How to set personal goals and 8 ways to achieve them
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Learn how to set personal goals that are attainable. Plus, 8 tips to help you achieve those goals — whether for personal development, work, family or wellbeing.
Turning aspirations into achievements can seem challenging, but achieving your personal goals doesn’t have to be overwhelming or unreachable. It’s all about breaking them down into manageable steps.
Whether your goals relate to your career, health, or personal fulfillment, establishing clear, attainable objectives can help you achieve your dreams.
Why do we set personal goals?
It might seem like a silly question to ask but understanding the reason we set personal goals can help us create more meaningful goals.
These are important because they stop us from wandering through life without clear direction, and support us on the journey toward personal growth.
When you set personal goals, they’ll reflect what you genuinely wish to achieve.. Embracing goals can motivate you, shape your decisions, and bring a sense of purpose. They're not just about where you want to go but they can also define who you want to become along the way.
Setting meaningful goals may not be second nature, but sometimes they are born out of daydreaming. So, the next time you find yourself daydreaming about the future, write those aspirations down or record a voice note for yourself. Those daydreams might become the goals that lead you to a fulfilling journey of self-discovery.
Not all personal goals created equal
Not all goals will look alike and not all goals need to be long-lasting. Depending on what your needs are, you can set short-term goals, mid-term goals, or long-term goals.
Short-term goals: These goals are achieved relatively quickly, perhaps within a few weeks to a year. Short term goals should be goals that are time-sensitive, or that are easy to achieve.
Mid-term goals: These goals might take anywhere from one to three years to accomplish. Perhaps you’re saving for a special vacation or getting an advanced degree.
Long-term goals: These goals typically take three or more years to achieve. These might include, buying a house, achieving a career milestone, or even preparing for retirement. These goals may require time, planning, and perseverance.
5 types of personal goals you can set
Whether you're into upping your skills, sorting your finances, or building relationships, you can build goals around every aspect of your life. With so many avenues to explore, it can be hard to know where to begin. Start by thinking about the five key areas of your life.
Family and social goals
This category revolves around strengthening familial, friendship, and community ties. Whether it's increasing quality time with your kids or planning a girls’ night, these goals help you build and strengthen your social circle.
Create or participate in community: Feeling a part of a community is great for self-esteem, and overall mental health. For some people this might look like joining a community garden, belonging to a local library, visiting a farmer’s market, visiting a local park, or spending time with people nearby who you care about. If you are eager to meet people in your community, you might make it a goal to look into local events in your area.
Give back to your community or a cause you care about: Sometimes giving back to your community can feel really good. If time is limited, even making a donation to a worthy cause that you feel passionately about can be a worthwhile goal.
Financial goals
Financial goals are about smart money management. Whether you’re dreaming of traveling the world or planning a comfortable retirement, it’s important to set goals around how you want to use your money. Setting aside a specific amount of money monthly, understanding how to invest, or becoming more financially savvy are good objectives as well.
Pay down existing debts (in ways that work for you): Strategizing and working toward living debt-free can be really empowering, but paying off debts can also be very stressful. Find ways to plan for this mindfully so that you can keep your mental health and overall wellbeing intact as you work towards your goals.
Start a business or project that you’re passionate about: There’s no requirement to monetize your hobbies as they are meant to be enjoyed. With that said, sometimes there’s an activity you love that you’d love to turn into your work. Other times having new projects to pursue gives even more enjoyment and purpose to your day to day life. Setting these kinds of goals can be both empowering and exciting.
Set up a monthly savings plan: Saving regularly for future goals like achieving financial freedom, buying a house, or going on vacation can be really fun and rewarding. Start small, setting aside what you can each month and then enjoy watching it grow.
💙 Financial planning can be stressful and overwhelming. Try our Financial Intentions for advice on prioritizing your money-related goals.
Personal development goals
From learning a new language to joining a pottery class, personal development goals feed your soul and expand your horizons.
