Personal goals are what we all strive for in every aspect of our lives. Setting and achieving these life goals can bring a sense of purpose and fulfilment. In this post you’ll find some great examples of personal goals to set for yourself to help enrich your life!

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We’re all trying to find ways to better ourselves, strive for happiness and improve our quality of life.

Setting personal goals and working towards achieving them is the best way to kick start your journey of personal development and self-discovery.

So dream big and go for gold! Choose from these 80 personal goal examples and start implementing them today so you can live a life you truly love!

What are personal goals?

Personal goals are aspirations we set for ourselves to help us grow and improve in certain areas of our lives. These goals vary from person to person, ranging anywhere from professional growth to creating a thriving home and family life and everything in between.

Setting personal goals have a heap of benefits:

• keep you motivated.
• hold yourself accountable.
• reach better results.
• create a clear vision of what you want to achieve.
• boost confidence and self-esteem.
• help challenge yourself and overcome obstacles.
• improve your overall well-being.

And remember, there is no right or wrong way to set personal goals, as long as they provide meaning, direction and purpose to you, anything fits the bill!

Personal goals typically fall under these categories:

• Personal development
• Career and work
• Family and relationships
• Health and fitness
• Travel and fun
• Finances and money
• Character building
• Quality of life
• Life in general

How to set personal goals

Setting effective personal goals involves several steps, so be sure to choose goals that align with your life vision!

Be it your values, passions, long-term goals or short-term goals, identify what it is exactly you want to achieve and why it’s important to you.

And finally, for ultimate goal setting success, break them into bite-sized manageable steps using the SMART goal framework:

Specific: be as specific and as clear as you can with your goal.

Measurable: the goal should be measurable so you can track your progress.

Achievable: your personal goal should be within your reach. It should be realistic and attainable.

Relevant: when you think of goals to set, your list of personal goals should align with your values and dreams.

Time-bound: having a time frame or deadline for you goals will help you keep focused and motivated.

Tips on achieving your personal goals

Here are some great tips to help you achieve your goals and stay on track:

• Celebrate each accomplishment along the way, no matter how big or small.
• Reflect on what’s working and what isn’t so you can adjust your strategy.
• Use any setbacks as learning opportunities to improve.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance and help from others.
• Surround yourself with supportive people who’ll encourage you along the way.
• Consider creating a vision board to help inspire you daily.
• Start journaling about your progress.

80 examples of personal goals to set for yourself

Whether you want to improve your health, career or family life, these 80 examples of personal goals will help you thrive in all areas of your life. 

These life goals are all objective, so make sure to make them personal to what you want to achieve and break them down using the SMART goals formula!

Personal development goals and personal life goals

The main aim of personal development goals and life goals is to help target your self-improvement and growth. They help shape you into a better person and allow you to feel satisfied and content in life.

1. Wake up earlier

Make it a habit to wake up earlier to get a head start on the day and increase productivity. As they say, ‘the early bird catches the worm.’

2. Improve listening skills

Good listening skills shows signs of an attentive and caring persona and it doesn’t go unnoticed, people will appreciate it!

3. Let go of the past

The past can haunt you and rob you of your peace and joy in the present. There’s no point holding grudges or dwelling on things that can’t be changed. Let go of matters that are done and dusted, you’ll feel much lighter and happier.

4. Expand your knowledge

In a day in age where knowledge is at our fingertips, don’t let the opportunity to learn more pass you by! Learning helps broaden your horizons and succeed in life.

5. Sharpen your observation skills

Increasing your observation skills will help you make better judgments and decisions.

6. Be creative

Do more things that explore your fun and creative side. You don’t have to be particularly good at it, creativity doesn’t come with a scoring board, just let your creative juices flow!

7. practice self-care daily

You can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself and do things you enjoy to strengthen your overall well-being. Be it resting, a warm bath or a road trip, self-care is what YOU make it.

8. Invest your time and energy wisely

Your time and energy are too precious to waste. Invest them on people and things that matter to you and you’ll feel overwhelming peace and prosperity!

9. Challenge yourself more

Challenging yourself will help you realise your potential, boost your confidence and test your will power.

10. Journaling

Keep a journal as your personal non-judgemental space to express yourself how ever you want. Be it a creative, healing or inspirational outlet, putting your thoughts and ideas through pen to paper is one of the most powerful things in the world.

