Last Updated December 6, 2023
Are you wondering “what are my goals for this year?” Why not set some great personal goals to achieve in 2024! In this blog post, I will talk about how you can make your own list of achievable, realistic goals for this year.
Why You Should Set Goals
You should set goals because they motivate you to achieve something and improve your chances of success. There’s no better feeling than achieving a big goal you worked hard for!
Setting goals helps us work towards something and move forward in life. Setting life goals and working to achieve them helps us define what we truly want in life.
5 Benefits Of Goal Setting
Setting goals has a ton of benefits and can help you live a happier, healthier life. Some benefits of setting goals are:
- You stand a greater chance of success if you set goals.
- Goals give us a roadmap to follow.
- Goals are a great way to hold ourselves accountable, even if we fail.
- Setting goals also helps us prioritize things.
- Goals give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
1. You stand a greater chance of success if you set goals.
A study by Dr. Gail Matthews, a clinical psychologist from Dominican University of California, found that if you set goals you were more likely to achieve them. This study proved the effectiveness of three things:
- Accountability
- Commitment, and
- Taking the time to write your goals down.
Without a goal, your chances of success are slim to none.
2. Goals give us a roadmap to follow.
When you don’t have goals, life is just one big blur. With no goal in mind, it can be hard to decide where to focus your energy when there are so many other options available.
However, when you set a goal, you usually think about ways to accomplish them. You make an action plan and have an idea of what you need to do to get closer to achieving your goal.
Setting goals helps define your own personal journey through life and can make you feel more fulfilled in all aspects of it (work, family, friends, etc.).
3. Goals are a great way to hold ourselves accountable, even if we fail.
Setting goals is one thing, but actually working to achieve them gives you the motivation to keep going! You know what needs to be done and have a sense of commitment to yourself.
Even if you don’t achieve your goal for the day or week most people think of ways to better themselves so that next time, you will succeed.
4. Setting goals also helps us prioritize things.
When we don’t set goals and make a plan for ourselves, we tend to waste our time on the little unimportant things instead of focusing where we really need it most. You can set your own expectations for what is important to do each day/week which will help you make your life more balanced.
Without goals, people would probably spend their time watching TV or scrolling through their phones when they should be doing something more productive.
Setting goals makes you prioritize your time and energy to the things that really matter in your life.
5. Goals give you a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Having goals in life helps us feel accomplished like we’re on the right path to something great. When you set goals it gives your life more meaning than just having things fall into place for us randomly each day.
It feels good to accomplish a goal you’ve been working towards for weeks or months. It keeps you motivated and makes your life more fulfilled when you know you’ve achieved something great!
How To Set Your Goals
Setting goals is a great practice to make sure your life stays on the right track but you don’t want to just set any goal without thinking carefully about them first! Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Timely
S – Specific
Your goal needs to be specific. For example, “I want to be healthier” is a little too broad for a goal. However, if your goal is “I will go to the gym three days a week and eat healthy snacks throughout my classes at school each day” that is a much more specific goal and something you can work towards!
M – Measurable
Your goals need to have an endpoint or measurable goal that you can know when it’s completed! For example, “I want to be healthier” is not very measurable. However, if your goal is “I will lose ten pounds by my next doctor’s appointment in January” then you’ll have a better idea of what you’re working towards each day.
A – Achievable
Your goal needs to be something that you have the power to do. If your goal is trying to run a marathon right now, it might not be very realistic for someone who has never run before and isn’t in shape enough yet. Make sure you set goals based on what you can accomplish! You want them to be achievable goals and make sense of where you are in life right now.
R – Relevant
Your goal needs to be something that matters to you and is relevant to your life! For example, my goals may not matter as much to my parents or my friends but they’re definitely very important for me personally so I’m going after them anyway. Your goals need to fit with your values and what you think is important!
T – Timely
Your goal needs to have a time limit or endpoint for completion. This will help keep you accountable as well as make your goals feel more achievable if they don’t take forever to complete. For the marathon example, if your race happens in April you know that your goal has an endpoint and you can work your way towards it until then.
