9 Goal Ideas for Your New Year’s Resolution List
/As 2019 starts winding down, you may have already started thinking about your New Year’s resolutions. You know, those exciting goals and dreams that fire you up and give you the motivation to start the new year strong. But chances are you’ve experienced some sort of roadblock when it comes to goal setting in the past.
Maybe you’re experiencing self-doubt because you didn’t complete what you set out to accomplish in 2019. Or, maybe you’re overwhelmed by all the different goals you could possibly pursue in the future. And I’m not forgetting those of you who are intrigued by the thought of goal setting but aren’t quite sure how to get started. Whatever negative or nervous feelings you’re associating with goals, LET THEM GO. Set your intentions that 2020 is going to be the year that you’re courageous and go for it. Remember, you can’t get where you’re supposed to be without taking the first imperfect step! The clarity will come once you move forward.
Ready to find some purpose-filled goals that you can set to pursue your best self? Use this list to help get you started! Whether you’re a goal-setting expert or someone who’s creating goals for the first time, there’s a good chance that you’ll find some major #goalinspiration from this list to set your intentions for a successful 2020!
9 Goal Ideas for Your New Year’s Resolution List
The goal or task that you keep putting off.
I love the idea of starting with a task that’s not hard, but one that somehow never manages to get crossed off your list. What’s the thing you keep putting off? Scheduling that dentist appointment? Cleaning out your garage? Whatever that lingering to-do is, make a point to complete this task first in 2020!
The goal that will improve your health.
Whether it’s eating greens everyday, fitting in thirty minutes of exercise, or drinking more water (or all of the above), there’s always something we could be doing more or less of to improve our individual health. Think of one health-focused goal you can set for yourself in the new year and stick to it!
The goal that increases your faith.
How can you dive deeper into your faith in the new year? The three ideas that probably come to mind involve church community, prayer, and reading the Bible. If you aren’t a part of a local church, maybe you could try visiting a few churches and attending their free events. For prayer, I highly recommend the book Transforming Prayer. You can also make a point to take advantage of all the free Bible studies and plans in the YouVersion Bible app!
The goal that scares you more than anything.
What’s that goal on your heart that scares you most? You know, the one that simultaneously gives you butterflies and heart palpitations at the same time. Whatever that goal is for you, make a plan to act on it! You only have one life, and it’s your job to make it count for you! What do you have to lose?
The goal that will simplify your life.
We all have that one routine or task that could completely change our quality of life. If you’re looking for an easier way to get ready and create outfits in the morning, plan on learning how to style your wardrobe without buying new clothes and then donate the things you never wear (I love all the style tips from Hilary Rushford on her IGTV!) If you’re a new mom with a growing family, maybe you make a goal to save the cash to hire a once a month house cleaner to save you time and lost sanity. Or, if you’re looking for multiple ways to simplify your life and routines in the coming year, I’ve heard great things about THIS BOOK by Emily Ley.
The goal that will deepen your relationships.
Ready to invest in the people already in your life? One of the best goals I set a few years ago was to go deeper with less people. Meaning, I made a list of the family members, friends, and coworkers who I wanted to invest in, and pursued them month by month. For six months I text them, made plans, and send them encouragement and resources that could benefit them. At the end of that six months, I took inventory of what relationships naturally grew, and which ones seemed one-sided, and adjusted my list for the following six months. The relationships with fruit grew and I found a lot of clarity about the relationships that I needed to stop investing so much time and energy in. Looking for new friendships? Try Bumble BFF, local networking groups, or pursue a friendship with that acquaintance on Instagram who you have SO much in common with.
The goal that’s purely for fun and enjoyment.
What is one thing that can bring you unadulterated joy in the new year? How could you create more fun and creativity in your life? Make a goal to do something just for fun! Travel without an itinerary. Go to an amusement park without the kids. Paint without a clear plan of what the end result is supposed to look like.
The goal that will save you money.
If you’re like me, the idea of a budget is good in theory but not so much in practice. I can plan all day long, but implementing my thought-out plan is not as easy. This year, set a goal (besides creating a generic budget that you won’t stick to) that will improve your financial health. Meet with a financial advisor or banker. Review your spending habits from 2019 (we use Mint.com) and focus on decreasing your spending on one major category. Or, try going on a contentment challenge or spending freeze for a season and don’t buy anything new besides groceries. Personally, we’re planning on signing up for Financial Peace University!
The goal that will help you pursue your ideal self.
Think about the person you dream of being. How does she act? How does she feel (emotionally and physically)? What does she wear and what does she do for fun? What type of partner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend is she? Once you can imagine what your best self looks like, reverse engineer how you’ll become that person by choosing one goal that will help you move closer to your ideal self.
Do you have some goals in mind? Great! First, try to narrow that goal list down to five major goals that you want to tackle in 2020.
Then, next to each goal write this down: “By accomplishing this goal, I’ll improve my life because _____________________.” Knowing why you want to achieve something can be the driving motivation on the days when you face outside criticism or when self-doubt kicks in.
Next, remember that a goal without a plan is just a wish. For each idea, break down the major action items that you’ll need to accomplish to achieve your big-picture goal and schedule those tasks in your calendar in advance (check out my recent blog about how to create an effective morning routine for more on this). Then, ask yourself this question: “How will I know when I’ve completed this goal?” For some specific goals, that question may answer itself. But for a broad goal like “grow my business in 2020,” you’ll need to set specific measurements so you can know whether or not you’ve made progress.
This can be the year when everything changes for you, but you have to do the work to experience the change! Now, go set some goals!
Joyful Takeaway: The clarity will come once you move forward.