Read for pleasure and curiosity: If you’ve been hoping to read more, make it a goal to pick up a new book. You can even choose a variety of genres to broaden your perspectives. If reading is tough, audiobooks can be a wonderful alternative.
Learn something you’ve always been curious about: Lifelong learning can be a fulfilling pursuit. If there’s something new you’re excited to learn, or curious about, enroll in that class or workshop.
Keep a journal: Document your thoughts, experiences, and self-discoveries regularly. Writing down how you feel day-to-day can also help you process tough feelings or experiences. Check out our journal prompts for anxiety.
Master a skill: Learning something new can be really exciting and empowering. It might be picking up an instrument you’ve always wanted to try, learning to cook, crafting, taking up woodshop, gardening, or maybe creating a photo album or scrapbook.
Plan a trip: Explore new cultures and create lifelong memories by traveling. Even budget travel and local travel can be enriching. If leaving your town or city isn’t an option, try exploring places, shops or restaurants in your town that you’ve never been to before.
Practice mindfulness: Use tools and techniques to help you live in the moment. Mindfulness tools like meditation, grounding techniques and breath work practices can be great goals to add to your day-to-day routine.
💙 New to mindfulness? Check out Mindfulness For Beginners with Jeff Warren.
Career goals
Career goals propel you forward professionally. So if you’re interested in climbing the corporate ladder or paving your entrepreneurial path, setting actionable steps can help get you there.
Network intentionally: If you’re looking to try something new for work, or move to a new job, try networking more. Attend events to meet professionals and explore collaborative opportunities.
Explore options for a promotion: Aiming for advancement in your current role through dedication and strategic planning can be empowering. And there’s nothing wrong with asking if there are other opportunities available to you at your current job.
Enhance your professional skills: Good workplace morale is all about offering value and feeling valued by your employers. If you want to uplevel yourself at work, identify and develop new, essential skills in your field.
Seek a mentor or coach: Find an experienced individual in your chosen career for guidance and advice. If finding a coach is out of your means, consider reaching out to those you respect or admire and ask whether they'd be willing to act as a mentor
💙 Reflect on your work-life balance with Calm’s Peak Performance Journal.
Health and wellbeing goals
Health goals can be as bold as running a marathon or climbing a mountain or as simple as a daily walk or weekly yoga practice. It’s about ensuring your physical and mental wellbeing are in harmony.
Start a regular movement practice: Movement is great for physical and mental health alike. While not everyone has the flexibility or time to run a marathon, there are many ways to incorporate movement into your day to day. Other options for movement might include enrolling in a dance class, practicing yoga, taking up qigong or tai chi, or even going for walks in your immediate area.
Grow your own vegetables: It can be a great goal to grow your own food at home if you have the means to do so. Cultivating a garden with fresh, home-grown produce can be a great way to try new veggies, or incorporate more of them to your diet. If you don’t have outdoor space, even growing herbs on a windowsill at home can be a worthy goal.
Set limits around screen time: Allocate specific times to unplug and experience life without digital distractions. Especially before bedtime, it’s important to unplug.
Work on your habits: The daily habits and rituals that make up your day can amount to significant changes in your life. If there are areas where you want to change, set small attainable goals.
How to set (and achieve) personal goals in 8 steps
It’s important to set goals that are clear, meaningful, and, most importantly, achievable. Here are some ways you can start.
1. Brainstorm your personal goals
When it comes to setting goals for yourself, start by being open-minded. Jot down all the goals that come to mind. Dream big—this is the time to lay all your cards on the table.
Sift through the list to pin down goals that truly reflect your desires. Understanding your why will add a layer of meaning and drive you forward even when things get tough.
2. Visualize the future
Take a moment to close your eyes and picture your life after achieving your goals. How does it look? How do you feel? This visualization can serve as a powerful motivator.
Ask yourself why you want to achieve each goal. Be honest with yourself. It’s tempting to set goals based on what society expects or what looks good on paper. But genuine, lasting motivation stems from goals that echo your authentic desires.