Great Goal Setting Tools
Now that you know how to set your goals, you should consider some goal-setting tools to help you make them even more effective and keep you on track. Some of my favorite goal setting tools are:
- Financial Goal Planner
- Goals On Track Software
- Law Of Attraction Goal Planner
- Agendio Planner (Custom Planner)
1. Financial Goal Planner
For most of us, one of our goals in life is to improve our finances, save more money, and get out of debt. You can make financial goals, and even write them down, but a financial goal planner will help you take action.
Using a financial goal planner allows you to plan every task you need to do in order to reach your financial goals. This means you can schedule when to pay bills, save money, and even plan ways to make more money.
I created the Financial Goal Planner because I couldn’t find a planner I liked specifically dedicated to your finances.
With this planner, you can set up your budget, save more money, and make a clear plan to get out of debt faster than you ever thought possible. This goal planner also has everything you need to be productive, manage your time wisely, organize your finances, and set money goals.
You can use the Financial Goal Planner as your daily planner and as your planner specifically dedicated to your finances.
You will save money with the Financial Goal Planner because you never have to buy another planner again. Keep the files for life and reprint the pages you need—or keep it in the digital format and use it with a note-taking app as I do.
You can read my detailed article about how the Financial Goal Planner will help you save more money.
2. Goals On Track Software
Goals On Track is my favorite digital planner. Although I’m a big fan of paper planners, I use a digital goal planner as my “backup” planner. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to travel with my paper planner because it might be too big or too heavy. So I also have a digital planner for the days I can’t carry my paper planner.
This digital planner will help you set S.M.A.R.T. goals, and has a lot of useful features. It can be a great substitution for a paper planner, or if you’re like me and still love your paper planner, you can use both in conjunction with one another.
You can check out my detailed article “My Honest Review Of Goals On Track Software” to learn more about this digital planner.
3. Law Of Attraction Goal Planner
The Law Of Attraction Goal Planner is one of my favorite paper planners. It’s good for productivity because it will help manage your time and force you to break down goals into more manageable pieces.
It includes a fold-out vision board, mind maps, reflection pages, habit trackers, to-do lists, blank journal pages, stickers, and a folder in the back.
The layout of the planner starts with extensive brainstorming and goal setting. There is also a note and reflection section at the end of each month. This makes you think about ways you can do better next month and celebrates your accomplishments so far.
If you’re looking for a good paper planner that you don’t have to print yourself, this is a good option.
4. Agendio Planner (Custom Planner)
The Agendio Planner is another one of my favorite paper planners. I love it because it is truly a customizable planner. The options are so endless that it is inevitable you will be able to create a planner that’s exactly (or extremely close to) how you want it.
Agendio offers 349 models, 17 page configurations, and 3 sizes (Journal, Medium, and Large). The ways you can organize and arrange your planner are pretty limitless.
I recommend this planner for people who can’t seem to find a planner that fits their lifestyle. Maybe you searched all over, and still haven’t come across a planner that has everything you need.
List Of Goals To Set For Yourself In 2024
Now that you’re armed with the tools you need to help you achieve your goals let’s make a list of goals to set for yourself this year. Take some time and decide what you want out of each area in your life.
You can break your goals down into the following categories:
- Personal development goals
- Financial goals
- Work and career goals
- Health and fitness goals
- Relationship goals with family and friends
- Love and romance goals
- Lifestyle goals
- Spiritual goals
The next step is to list the specific goals you want to achieve in each category. Let’s look at some examples of good goals in all areas of your life that you may want to set this year.