11. Travel more and often

Nothing says growth and development like an eager traveller! Travelling awakes your sense of adventure and deepens your understanding of the world around you. 

12. Be kind and compassionate

Attaining a level of kindness and compassion for yourself and others will fill the world with that much more happiness.

13. Stop procrastinating

We all get lazy from time to time but procrastinating will only stunt your personal development. Stop putting things on hold for the “right time” and start making things happen NOW.

14. Quit moaning and complaining

If you spend far too much time moaning and complaining you’ll be too busy finding faults rather than solutions. Take a step back and evaluate what’s making you feel a type of way and make a change.

15. Be more productive

Being productive will give you purpose and shows determination. Follow a personal to-do list with activities you want to do at home, work and generally in your life and your personal growth will thrive.

16. Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill will help challenge you and give you a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Plus, it’s a great way to do something fun and productive in your spare time. Perhaps try learning a new language or how to play an instrument.

17. Read more books

Reading is a great way to relax and unwind, stimulate your brain and expand your knowledge. Setting a personal goal of reading a certain number of books per year or pages per day is both fun, practical and achievable!

18. Improve your communication skills

From building trust to improving relationships, communication skills will help you understand and help people more effectively.

19. Learn when to say "no"

Saying “no” can be pretty tough, especially if you’re a people pleaser. But learning to set boundaries will allow you to focus on more of what really matters to you.

20. Let go of fear

Fear will hold you back from living your life to the fullest. From heart-wrenching phobias to emotional fears, make it your life goal to conquer them and put them to rest once and for all.

21. Strive to be better

In order to improve your personal development, you must always strive to be a better version of yourself. You don’t have to be the best, just better than the person you were yesterday!

22. Quit a bad habit

If you’ve got a bad habit that’s holding you back, kick it to the curb. Walking away from something that isn’t serving you displays willpower at its finest.

23. Be resilient

When you fall, dust yourself off and get back up! Resilience isn’t always easy, but bouncing back from difficulty is a true show of strength and determination.

24. Become more organised

Be it your home, office desk, kitchen cupboards or inbox, organisation is the key to keeping your life under control. Remember, a clutter free space is a clutter free mind!

25. Worry less

As a wise somebody once said, “worrying does not take away tomorrow’s problems, it takes away today’s peace.”

26. Love yourself

Self love helps to boost self-esteem and confidence. Accept everything that makes you YOU (flaws and all) and make it your mission to love yourself fiercely.

27. Have a positive attitude

A Positive attitude doesn’t mean walking around like a ray of sunshine 24/7 (though that’d be nice), but rather being optimistic and having a more positive outlook on life. Positive thinking will make you happier and open more doors of opportunity.

28. Live intentionally

Live your life with more intention and purpose by doing things that align with your values and vision. Intentional living will help you make focused decisions on what’s important to you.

29. Be punctual

Punctuality can be hard to come by and is easily one of the more admirable traits in society. Being on time will make you more reliable and dependable – definitely a life goal worth setting.

30. Control negative emotions

From anger to jealousy and all the hundreds of negative emotions in-between, it’s only natural to feel these things. But, if certain emotions are too strong to ignore, learn to control them so they don’t take control of you!

31. Try new experiences

Don’t limit yourself to your comfort zone. Try opening yourself to new experiences at least once a month and you’ll be surprised at just how far you can push yourself.

32. Simplify your life

Remove unnecessary clutter, distractions and noise around you by simplifying your life. This way of living will give you an overwhelming sense of peace and boost your personal growth.

33. Practise self-discipline

Learn the art of controlling yourself and self-awareness and self-improvement will follow right behind it.

Professional development goals and work goals examples

In order to make your career prosper, you need to set the tone for the standard you want to aim for and build strong work ethics to achieve them. Add these professional work goals to your list of goals to kick off your journey to success!

34. Be proactive

Proactive people display perseverance in the face of challenges. Take a stand on matters, especially if they’re unjust. You’ll build more trust and loyalty amongst your colleagues.

35. Create a good work-life balance

Life isn’t about work, eat, sleep, repeat. You need to find a middle ground that will give you the chance to truly live. Find a work-life balance that fulfils all your needs.

