How to Set Intentional Goals for Personal Growth

Setting goals can be daunting, especially if you a) have a huge list of goals you’d like to accomplish or b) you’re totally lost when it comes to choosing the right goals for yourself.

I’ve set a lot of goals for myself over the past few years, and I even used to share them on the blog on a monthly basis. At some point, I started to burn myself out from goal setting because I wasn’t being super intentional about what I wanted to accomplish.

It’s easy to get caught up thinking that our goals need to be monumental or based on another person’s definition of success. Sometimes that leads to focusing too much on the numbers, whether it’s a paycheck, followers on Instagram, and weight on the scale.

I’m currently in the process of setting goals for the year, and I’m making sure that I’m setting them for me and not anyone else.

My plan is to focus on fewer, more meaningful goals so that I’m setting reasonable expectations and not overwhelming myself.

Because setting goals can be an intimidating process, I want to help you figure out your top goals and create a plan to achieve them. Keep reading to find out how you can set actionable goals for self-improvement so that you can Make Time for what matters to you!

Why You Should Set Goals

I started getting serious about goal-setting when I was in college and wanted to get good grades. I would write down my goal, my reason for wanting to achieve the goal, and 3-5 action steps I would take to reach it. I’ve been out of college for a while now, but I still use this goal-setting method as a way to improve other areas of my life.

It’s easy to get trapped in our daily routines when we aren’t working towards something bigger and better for ourselves, which is why I want to encourage you to set goals for yourself.

Challenge yourself to make your life the way you’ve always envisioned it. Find ways to make time for what truly matters to you.

So many of us are distracted by the things that don’t matter. As part of their #MakeTime movement, my friends at Wente Vineyards created a video to show how these distractions affect us on a daily basis.

We see in the video below that so many people wished they spent their time doing what matters with people who matter the most instead of being glued to their phones.

It’s an important reminder that we could all improve our lives if we focused on what truly matters to us. That’s why it’s so important to set goals that encourage you to step away from the distractions and noise that prevent us from living intentional and meaningful lives.

Related Post: 5 Ways To Make Time For The People And Things You Love

How To Set Intentional Goals

If you’re struggling to come up with goal ideas, think about what you’d like to achieve physically, professionally, and financially.

Consider what you want to make time for, whether it’s spending time with your family, working on a side project you’ve been putting off, or taking time for yourself. You could even create a list of 100 things you’d like to accomplish in your lifetime.

Important note: Take into consideration how you want to feel, rather than just setting goals based on numbers because they might look good on paper.

Once you’ve come up with a few goal ideas, it’s time to prioritize them and break them down. Start by choosing your top three goal ideas, and figure out when you’d like to accomplish them by.

It could be a month, a year, or even five years. Make sure you’re being realistic but not too generous with the amount of time you set for yourself.

From there, break each goal down into 3-5 action steps that give you a clear idea of what needs to get down to reach the goal.

How To Stick To Your Goals

I’ll admit that I’ve set goals for myself in the past and completely forgotten about them after a week. That’s why it’s so important to constantly remind yourself of what you’re working towards.

Now I try to set reminders for myself everywhere. Whether it’s a sticky note on the wall, a reminder in your planner, or a daily alarm on your phone, keeping your goals in front of you is critical to making them happen.

It’s also important to make sure your daily habits align with your goals. For example, if your goal is to pay off your credit card, you would need to tweak some of your daily and weekly spending habits in order to achieve that goal.

Think of habits that will help you achieve your goal and prioritize them in your daily life.

What Are Your Top Goals For The Next 12 Months?

There you have some simple tips for setting goals that matter! I’d love to hear what you plan to Make Time for in the year to come. Leave a comment sharing your top three goals!

Thank you to Wente Vineyards for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.