Personal Development Goals
- Stop procrastinating
- Get up early
- Be more productive
- Be more patient with my kids and spouse
- Be better at resolving conflict
- Acquire new skills
- Find your purpose in life
- Improve your self-esteem
- Make better decisions
- Improve time management
- Manage stress more effectively
- Get rid of at least one bad habit
- Do something outside your comfort zone
- Spend less time on social media
- Improve your grade point average this school year
Personal Financial Goals
- Increase your income
- Save up an emergency fund with 3-6 months worth of expenses
- Save more for your child’s college education
- Save more money towards retirement
- Create and stick to a budget
- Increase your net worth
- Save at least 10% of your income
- Pay off at least one of your credit cards
- Spend less money than you did last year
- Increase your credit score
- Break bad spending habits
- Increase or start investing
- Pay for your wedding in cash
- Pay for your family vacation in cash
- Buy fewer clothes, shoes, and makeup
Personal Work and Career Goals
- Improve your professional skills
- Increase your monthly income by at least $500-1000 per month
- Start a new gig or side hustle
- Get a promotion or raise at your current job
- Find a new career you would enjoy more and be better at
- Enroll in school to get a college degree or higher-education degree
- Find a new job that pays more than your current one does
- Attend an industry conference (paid or unpaid) and learn more about your industry
- Have your resume reviewed by someone who is more experienced than you are
- Reach out to your network and ask them for help or professional advice
Personal Health and Fitness Goals
- Lose weight
- Get your cholesterol levels under control
- Exercise at least three days a week
- Work on your flexibility and balance
- Eat healthier foods (especially more vegetables)
- Drink more water
- Take your daily medicine or vitamins
- Reduce your stress by taking time for yourself each day to do something you enjoy (i.e. – reading, coloring, drawing)
- Lose belly fat and have a flat stomach
- Eat out less often, cook more meals at home instead
- Take your dog on daily walks every day of the week
- Spend time outdoors in nature each day (if weather permits) or find another way to spend my time outside
- Meditate every day
- Schedule and be consistent with doctor check-ups
- Quit smoking
- Drink less alcohol
- Reduce sugar intake
- Try to cook with less salt
- Speak to a therapist or work on mental health issues
- Take 10,000 steps every day
Personal Love and Romance Goals
- Date intentionally to find a partner
- Spend time with your family every weeknight after dinner for a little while
- Call your parents or siblings once a month
- Get closer to your significant other by setting aside quality date nights each month
- Be more present when your family and friends are around you
- Do your best to listen more effectively when your loved ones are talking
- Keep your promises and follow through on your word
- Be more affectionate with your partner, your children, and your loved ones.
- Do your best to be honest with your family and friends about what you’re thinking or feeling
- Give genuine compliments more often
Personal Lifestyle Goals
- Spend more time with your kids and your spouse
- Make new friends and maintain the ones you have
- Get along better with your family members who are still in your life
- Find a rewarding hobby to spend your time on
- Be more patient with yourself when you’re struggling to meet goals or achieve results that matter the most to you
Personal Spiritual Goals
- Learn more about your beliefs and faith (i.e. – read the bible or attend bible study classes)
- Regularly attend church services
- Volunteer more at my church
- Pray more
- Be more compassionate towards others
How To Achieve Your Goals
Here are 5 tips to help you achieve your goals:
- Limit your list
- Break them down
- Measure your progress
- Reward yourself
- Give yourself grace
Limit Your List
The best way to achieve your goals is to not have a long list of goals or too many goals you want to accomplish all at once. The problem with having too many goals at once is that it can be overwhelming and difficult to keep track of all the things you want to do. So what ends up happening is you just give up.
Instead, focus on achieving no more than five goals at a time. What is the most important thing you want to accomplish this year? This will help you stay focused and not get overwhelmed.
Break Them Down
Once you have a few goals that are important to you, break those down into different time categories: 1) long-term, 2) mid-term, and 3) short-term goals.
1. Long-term goals
A long-term goal is usually a bigger goal that you want to work towards achieving over the course of several years (usually 5 or more years). Some examples of a long-term goal are:
- Saving for retirement
- Pay off your house
- Earn a professional degree
- Pay for your child’s college education
- Get promoted to a senior position at work
The most effective way to achieve long-term goals is by prioritizing them and breaking them down into smaller more manageable steps. When you break your big long-time goal into smaller goals it’s easier for you to make an action plan and incorporate it into your daily schedule.
For example, let’s say you have a long-term goal of paying off your house in the next ten years. If you owe $240,000 on your house, you’d break down your major goal of paying off your house into smaller goals of putting $24,000 towards your mortgage each year.
You may break down your goal even further to pay $2,000 towards your mortgage every month. By knowing what you need to pay towards your mortgage every month, it’s easier for you to know what you have to do every day to achieve your big long-term goal.
