monthly game night with friends. 
• Go on a coffee date with a friend at least twice each month. 
• Join a bowling, knitting, reading or writing club! Some kind of club! 
• Try one new restaurant every month. 
• Plan a date night with your spouse a couple times each month. 
• Do one touristy thing in your own area each month. 
• Try a new adventure like ziplining or rafting or sailing a couple times this year. 
• Read more. Start with one book a month.

You get the idea. You will have your own specific interests and ideas of what are fun. Make those ideas for goals and be specific about how you want to fulfill them. It sounds crazy that you would have to plan fun but you actually do. Fun often falls by the wayside and we spend our whole life saying we will do something cool one day. Don’t do that! Plan to have more fun! 

Ideas of Goals Related to Money 

What other goal ideas do you have this year? Maybe you are looking for ways to get out of debt or start saving money. That’s a great goal! But it’s a little too vague. Instead let’s set solid goals that will help you fix your money problems faster than you ever thought possible.

Here are some ideas of goals that will help you save money:

• Try 10 No Spend Days a month. 
• Cook at home and pack a lunch to save money. 
• Make coffee at home to save money. 
• Don’t buy any new clothes for an entire year. 
• Audit your subscriptions. 
• Save at least $100 out of every paycheck. If in debt use that money to pay it off.
• Shift entertainment from expensive concerts and plays to free outdoor activities. 
• Shop second-hand. 
• Stop getting your nails done for a while. 
• Consider dropping your gym membership and working out at home or outside.
• Try to save up before big purchases instead of setting up payments. 
• Consider whether your family could use one less car for awhile. 
• Stop buying the latest gadgets including phones. 
• Unsubscribe from sales emails. 
• Don’t go shopping unless there is something specific you need. 
• Use grocery pickup so you don’t buy extra stuff you see in the store.  

Learning Goal Ideas

Great! We have all sorts of goal ideas for a debt free, healthy and fun year! That should cover it right? 

No! There are so many goal ideas you are missing out on if you aren’t thinking about what you might enjoy learning this year. Think about all the years that have passed where you wished you knew Spanish, learned to paint, took a dance class or picked up a musical instrument. 

At the tail end of the Pandemic I realized I had squandered my time and I started learning Spanish and Hindi on Duolingo every day, practicing my violin and writing at least 10 minutes a day. I can honestly say that when I’m consistent with these learning goal ideas I am so much happier and fulfilled! Finally it doesn’t feel like I’m just letting the years pass me by! 

Here are some learning goal ideas for you: 

• Learn a new language with Duolingo or a class. 
• Pick up an instrument you used to play or a new one. Take a class. 
• Take a dance class. 
• Start a new creative hobby like sewing, knitting, pottery, etc. 
• Try a cooking class. 
• Take a class in something just because it’s interesting to you at your local college or on Masterclass. 
• Go to a museum and take your time learning about the exhibits. 
• Start reading some non-fiction books on subjects of your choice. 
• Learn to birdwatch.
• Plant a garden and learn how to take care of it. 
• Master the science of sourdough bread making.
• Ask a friend to teach you something they know how to do. (I taught one friend sewing and another friend sign language). 

There are really endless things you can learn and I’m sure you have more ideas than this! The point is to keep learning and keep growling. Even if you are really busy you can find small pockets of time to learn something that will light up your brain and widen your outlook! 

You will notice that a lot of the options in this section are the same as or similar to the ones under fun goal ideas. That’s because it’s fun to learn! It’s even more fun to learn with a friend so grab a buddy. 

Personal Growth Goal Ideas

Why are we looking for all these ideas for goals? Because we instinctively know that we shouldn’t stay the same. We know that we need to keep moving forward and improving and that can be very personal.

Although it is important to develope a sense of self-worth so that we feel comfortable in our own skin, it’s also important to pay attention to the things we could improve on and act on them. This is called personal development and it could include inner qualities or habitual ways of thinking that we need to tweak. 