3. Break down your personal goals
Break each goal down into manageable bite-sized chunks. For example, if you want to write a novel, start by committing to 500 words a day. Learning a musical instrument? Dedicate 20 minutes to practice every day.
Small but powerful tasks help you focus on what’s important and make the journey less intimidating. Setting SMART goals will help move you forward and keep you accountable.
SMART goals
Specific: Your goal should be clear and well-defined. Instead of saying, "I want to be healthier," refine it to "I want to exercise 30 minutes a day."
Measurable: How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal? By setting benchmarks. Maybe it’s losing 10 pounds, reading 20 books, or saving $5,000.
Achievable: Be realistic—your goals should stretch your abilities but remain possible. If you’ve never run before, aiming for a 5K might be more realistic than a full marathon... at least to start!
Relevant: Your goal should align with your broader life objectives. If you're aiming to be more present in life, a goal to practice mindfulness each day might be helpful.
Time-bound: Attach a deadline. Whether it's three months to declutter your home or one year to learn a new language, having an end date creates urgency.
4. Make a list of your personal goals
Write your goals down and put them somewhere you’ll see them every day. This solidifies your intentions, making them tangible. Plus, you’ll get a huge sense of achievement in ticking goals off as you accomplish them!
5. Set deadlines for your personal goals and schedule them
Allocate a specific timeframe to each task. Make sure to give yourself enough time to complete them. Deadlines also create a sense of urgency and help keep procrastination at bay. Read our flow state article for tips on making the most of your time.
6. Celebrate small wins
Every step forward is progress. Celebrate small victories along the way—it’ll boost your morale and motivate you. The more you’re able to celebrate your achievements the more you’ll demonstrate for yourself that you can do more and more. It’s a win-win.
7. Seek support
Don’t hesitate to ask for help or guidance if you feel lost or stuck. Whether it’s friends, family, or mentors, having a support network can make a significant difference. If the idea of setting goals feels overwhelming, take a step back and start small.
8. Regularly review and adjust your personal goals
Life is unpredictable so regularly review your goals and adjust them as needed. Staying flexible allows you to navigate through unexpected challenges while staying on course.
Remember, the journey to achieving your goals is as important as reaching them. It’s about growing, learning, and evolving.
Personal Goals FAQs
What are the 3 types of personal goals?
You can set many types of personal goals, but—broadly speaking—there are three different categories:
Short-term goals: These can be achieved relatively quickly, perhaps within a few weeks to a year. Maybe it's reading a particular book or enrolling in a course.
Mid-term goals: These usually take anywhere from one to three years to accomplish. Perhaps saving for a special vacation or attaining a particular certification.
Long-term goals: These are goals that typically take 3 or more years to achieve. Buying a house, achieving a career milestone, or preparing for retirement are all in this camp. They require time, planning, and perseverance.
How do you write a personal goal?
Envision the things you really want from life, then set SMART targets:
Specific: Clearly define what you want. Instead of "I want to get fit," try "I want to run a 5K in six months."
Measurable: Add some numbers or markers to track your progress. "Lose 10 pounds" or "read 5 books."
Achievable: Ensure it's realistic. If you're new to a skill, start small and build up.
Relevant: Your goal should align with your broader life objectives. Does it get you closer to where you want to be?
Time-bound: Add a deadline. "Save $1000 in 12 months" gives you a clear timeline.
With these ingredients, you've got goals that are ready to be achieved.
What is a personal goal, and why set one?
They're markers we set for ourselves to achieve something we desire. It might be climbing a career ladder, mastering French cooking, or cultivating a more positive mindset. The "why" is your drive and motivation. Having personal goals gives you direction, challenging you to grow into the life you envision.
Are personal goals important?
Personal goals are essential. They can help:
Provide direction: Giving your life a sense of purpose and direction.
Boost motivation: Fuelling your drive and enthusiasm.
Enhance self-confidence: Achieving goals boosts self-belief.
Enable growth: Leaving your comfort zone leads to personal development.
Personal goals lead us to our best selves—it's a journey worth embarking on.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
Images: Getty
