Tips For Making A Comprehensive Short To Long-Term Goal Plan
In this article, you will learn all about 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals examples. Across a variety of the most important goal categories.
Also, you will see why looking at your goals in these time frames is a good idea. And how to make a well-rounded goal plan to improve your life.
So, let’s get started. Now that you have a solid outline of our goals for today!
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
What Are 1 Year, 5 Year, And 10-Year Goals?
1, 5, and 10-year goals are a simple way to identify and set goals across the spectrum of time.
Doing so makes the biggest impact on your life over the short term, medium-term, and long term. Allowing your successes to build upon each other.
Why Is 1 Year, 5 Year, 10 Year Goal Planning Important?
Identifying, planning, and setting your goals from 1 to 10 years ensures that your short-term goals are aligned with your goals that take longer to achieve. So, your activities today. Complement what you are trying to achieve 10 years out.
How Do You Make A Comprehensive 1, 5, And 10 Year Plan For Goals?
To make a 1, 5, and 10-year goal plan, balance your goals across periods. And across categories.
The categories I think are most important include:
- Personal goals
- Career goals
- Business goals
- Financial goals
- Learning goals
- Fitness goals
First of all, focus on 2 or more categories that are most important to you. But avoid setting too many goals.
Furthermore, realize your priorities will change over time. And so will your goals.
1 Year, 5 Year, 10 Year Goals Template
When you are done you should have a goal-setting template that looks like this:
With your goals listed down the columns. While the columns represent the number of years to achieve the goal.
I also like to refer to this as a goal-setting matrix.
Next, let’s go through 90 examples of 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals. You can use these examples as a menu to choose from.
1 Year, 5 Year, 10 Year Goals Examples
I suggest starting with your 10-year goals. Doing so forces you to think long-term.
By visualizing the person you want to be. Then set your 1 and 5-year goals to support this long-term vision.
Examples Of 10 Year Goals
10 or more years is a long time. So, align these goals with your vision of the future!
10 Year Personal Goals
Your personal goals are very important. They should relate to your family, friends, and relationships.
- Find your perfect life partner
- Become a better spouse
- Grow into a better parent
- Become a mentor
- Leave a lasting legacy
10 Year Career Goals
The best goals for career and work are related to what you do to make a living.
- Develop a personal brand
- Maximize your earning potential
- Get international experience
- Change to a better career field
- Land your dream job
10 Year Business Goals
Business goal setting is critical when you run a business full time. Or, have one on the side.
Even as an employee you may get involved with setting and achieving goals for your employer’s business.
- Increase shareholder value
- Acquire a competitor
- Expand geographically
- Start a new business unit
- Expand internationally
10 Year Financial Goals
These finance goals relate to your money. And financial freedom for you and your family.
- Become financially independent
- Become a millionaire
- Retire from full-time work
- Pay for your children’s education
- Donate to your favorite charity
For more on this topic, check out our entire suite of money management articles and tips.
10 Year Learning Goals
Lifelong learning refers to personal development beyond the years of formal education.
- Teach a course
- Home school your children
- Start a new project
- Run for political office
- Learn a musical instrument
10 Year Fitness Goals
Finally, my view on fitness is about overall physical well-being.
- Complete a marathon
- Practice yoga
- Participate in a competition
- Adopt a winter sport
- Achieve 6-pack abs
Examples Of 5 Year Goals
After selecting your 10-year goals. Start thinking 5 years out.
Specifically, ask yourself what goals you should achieve in 5 years. That will complement your 10-year goals.
Here are some good ideas for goals using the same categories you are already familiar with.
5 Year Personal Goals
- Plan and take several special trips
- Find work-life balance
- Eliminate your biggest weakness
- Become a better leader
- Master a new skill
5 Year Career Goals
- Develop a new job skill
- Expand your professional network
- Cross-train in another functional area
- Obtain a professional certification
- Expand your technological expertise
5 Year Business Goals
- Increase market share
- Migrate to a new technology platform
- Develop new products or services
- Increase sales volumes
- Implement productivity improvements
5 Year Financial Goals
- Invest money every month
- Open and Fund an IRA account
- Create your end of life documents
- Buy a rental property
- Save for a down payment on a home
Pro Tip: For help with your finances. Try the free online tool from Personal Capital.