Here are some ideas for goals that will improve your inner person: 

• Learn to be more present when you are with others. 
• Look for ways to serve others in your best way. 
• Take time to listen to people when they talk. 
• Stop complaining and start looking for the positive. 
• Foster appreciation for what you have. 
• Work on being a humble person in a proud world. 
• Find yourself. Learn to live in a way that feels right. 
• Learn to say no. 
• Be more patient in every day life. 
• Improve your relationship with your significant other. 
• Figure out what drives you in life so you can reach your goals. 
• Start using a journal and/or a planner. 
• Take time for a self-care Sunday or an easy self-care morning routine. 
• Start unwinding anxiety. 
• Learn that you can opt out of expectations and the norm. 
• Spread kindness and joy by helping others. 

Decluttering Goal Ideas

There are so many goals you can try! And not all of them are internal. Sometimes we have to look out to our environment and see how it affects us. Believe it or not, when we lived in a cluttered home it actually stresses us out. It can even cause depression and it obviously stifles productivity. 

That being said, decluttering can feel overwhelming. You may lack energy and time to declutter or you might feel like you just don’t know where to start. Remember though, any goal you set needs to be small, achievable, and specific. 

Here are some micro-decluttering goal ideas to get your on the right track: 

• Declutter 10 items a week. Trash, sell or donate them within the week. 
• Tackle one room or even one drawer at a time. 
• Get rid of anything in your closet you don’t wear anymore. 
• Toss worn out towels, rags, etc. 
• Check your kitchen pantry for expired goods you can toss. 
• Get rid of food storage containers without lids and lids without containers. 
• Declutter old paperwork and mail. 
• Audit photos on your phone, computer and print outs. 
• Delete your whole inbox and start fresh!
• Do a quick weekend declutter. 
• Declutter your garage. 
• Simplify your schedule. 
• Declutter duplicates. 
• Pair down on books, dvds, cds, old games and other media. 
• Audit your files on the computer. 

There are so many ways you can start decluttering and you need to get started to get anywhere! Although decluttering may not sound like a fun activity it is well worth the effort because when your declutter your home you declutter your mind and you set yourself up for success. 

For more decluttering tips check out my posts on decluttering! 

Minimalism Goal Ideas

As we approach the end of this post you have so many goal ideas that you probably feel overwhelmed. Part of that is because you need to choose just a few and save some for later and part of the overwhelm you feel is because your life already feels so full. 

It can be hard to imagine adding anything to a life that is overwhelming but what if you could simplify your life so that you can achieve the things that are really important to you? That is what minimalism is all about! It’s about keeping what matters to you and letting go of the rest. It’s about learning to say no to the things that stress you out or don’t really add to your life. But where do you start with an idea as broad as the minimalist lifestyle? 

Here are few goal ideas for anyone interested in minimalism: 

• Try a capsule wardrobe with Project 333
• Pack for your next trip in a backpack. 
• Give cool experience gifts instead of stuff.
• Simplify your schedule by saying yes to less and using a planner. 
• Focus on people instead of stuff. 
• Try not to buy anything new for 6 months. 
• Put away some of your stuff and see if you can live without it. 
• Try to shop more sustainably. 
• Recycle, compost, thrift and buy fewer single use items. 
• Work on appreciating how much you already have. 
• Stop competing by buying the latest and greatest. 
• Stop looking at sales e-mails and flyers. 
• Downsize unnecessary bills. 

You may notice that a lot of these minimalism goal ideas are also found in the goal ideas related to saving money. That’s because consuming less naturally costs less but it has other benefits too. It can reduce stress and help us see what are real priorities in life are so we stop running on the crazy hamster wheel of keeping up with the Joneses. If you would like to learn more about the minimalist life style read these posts!

Yearly Goals, Monthly Goals, Goal Ideas for Every Day!

As you can see there are tons of goal ideas you can set. Some of these goals are daily goals or monthly goals that combine and work together towards your bigger yearly goals. Some of the ideas for goals above help you clear away obstacles to your big goals and some are the tiny steps you need to take to achieve those bigger things.

Whatever goals you choose make sure you keep yourself motivated with some sort of goal tracking whether that be a budget sheet, a scale and tape measure, a planner or an accountability buddy. 

When you set specific, attainable goals I know you will be able to achieve them! Just think how much your life will improve and how much you will grow as a person this year! When you put the effort forth to turn your goal ideas into reality you can have that happy simple life you have been dreaming of.

What are your goal ideas for the year? Share in the comments below!