2. Mid-term goals
A mid-term goal is usually a goal that you want to work towards achieving over the course of several years (usually 1-5 years). Some examples of a mid-term goal are:
- Save for a downpayment on a house
- Earn a bachelors degree
- Get a promotion
- Master a new skill
- Start a business
The best way to achieve mid-term goals is by using the same action plan that you use for your long-term goals.
For example, let’s say you have a mid-term goal of earning your bachelor’s degree in the next four years. You can break down this big mid-term goal into how many credits you need to take each year to graduate in four years. You could then break down your goals even future to how many credits you need to take each semester to graduate on time.
3. Short-term goals
A short-term goal is usually a result that you want to achieve over the course of one year. Some examples of a short term goal are:
- Lose ten pounds
- Save $500 in my emergency fund
- Get up early every morning
- Read at least one book per month
- Learn a new language
The best way to achieve short-term goals is by breaking them down into smaller more manageable steps. For example, let’s say you have a goal of losing ten pounds in 5 months. To reach your short-term goal of losing ten pounds, you could break it down into smaller steps like losing two pounds a month.
Once you have your short-term goal broken down, you can then create your daily action plan. For example, to lose two pounds every month, your action plan may be to not drink soda every day and upping your water intake.
We all know what we want as our end goal but sometimes don’t have the first step planned out or even any plans on how to get there. This is why it’s important to break your goals into time categories and smaller steps so it is easier for you to achieve them.
Getting your goals down into a list of actionable steps that you can follow through on each day or week makes it feel more manageable and not too overwhelming.
Measure Your Progress
To stay motivated and achieve your goals, it’s important to have milestones or benchmarks that you can measure along the way.
For example, let’s say you want to lose ten pounds by next month (short-term goal). By tracking how much weight you’ve lost so far every week will help motivate you to continue on your journey of losing weight.
It is also important to track how well you are meeting each of your goals so that you can see what needs improvement or where there may be room for error. By tracking your progress you will be able to see your patterns and what you can do differently in the future so that your goals are more achievable.
Reward Yourself
Once you’ve reached your milestone, it’s important to reward yourself for all of the hard work and dedication that you put in along the way. You can do this by doing something fun to celebrate your achievement.
Celebrate your small wins along the way, even if you have not reached your ultimate big goal yet, because every win counts and brings you closer to your final destination.
Give Yourself Grace
As you set goals for yourself, it’s important to give yourself grace when things don’t go the way that you expect them to.
Don’t beat yourself up if you are not where you want to be. Instead, celebrate where you are now and keep working towards your goals so that you will have achieved them by next year.
What matters most is that no matter how much time it takes, you continue to stay on track and make progress towards your goals. So never give up!
My Goals For This Year
Now that I’ve given you some ideas of great personal goals to set for 2024, it’s only right that I share with you my goals for this year:
1. Put $60,000 towards debt. I don’t have any consumer debt, but I recently purchased an investment property that I want to pay off as soon as possible. So one of my goals this year is to put $60,000 towards that debt.
My plan is to implement some of the tactics I talk about in my article “My Simple 5-Step Formula For How I Saved $300,000 In 4 Years” to achieve this goal.
2. Buy a house with my husband. Last year one of my goals was to date intentionally and find my life partner. I was lucky enough to achieve this goal and got married in May 2023. So now, my husband and I want to buy our first house together in 2024.
3. Increase my passive income. This year I really want to increase my passive income by an additional $1,000/month. Although I’m financially free, I want my passive income to replace my earned income. So by increasing my passive income by at least $1,000/month I’ll get closer to my financial goals of financial abundance.
Summary
Setting meaningful goals for the new year is a great way to stay motivated and achieve your dreams. So my advice is to set some new goals now so you can start making progress on them. This blog post is a good place to get some goal ideas so you can make your own goals and see great things happen in your life. What are your New Year’s resolutions or goals for this year? Comment below!
Related Articles:
- How To Change Your Money Mindset So You Can Have More Money
- 21 Examples Of Long Term Financial Goals
- How A Financial Goal Planner Will Save You More Money
If you want to remember this article, pin it to your favorite Pinterest board.