36. Expand your professional network

Networking is a great way to boost your confidence, build stronger connections and open new doors of opportunities amongst others. Attend more work events conferences to grow your professional profile.

37. Learn time management

Time management skills is a great goal to help you navigate in your career and life. Utilise your time more effectively to boost productivity and organisation.

38. Get along with your colleagues

Having a good relationship with your colleagues will make your work days less stressful and more enjoyable. This can be anything from showing kindness, offering a hand and sharing your knowledge with them so they can succeed too.

39. Effectively work through conflict

Every work place has conflicts. Being able to effectively work through them shows a level of trust and leadership that will serve you well in the long run.

40. Be a team player

There’s no “i” in team! Learning how to work in a team helps to form stronger connections and relationships with your colleagues.  

41. Learn leadership skills

Leadership skills are a personal life goal that can be used both in the workplace and outside of a professional environment. Hone in on them, they’ll light your path to success.

42. Find a new job or career path

If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and your current job is weighing you down, perhaps it’s time for a change. Letting go isn’t quitting but rather simply knowing when something is no longer serving your growth or mental health.

43. Keep learning

You don’t stop learning just because you have a job. Keep gaining knowledge to help further your career growth. Consider increasing your credentials, taking courses or reading books in your industry. You can even learn from the people above you or experts in your field.

44. Take on new challenges and projects

Offer to take on new projects and challenges. Not only will you come across as dependable, but it also shows your level of determination and commitment.

Personal family goals examples

At the end of the day, the one thing that truly matters above all is family. They are typically the reason why we strive to be better and do better in life. Here are some great personal family goals examples to help prioritise your family and their happiness.

45. Spend more time together as a family

Do more things together as a family like scheduling fun nights, family day outs, weekends away or whatever will bring you all closer together. Quality family time should be the top of any parents list of goals!

46. Talk about things as or with your family.

A good solid family bond stems from being able to talk about things as a family. Don’t be afraid to talk about emotions with your kids and spouse. Ask the kids about their day at school, how they’re feeling or what’s happening in their lives. This means you’ll be the first person they come to if there’s anything troubling them.

47. Go on family vacations together

Be it Disneyland or an adventure filled holiday, going on family vacations will create memories the you will all cherish for life!

48. Play with your kids

Playing with your kids will show you have an interest in what they like to do and that you enjoy engaging with them. This will keep them happy and fill your heart with much needed joy.

49. Teach kids life skills

Giving your kids a head start by teaching them life skills early on will set them up for success. This will help their development and increase their awareness of the world around them.

50. Start a family tradition

Improve your families bond by creating family traditions everyone can enjoy and look forward to. An example of this could be takeaway Fridays, Saturday movie nights or baking together on Sundays.

51. Improve and grow together

There’s nothing like seeing your family succeed and grow together. Here’s a few things you can do together as a family:

• Improve your families communication skills.
• Learn something new.
• Challenge and push each other.
• If you’re religious, pray together.
• Eat healthier and exercise together.
• Make time read or do educational things together.

52. Express affection

Being affectionate with your family is non-negotiable if you want them to feel well-loved, safe and secure. Give your kids and spouse hugs, cuddles and say “I love you” often.

53. Start a family fund

Starting a family fund is a great way to put aside some money for a rainy day, special activities or major things like college costs. You can even get the kids involved with a small money bank to teach them about saving!

54. Create a family bucket list

Make a family bucket list with all the super fun and exciting things you’d all like to do as a family and put it somewhere you can all see. Try creating it as a vision board and get your kids involved in the process too.

55. Keep strong ties with relatives

Make an effort to keep your ties with relatives strong. Call and visit them often to show you care and will always be there for them.

Personal health and fitness goals

Your health is one of the most precious things you have and achieving optimal health and well-being is the ultimate goal. Here are 11 personal health and fitness goals examples to keep your mind and body nourished.

56. Eat healthier

Eating healthier is probably the number one challenge on everyone’s list of personal goals and it’s a life goal with no end! Ditch the diets and create healthy eating habits instead to create a lifestyle you can stick to.

57. Drink water

As far as personal health goals go, drinking more water is right up there with eating healthier. Keep yourself hydrated daily with these super simple tips to help your body flourish.

