Nowadays, society is all about achieving and succeeding. As a result, there’s tons of pressure to accomplish life goals, big and small, in everything from finances to personal growth.
Amid all of this demand for success causing people to leave their jobs, it’s essential to take some time and try to figure out what you want. Your life goals should reflect who you want to be and how you want to live your life.
This post will help you clarify those life goals a little and give you some ideas for personal goals that you can incorporate into your own life. So let’s get right into it.
What Are Life Goals (and How to Set Them)
Before getting into some specific goals, it’s essential to understand what life goals are and set good ones.
A life goal is a long-term goal that you hope to achieve in your lifetime. Because these goals are so big, you must have strong motivation and desire behind them; otherwise, they will be tough to achieve.
When it comes to creating and setting goals for yourself, consider following these tips:
- Identify all the different categories you want to be setting goals for in your life – These could include career goals, business goals, fitness goals, financial goals, and professional goals.
- Visualize what you want your life to look like and use that to motivate your goals – Once you have a clear vision, write down as many goals and objectives as possible.
- Utilize SMART goals (SMART goal setting) – A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
- Review your goals after a week or so. After some time has passed, sit back down and review your goals. It’s likely that not every purpose will seem so appealing to you. The ones that stick out, though, are the ones that you should keep.
- Build a plan for how you’ll accomplish these goals – To reach your goals, you’ll need to build a detailed plan that considers that life can sometimes get messy. Commit to this plan for the long-term, and you’ll find that achieving goals is that much easier.
Now that you’ve gotten a good idea of planning and goal setting let’s look at ten goals to achieve that might inform some of your own life goals.
10 Awesome Life Goals to Set and Achieve
From making a million dollars to learning a second language, you’re sure to find something on this list to inspire you for your own life goals.
Start a Business
Do you hate working a 9-5? Have you always wanted to be your boss and work flexible hours on your terms? If so, a life goal that might appeal to you is starting a business.
It’s true, starting a business is time-consuming, and you’ll need to overcome many obstacles, but the good news is that it’s easier today than ever before. In addition, being a small business owner, you can control the contribution margins and keep more money in your pocket.
There are more opportunities online today for businesses and money-making than there ever has been in the past.
Buy and Own Your Dream Home
Real estate is one of the most potent ways to build wealth. Not only do you get to take advantage of appreciation, but you also get to use leverage to boost your returns. The great part: owning a dream home can also be part of your life goals!
Owning the perfect property for yourself and your family is one of the best goals in life because it means you’ll have your very own place to call home where you can feel relaxed and comfortable. Of course, it takes time to save up the required money to purchase your dream home or build it on an acre of land, but the resulting ownership is worth it.
Learn a Second (or Third) Language
Have you always wanted to travel the world and visit different countries? Are you also interested in all the different cultures around the globe? If so, learning a new language might be a big goal that you can set for yourself.
Mastering another language will not only provide you with a valuable new skill, but it will also help you get more opportunities (and maybe even help you achieve other goals). The language you choose can be anything, but make sure you stay motivated enough to see it out until the end.
Become a Mentor for Someone Else
There’s a quote that goes something like, “when you teach, you learn.” Of course, this applies to the academic world, but it’s also true of real-world skills. So if you have something that you’re very good at, consider making it a life goal for yourself to mentor someone else in the subject.
Whether rehabbing real estate investment properties, public speaking or designing beautiful house plans, find something you’re skilled at, find someone willing to learn and share your knowledge with the world. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll also impact many people’s lives.
Run a Marathon (or Half Marathon)
Running a marathon is not some short-term goal that you can achieve without a “take action” mindset. It’s hard to follow through with, you’ll need to improve your physique, and you’ll have to stay focused for a long time to succeed.
However, it’s for these very same reasons that running a marathon is so worth it. By achieving this life goal through hard work, you’ll build willpower, self-confidence and feel happier than you ever have. Of course, it takes real dedication, but the reward is well worth the commitment.
Travel to More Countries
When it comes to long-term goals, traveling the world is often at the top of most people’s lists and resolutions. It’s essential, however, not to be vague. If you want to travel the world, make sure to list exactly how many countries you want to visit (and even better, write down exactly which countries those are).
By setting this as one of your life goals and committing to achieving it, you’re essentially forcing yourself out of procrastination and giving your life a sense of urgency. After all, you only have so much time at your disposal to travel the world with.
Achieve Zero Debt
Debt is one of the biggest things that hold people’s finances back. Nowadays, many people die without fully paying back their debt, leaving it behind for their families to deal with. Resolve to make sure that doesn’t happen to you by achieving zero debt, one of your life goals.
Not only will this motivate you to work hard and progress in your career, but it will also teach you saving and budgeting skills that will benefit you for life.
Make a Million Dollars
If you’re already debt-free, why not make a goal to make a million dollars! Achieving this amount might seem like an unrealistic goal, but many self-employed and business owners set this as a financial target.
Achieving this goal will require accountability, personal development, and lots of problem-solving skills. But, though it might be hard, it’s undoubtedly attainable in your lifetime.
Lose weight (and Keep it Off)
Some goals are more personal than others. For example, if you’re not happy with how you look right now, consider making it a life goal to lose weight and KEEP the weight off.
Ask yourself what it will take to achieve this goal and whether or not you’re willing to put in the work and sacrifice necessary. And, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start working out. Instead, you can quickly lose weight simply by eating healthier.
Create a personal target for yourself and make a goal plan (with deadlines) to achieve your desired weight.
Drive or Buy Your Dream Car
For most people, their car is one of their most beloved possessions. So why not make it a goal in life to buy your dream car? Of course, you’ll need to save up money and stay accountable along the way, but the result is that you’ll have a beautiful vehicle to discover new places and ride down open roads with.
If you’re a car junkie or even just a lover of luxury items, consider making “driving or buying” your dream car one of your life goals!
Recap: Setting Life Goals You’ll Want to Achieve
Life is too short not to achieve your goals. The first step in achieving a goal, though, is determining a good goal to reach for.
This post has highlighted setting reasonable life goals and ten life goals that you can note and use as inspiration. As a quick recap, the ten goals you should consider are:
- Start a Business
- Own Your Dream House
- Learn a Second (or Third) Language
- Become a Mentor for Someone Else
- Run a Marathon (or Half Marathon)
- Travel to at least X Number of Countries
- Achieve Zero Debt
- Make a Million Dollars
- Lose weight (and Keep it Off)
- Drive or Buy Your Dream Car
So what are you waiting for? You’ve learned why life goals are so important, how to set attainable life goals, and ten of the best life goals to take note of. So get out there, start setting some goals, and live your life to the fullest. Your future self will thank you for it!
This post originally appeared on Savoteur.
Jonathan Sanchez is a real estate investor and personal finance blogger for Parent Portfolio. He owns a small real estate business that operates a couple of investment properties in his local market. He aims to help others understand their money and generate passive income. He’s also been featured in Business Insider, USA Today, and FOX Business.