69 Life-Changing Personal Goals for a Happy Life

Although I am a personal development blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.

Setting personal goals can help you become a healthier version of yourself. Read to learn all about personal goals and get some ideas to try!

Are you a goal-oriented person?

I sure know I am. I like to set different goals for myself because I love the idea of becoming a better version of myself. However, there have definitely been times where I set goals and didn’t achieve them for a number of reasons. I’ve learned from my mistakes and now I’d say I’m a pretty good goal-setter AND goal-achiever.

So, if you want to better yourself, go ahead and keep reading! We’re going to get down to every detail about goals so you can set yourself up for success.

This post is all about personal goals.

What are personal goals, and why are they important?

Alright, let’s start with the basics. What the heck is a personal goal?

Well, a personal goal is some type of accomplishment that you want to achieve for yourself. This could be for many aspects of life, including your:

• Finances
• Job
• Academics 
• Relationships
• Mental health 
• Spiritual health 
• Physical health 

Most of the time, personal goals are long-term. They’re different from a short-term goal, which you could usually accomplish in a few months.

You could totally set short-term personal goals, too. Don’t forget about them!

You should set personal goals because they allow you to develop into a better version of yourself. I sure know I’m proud when I accomplish a goal I’ve been working on for a while.

How to Set Personal Goals:

Now you know a bit more about them, but how do you set personal goals? Here are a few pointers:

1. START WITH YOUR “WHY”

First you need to figure out why you’re setting a certain goal. Don’t just go into with no intentions. 

If you do, it’s going to be hard to stay consistent and motivated because you have no reason for the goal. 

So, sit down and think about why this goal is important to you.

How will it add value to your life? How will it change you as a person? How could it affect others in your life?

These are all great questions to ask yourself and prepare to achieve a goal. 

2. CREATE A PLAN 

After you’re clear on your “why,” it’s time to do some planning. In this phase, you should go into detail on every step you need to take to accomplish your goal(s). 

Think about things like:

• How you’re going to start
• When you’re going to start 
• How often you’ll work on the goal 
• When you want to accomplish the goal
• Every single step you need to take to achieve the goal 

3. FIND A TRACKING METHOD 

I’ve found that tracking my progress increases my chances of accomplishing something important.

I believe it’s because I’m keeping myself accountable every time I reach for my phone to update my progress.

You should track your goals, too. 

Whenever you’re feeling unmotivated or lost, you can go and see the progress you’ve made. This always gets me back on track!

4. DO WEEKLY & MONTHLY CHECK-INS

Lastly, you should check in on your goals on a regular basis. Don’t just set them and don’t do anything with them.

What good is that going to do?

If you truly want to accomplish a goal, you have to make sure it fits you and your lifestyle. Doing these check-ins should allow you to assess your goals and make changes as needed.

Your life when you set a goal might not be the same by the time you achieve it, so it’s important that you check in and make sure it matches with who you are today.

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Tips for Setting Goals:

Before we get to the goals, I have a few tips to share. These should set you up for success.

1. MAKE SURE THEY’RE REALISTIC

I’m sure, at one point, we’ve both have set a goal that was a tad unrealistic. And I mean both the goal itself and when we expect to mark it off our lists.

But over time I’ve learned that if your goal is unrealistic, you’re going to have a hard time with it.

It’s time to stop setting unrealistic goals. Let’s be real — can you really, healthily lose 20 pounds in 1-2 months?

For most, that’s not very realistic or achievable because the timeline is way too short. Instead, make the timeline longer so you’ll actually see some success.

You don’t want to frustrate yourself because you’re not making any progress with a not-so-realistic deadline.

We don’t set unrealistic expectations over here (not anymore, at least)!

2. MAKE DAILY GOALS 

I’m sure you’re setting long-term goals, which will obviously take a while to accomplish. But setting daily goals can help you achieve ones that take a bit longer to finish.

Say you want to save $10,000. Depending on your finances and spending habits (not to mention the horrendous economy), that might take a while. 

Try to do daily things like making coffee at home instead of getting it from a coffee shop. Or even something as simple as being consistent with checking your bank balances!

These daily actions will add up and help you see the bigger picture.

3. DON’T COMPLAIN WITHOUT PUTTING IN THE WORK

Not to be mean, but…

You don’t really have much room to complain about something if you’re not trying to do anything about it!

Seriously — you can talk all you want about not having a social life, being on your phone too much, or living above your means. 

But change doesn’t happen without you taking action.

Let’s put some emphasis on *trying*. If you’re actually trying to make a change, give yourself grace and continue to work hard!

4. LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

I know it can be hard to focus on something if it’s constantly bothering you. What I like to do is think about my future self.