58. Control your weight

Weight management is always a good goal to have to prevent illnesses and body image issues. Set realistic weight goals and make small changes to your diet and exercise routine to achieve your goals safely and effectively.

59. Manage stress

Stress can take it’s toll on your health and quality of life if left unaddressed. Identity the causes of your stress and get them under control to help unload the weight off your shoulders.

60. Move your body

Get up and move your body every day in whatever way that will help you break a sweat! Try brisk walking, jogging, exercising, stretching or even dancing. Not only does it do wonders for your physical health it will also boost your mood and make you feel good.

61. Get quality sleep

Having a good nights sleep is essential for optimal health and well-being. Getting your daily dose of quality sleep will make you feel good throughout the day, with more focus and energy.

62. Spend more time in nature

Nature is beautiful and is known for having a calming and uplifting effect on our mental health and emotional well-being. Set a goal to go out every day, even if it’s just half an hour, and appreciate natures beauty.

63. Less screen time

We’ve become too absorbed by screens in the modern age that it’s damaging our health and well-being. Take a step back from your phone and tv every so often so you can live a life with more purpose.

64. Practice daily gratitude

Pay attention to the beauty of life and appreciate all the things you’ve been blessed with. Write them down in your journal or show your gratitude to yourself and those around you.

65. Challenge yourself

Nothing quite says satisfaction like challenging and pushing yourself to do things or stick by a routine. Try do a 30 day challenge to test your willpower and encourage you to make healthy lifestyle changes.

66. Protect your peace

It’s important to find ways to protect your peace to keep you sane. Identify what is interfering with your sense of calm and make swift changes accordingly! 

Personal relationships goals

These personal goals examples explore all other relationships including friendships and romantically.

67. Nurture good friendships

Good friends are hard to come by. If you have a good circle of friends, nurture it and appreciate them, they’ll be some of your best support network!

68. Let go of toxic relationships

Whether it’s friendships or romantically, staying in toxic relationships eat away at your energy and hold you back from living your best life. Say your goodbyes and don’t look back.

69. Give out more compliments

Giving compliments will make the other person feel good as well as yourself. Give them out regularly (they’re totally worth it!)

70. Be open and honest

Honesty truly is the best policy. Show vulnerability and be as honest as possible in your relationships, no matter how hard. This will help build trust and a solid connection.

71. Show loyalty

A loyal person is one of the most sought out people in the world. Loyalty is a good goal and quality to set you up for stronger, better and supportive relationships.

72. Spend quality time with partner

From date nights to conversations snuggled on the sofa, spending quality time with your partner will only help your relationship go from strength to strength.

73. Embrace one another

Accept the people in your life with open arms, no matter what minor flaws they come with or past mistakes they’ve made. Embrace them and help them change if they’re worth the effort, they’ll show appreciation in return.

74. Work through things together with your partner

Work through any issues and concerns together with your partner through communication and an open mind and heart. This way you’ll both find effective solutions to problems much more easily.

Personal finance and money goals

Here are a few personal finance goals to encourage you to be more money conscious.

75. Pay off your debt

When you have debt looming over you it can be hard to fully relax in life. Make a decision to pay off all your debt so you can have financial relief and peace of mind.

76. Create a budget

Budgeting is a great financial goal to have. Calculate your income and expenses and create a monthly budget around that.

77. Save money

Learning money saving skills is an admirable financial goal to have. Save money for important things, a rainy day, emergencies or just to do things you enjoy.

78. Start a side hustle or business

Whether it’s starting a business, a blog or a side hustle, starting your own venture will give you financial freedom and stability. Being your own boss will help challenge you and acquire lifelong skills.

79. Invest your money

Investing is a great way to make your money go further and potentially build on your wealth.

80. Add multiple income streams

Being dependent on one income stream can sometimes be a little risky. Adding several income streams is a great way to keep money rolling in regardless of what’s going on in the world. 

Final thoughts on personal goals

Life can be pretty difficult at times and finding a way through the storm can sometimes seem impossible. But, by setting yourself personal goals you can find more comfort even in the toughest of times.

The sense of achievement and accomplishment that comes with personal life goals is nothing but inspiring.

Use this list of personal goals examples to challenge yourself and develop your personal growth to help you live a happier and more fulfilled life.

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