As the end of the year nears, your thoughts may be starting to drift towards goal ideas for 2022. But sometimes, goal setting can be overwhelming.
How in the world do you figure out what goal is right for you? Do you even need to set goals? What’s the point if you work a dead end job or stay home with kids all day?
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission on products purchased through these links at no extra cost to you.
GOALS ARE FOR EVERYONE
I’m a stay at home mom. For a long time, I thought that goals were for people with professional careers. I didn’t think there was any reason for me to bother with self-improvement. Its not like I have a boss watching over me, expecting me to perform well.
Since then, I’ve learned that goal-setting is for everyone. It isn’t always about gaining accolades or boosting your income.
Its about spending our time doing the things that are important to us and working towards becoming better in areas of life where we fall a little short.
HOW TO SET A GOAL THAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY WANT TO ACHIEVE
To set a goal that you’ll actually achieve, you need to come up with some ideas that are relevant and helpful to your life.
To start, take some time and evaluate the major areas of your life:
Are you where you want to be health-wise? Do you spend enough time connecting with friends? How is your marriage doing? Could you invest more into your family? Are your finances in a healthy place? How is your relationship with God?
If you think you have room to grow in any of these areas, then come up with a goal that’s relevant to that area of your life! I have tons of goal ideas listed below to help get your wheels turning.
Once you have a list of good ideas, choose the one that you’re the most excited about. Then, make a plan to get it done!
BREAK IT DOWN
If you have a broad goal of “getting in shape”, that’s awesome! But you’ll want to break it down into more concrete terms that will make it easier to know if you’ve actually done it or not.
How do you want to get in shape? Do you want to be able to run faster? Lose a certain number of pounds? Or be able to lift a certain weight at the gym?
What will you do on a regular basis to reach that goal? Will you run three miles every day and track your time in a notebook to see your improvement? Will you go to the gym 3 times a week to lift weights in order to increase your strength?
Those are the questions you need to be able to answer in order to have an effective goal plan.
75 GOAL IDEAS TO JUMP START YOUR GOAL PLANNING
If you need some ideas to help get your wheels turning on what kind of goal you might like to set, look no further! There are tons of ideas listed below, categorized by area of life.
You don’t have to use these goal ideas as is – just use them as a starting point, and modify them to suit your own life.
HEALTH GOAL IDEAS
Walk or run X of miles in a year
Be able to lift X number of pounds in the weight room
Do strength training X times a week
Enter and finish a 5k, half marathon, or marathon race
Learn to do a pull up or push up
Run a mile under 7 minutes
Drink enough water (your weight / 2 = number of ounces you should drink daily)
Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day
Eat sweets no more than once a week
Cut out caffeine or alcohol
Get more sleep
FRIENDSHIP GOAL IDEAS
Schedule a monthly girls/guys night
Call an old friend every Sunday afternoon (preferably a different one each week)
Have someone over for dinner at least once a month
Interact more often with people you see regularly (cashiers, bank teller, the front desk clerk at the gym, the older lady who you pass on your daily walk etc.)
Introduce yourself to someone new at church every week
Join a group of like-minded people about a subject or activity that interests you (running club, book club, moms club, etc.)
Get to know your neighbors (even if you’ve lived there for years and it feels awkward to introduce yourself now)
Make a habit of regularly texting friends to encourage them.
Write letters via snail mail or send care packages to friends far away.
GOAL IDEAS TO IMPROVE YOUR MARRIAGE
Read 3 books about marriage and apply what you learn.
Schedule a weekly or monthly date night.
Kiss for 10 seconds every day.
Pray for your spouse daily.
Make a habit of flirting with your spouse regularly.
Plan a fun vacation without the kids.
Have a weekly meeting to go over schedules and discuss any issues relating to your marriage or the household.
Compliment your spouse every day.
GOAL IDEAS FOR YOUR FAMILY
Spend more on-on-one time with your kids
Make family dinners a priority
Teach the kids to do their part in helping with household chores
Schedule a weekly family night
Read together as a family regularly
Stay off your phone when the kids are around
Establish a quiet time when the kids stop napping
Read 3 parenting books and apply what you learn
GOAL IDEAS FOR YOUR FINANCES
Pay off debt
Build up an emergency fund
Reduce your spending in a certain category (groceries, entertainment, etc.)
Create a monthly budget and review it regularly
Educate yourself about investing
Open up retirement and college savings accounts if you don’t have them already
Create a new stream of income
Save for a vacation or a down payment on a house
SPIRITUAL GOALS
Read through the Bible
Complete a Bible study
Create a prayer system to help you remember to pray for everyone in your life regularly
Get more involved at church
Find a spiritual mentor
Memorize scripture
Learn about the spiritual disciplines and practice them
Read a theology book
Share the gospel more regularly
Practice daily gratitude
CAREER GOAL IDEAS
Change careers
Get a promotion or raise
Get a new client
Grow your professional network
Learn a new job-related skill
Start a side hustle
Improve your public speaking skills
Earn a certificate or degree
RECREATION GOAL IDEAS
Read 30 books
Organize your reading life
Spend an hour outside every day
Curate your wardrobe
Attend plays or concerts regularly
Make a plan to turn off the TV and be more intentional with your free time
GOAL IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME
Organize spaces that frustrate you
Spend 10 minutes tidying every evening
Remodel an area of your home
Beautify your outdoor space (plant trees, add new garden beds, paint something etc.)
Learn to do home maintenance projects yourself
Update your color palette and/or decor
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Melinda worked with children for years in a professional setting before becoming a full-time stay at home mom. She currently has three young children, and enjoys sharing tips and ideas about parenting and how to manage a home with excellence. She’s been featured on Heathline and Her View From Home.
You must be logged in to post a comment.