5 Year Learning Goals
- Adopt and learn a new technology
- Further your formal education
- Master a foreign language
- Get straight A’s in your courses
- Develop a side hustle
5 Year Fitness Goals
- Maintain your ideal weight
- Do your personal best at something
- Keep your cholesterol on target
- Bike to work or school
- Adopt strength training
Examples Of 1 Year Goals
Next, focus on the activities you need to accomplish right away. Or, at least in the next 12-months. To support your overall goal planning.
Here are some samples…
1 Year Personal Goals
- Develop a vision for your life
- Manage stress
- Expand your network of friends
- Keep a journal
- Get up early and hustle every day
1 Year Career Goals
- Seek out performance feedback
- Create a career development plan
- Learn to interview like a pro
- Make a top-notch resume
- Find a career mentor
Pro Tip: For help with your resume, try MyPerfectResume.
1 Year Business Goals
- Define your value proposition
- Develop a business plan
- Improve product or service quality
- Optimize product and service pricing
- Decrease expenses
1 Year Financial Goals
- Assess your current money state
- Put the right insurance in place
- Improve your credit score
- Establish an emergency fund
- Establish a monthly budget
Pro Tip: For saving money, try the cash rebate app from Rakuten.
1 Year Learning Goals
- Join a club or organization
- Play a new sport
- Engage in reflection
- Practice meditation
- Become a better listener
1 Year Fitness Goals
- Plan your meals
- Eat a healthy diet
- Develop an exercise routine
- Get the right amount of sleep
- Take time to rest and recover
So, you now should have plenty of examples of goals to choose from. Perhaps you have others I haven’t mentioned. That is perfectly fine.
Next, let’s talk about some techniques. That will give you the best chance for success.
As you go after any 1 year, 5-year, and 10-year goals examples that I have shared today.
Use A Goal Tree
Here is a great way to visualize your 1-5-10 year goals. And make sure they are aligned from short-term to long-term.
I am talking about using a goal tree.
Specifically, a goal tree includes 3 major components:
First, is a challenging long-term goal. Such as a 10-year goal.
Second, are critical success factors (CSFs). They are necessary to achieve the selected long-term goals. And are most similar to 5-year goals.
Third, the necessary conditions required to meet the CSFs. In other words, 1-year goals.
As a result, a goal tree forms a pyramid. With 1 and 5-year goals forming the base. With the 10-year goal at the top of the pyramid.
Here is what one looks like:
Tips For Success With Setting And Achieving Your Objectives
Your vision of the future is critical. It will bring your heartfelt goals to life in your mind.
So, describe exactly what you are doing in 10 years after your goals are accomplished.
Think deeply about why you want to achieve your chosen 10-year goals. Without good reasons why. You are likely to lose interest as time passes.
Identify what new skills are necessary. As you identify them, see how obtaining those skillsets fit into your 1 and 5-year goals.
Establish what is required in the next several months. To get some momentum and set a good foundation for success long term.
Write your goals down. Making them as detailed as possible.
Determine what success and goal achievement mean. In other words, how will you know when one of your goals is accomplished. In other words, determine how you will measure progress and achievement.
Develop a daily and weekly to-do list or a monthly action plan for your goals. Doing so is a great productivity habit to establish.
Not just for goals, but for accomplishing routine tasks and projects. Then work steps to achieve your goals onto these daily and weekly task lists.
Most importantly, get busy and work hard. Your long-term success depends on it.
Okay. That’s all I have for today about 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals and goal setting.
Allow me to wrap up with a few parting thoughts. But first, pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can return here later.
Short To Long-Term Goal Setting Wrap Up
In summary…
Set your goals based on a time frame:
- 1-year goals
- 5-year goals
- 10-year goals
Think about setting goals in these categories:
- Personal goals
- Career goals
- Business goals
- Financial goals
- Learning goals
- Fitness goals
Use a goal tree. Since a goal tree, helps to make sure your selected goals are aligned from the short-term to the long-term.
Next, as you set and work on your goals, remember to:
- Make a vision for the future
- Establish why your goals are critical
- Determine your skill gaps
- Figure out what is required short-term
- Make daily and weekly to-do lists
- Get busy, work hard, and work smart
Pro Tip: More reading about goal setting with SMART goals.
Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.