I think, “In the future, I’m going to happy that I made this decision.” It’s definitely challenging in the moment, but I know I’ll thank current me.

Sometimes you’ve got to look into the future and use that as a motivating force.

Okay, I think that’s enough rambling. Let’s get into these personal goals!

69 Personal Goals:

Health Goals:

1. Spend more time with and get to know yourself better 
2. Set healthy boundaries to establish healthier relationships with others
3. Become more of an active listener to hear the other person’s side of the story
4. Make journaling a habit for your mental health (link journaling post here)
5. Do more of what you love and less of what you dislike (put your energy into things that deserve it)
6. Start tuning into your emotions by journaling and meditating
7. Start going to therapy (or find a new therapist) for your mental health
8. Step out of your comfort zone more often and learn that it’s freeing
9. Work toward having a more positive, optimistic mindset (be less pessimistic and retire the victim mindset)
10. Try something new and exciting every month (sightseeing, monthly trips, watching movies, going out to eat, etc.)
11. Make a plan to move out of your parent’s house
12. Become more confident in your opinions, values, talents, and beliefs (stop comparing yourself to others)
13. Develop a consistent night routine that you look forward to every night
14. Cut that toxic person out of your life (it’s OK to let them go)
15. Start listening to your intuition more often
16. Schedule that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off
17. Work toward learning that perfectionism isn’t real and is harmful to your mental health
18. Say a morning affirmation in the mirror everyday
19. Strengthen your connection to God through daily Bible study, prayer, and/or attending church
20. Connect to your higher self/the universe by meditating and spending time in nature
21. Learn to stop people-pleasing and start saying “No” more often
22. Be more forgiving to those who have hurt you in your past
23. Drink at least 64 ounces of water everyday
24. Develop a healthier relationship with food and your body
25. Wake up at the same time every morning
26. Stop doomscrolling when you’re bored
27. Learn that boredom is OK
28. Embrace being an emotionally sensitive person
29. Learn new techniques to cope with stress (take breaks, journal, pray, etc.)
30. Learn to appreciate the small things in life
31. Start living in the moment and being more present
32. Work toward becoming a healthier version of yourself

FREE SELF CARE ACTIVITIES LIST

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Financial Goals:

1. Open a savings account and stick to putting $100 in it every month 
2. Get that credit card you’ve been wanting
3. Pay off your student loans
4. Create and stick to a realistic budget
5. Learn about how to be financially free
6. Start tracking your daily spending
7. Change your money mindset — What is money to you?
8. Quit your DoorDash/UberEats/Postmates addition — Do you know where that money could be going instead?
9. Stop making impulse purchases (start thinking about everything you buy)
10. Pay off your credit cards in full, on time every month
11. Check your bank account everyday
12. Learn about the basics of investing (I know it can get overwhelming!)
13. Work with a financial advisor to help with your taxes

Career/Productivity Goals:

1. Implement strategies to avoid burnout 
2. Invest in a standing desk to improve your posture and work flow
3. Implement new strategies to procrastinate less and get more work done
4. Learn how to balance work and personal life
5. Start that nonprofit organization you’ve been thinking about
6. Get a promotion at your job
7. Be more open to reaching out to others when you need help
8. Start delegating tasks in your small business
9. Do something you’ve been procrastinating
10. Get a certification/degree that will help you level up professionally

THINK: What was the last goal you achieved? It could be big or small! Tell me in the comments!

Social Goals:

1. Put yourself out there and make 2-3 new friends this year 
2. Spend more time with your favorite people (cherish your time with them)
3. Get out of the house more often — even if it’s for a daily walk (stop isolating yourself!)
4. Develop a healthier relationship with social media by going on tech-free weekends
5. Learn a new language so you can communicate with more people
6. Improve your vocabulary to become more intelligent
7. Become a better listener or speaker

Fun Goals:

1. Do something you’ve always wanted to do
2. Become a better reader and read 12 books this year
3. Find a new music artist and binge their music
4. Attend your favorite artist’s concert
5. Look for new series on Netflix to binge
6. Work toward checking 5 things off your bucket list
7. Write and publish a novel

Let’s recap!

We made it to the end of the post!

Today, we talked about personal goals.

Setting and achieving goals is one of the most impactful things you can do on your self-growth journey. I hope this post gave you some for goal ideas to set for yourself!

Make sure you take the right steps to accomplish them and see how great they are!

Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!

I know, in this economy, it can be hard to find free things to do that are fun. That’s why I put together a list of 7 free self care activities to enjoy today!

In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile, 

DeMarcus – your self care buddy

PIN IT FOR LATER:

This post was all about personal goals.