Tips For Making A Comprehensive Life Goal Plan
Choosing, setting, and achieving life goals is our topic for today.
Because goals like this will make all the difference in your life!
So, let’s get moving…
What Are Life Goals?
Life goals are the big things you want to accomplish in life. However, unlike many other types of goals, they are core to your values and beliefs as a person.
Typically, a life goal will either take many years to accomplish. Or, it will relate to a behavior that you strive to practice every day for the rest of your life.
Now that you know what life goals are. Let’s go through a robust list of life goals.
From there, you will be able to choose a handful that will fit your life to a tee…
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
List Of Life Goals To Set For Yourself
To make it a bit more manageable, I have broken today’s important life goals list into 10 types of goals you can set in life.
With 10 examples of each type. That makes 100 possibilities.
So, let’s go through them…
Mindset Life Goals
In my humble opinion, everything starts between your ears because we are only as good as how we think.
So, think big and never set limits on yourself with these good life goals…
- Establish a positive mental attitude
- Embrace change
- Accept what you can not change
- Live in the moment
- Become more decisive
- Eliminate procrastination
- Manage stress
- Control your temper
- Improve your self-confidence
- Remove toxic people from your life
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Physical Fitness Life Goals List
After you get your mind right, the next most important area is your physical well-being. Because for you’re your long-term success, you can’t be your best if you do not feel your best.
As a result, consider these simple life goals:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Develop an exercise routine
- Get the right amount of sleep
- Maintain your ideal weight
- Adopt strength training
- Complete a marathon
- Practice yoga
- Achieve 6-pack abs
- Practice moderation
- Look and feel your best
Okay. Some aren’t so simple. But you get the idea!
Personal Life Goals List
Thus far we have covered things you want to accomplish for your mind and body. Next, we move to relationship goals. Be they family, friends, work, or special causes you believe in.
What I’m talking about here are your personal goals in life:
- Develop a vision for your life
- Be a supportive spouse or partner
- Grow into a better parent
- Expand your network of friends
- Become a better listener
- Learn how to express yourself
- Improve your body language
- Volunteer for a cause you believe in
- Leave a lasting and positive legacy
- Find work-life balance
Okay. That completes your personal life goals planning. Next, as one of my bosses used to say…
“lead, follow, or get out of the way”!
Most importantly, I want you to lead. A necessary component to maximize your personal and professional development in life.
Leadership Life Goals List
Because leadership is not just reserved for high-level business executives. Or, politicians.
No way. Anyone can be a strong leader.
You can be a leader for your family, and friends, or a volunteer cause you feel strongly about.
So here are some suggestions for tackling your leadership skills…
- Accept responsibility
- Be efficient with your time
- Reflect and learn from failure
- Be open to contructive critisism
- Set a good example
- Increase your emotional intelligence
- Know your limits and work around them
- Set high expectations for others
- Provide positive feedback
- Don’t lose sight of the big picture
Career Life Goals List
One way or another, we all have to work for a living.
As a result, consider setting some good career goals to maximize this area of your life…
- Be great at what you do today
- Determine what you love to do
- Develop a career plan for the future
- Expand your professional network
- Master public speaking
- Get international experience
- Obtain a professional certification
- Become an expert in your field
- Develop a personal brand
- Land your dream job
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…to build the professional path of your dreams.
Next, a closely related topic is business goals…
Business Life Goals List
Rather than working for someone else. Perhaps your vision is squarely focused on running your own company.
This is where business goals come into play as part of your life.
Thus, here are some good goal ideas within this category…
- Start a business
- Set and achieve a long-range business plan
- Create a winning business culture
- Acquire another business
- Expand internationally
- Improve your company and brand reputation
- Maximize the value of your business
- Transition your business to a family member
- Sell your business for a large gain
- Take your company public
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Business Strategy and Leadership
Next, let’s talk money…
Financial Life Goals List
Fortunately, with the fulfilling life goals ideas, we have covered thus far. I suspect the financial aspects of your life will come together here, quite nicely.
However, everyone should seriously consider this area. And here are several possible financial goals to think about…
- Establish a long-range financial plan
- Pay off your mortgage
- Become debt free
- Invest in yourself
- Learn to be a savvy investor
- Be financially independent
- Become a millionaire
- Establish a charitable foundation
- Create a financial legacy for your children
- Leave a financial legacy to charity
That completes financial goals. Next, we have your lifestyle…
Lifestyle Goals List
With all the success you are going to encounter working on the areas we have discussed thus far. What happens? Well, it creates lifestyle choices.
Options that others won’t have. While you are living the lifestyle of your dreams.
However, it’s still important to choose wisely when selecting objectives for your lifestyle…
- Plan and prepare your meals
- Have family meals 3 times a week
- Go to nice restaurants
- Travel regularly
- Purchase a luxury automobile
- Remodel your home
- Buy your dream home
- Own a vacation property
- Retire early
- Make your “bucket list” and achieve it
Learning Goals List
Next, we are talking about keeping an active mind and never stopping learning.
As a result, here are some things to ponder related to your lifelong learning goals:
- Learn from life’s lessons
- Engage in reflection by journaling
- Practice meditation
- Further your formal education
- Master a foreign language
- Learn a musical instrument
- Join a club or organization
- Teach a course
- Home school your children
- Run for political office
Last but not least, don’t lose sight of the big picture…
Spiritual Life Goals List
As you strive to grow the spiritual side of your life…
- Establish what you believe in
- Be mindful of your thoughts and actions
- Practice tolerance
- Be kind and grateful
- Learn to be at peace with yourself
- Join a church and attend services
- Sacrifice something important to you
- Seek advice from a spiritual advisor
- Support a meaningful charity
- Learn to calm your mind
Okay. That completes a review of your very own list of 100 life goals.
I will get to number 101 in a moment. But first, let’s cover some other related topics as I promised in the introduction of this article.
Tools And Tips For Planning Life Goals
Usually, I suggest not setting too many objectives. Because it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not accomplish much of anything.
On the other hand, remember that these activities take a long time to accomplish. For example, becoming a millionaire.
Or, they are something you want to practice daily for the rest of your life. For example, establishing and maintaining a positive mental attitude.
As a result, I think it’s okay to be aggressive and select many of them. Furthermore, get out of your comfort zone when planning life goals.
However, you need to keep them front of mind every day. So, I suggest setting up a simple matrix like this:
Life Goals Planning Matrix
Of course, not every category will apply to every person. For example, you may have no interest in starting a business.
And that’s okay. Just eliminate that category. Or, any of the others that do not fit with your life plan.
Then put your life goals planning matrix on your desk, in the front of your journal, or next to the bathroom mirror. Put your list anywhere you will see it every day.
Because it is important to be constantly reminded about exactly what you are trying to accomplish.
Next, we need to talk about setting goals…
Tools And Tips For Setting Life Goals
Because to have success setting life goals you need to use a proven process.
Yes, first you need to write them down. But what do you write? Here’s what…
Setting SMART Life Goals
First, you can use the very popular SMART goal-setting system. To do so, as you write your objectives make sure they are:
Specific. Be as detailed as possible about what you want to accomplish. As you write down each goal.
Measurable. Define exactly how you will measure the successful completion of each objective.
Achievable. Don’t waste time with things you can’t realistically accomplish. Yes, stretch yourself. But, be realistic.
Relevant. Then narrow down the possibilities by ensuring they are relevant. Here’s an extreme example…
Don’t waste time setting a goal to be a better parent. If you have no children. It’s achievable, but not relevant to your situation.
Time-bound. Make sure every one of your objectives has a deadline. Doing so will build your commitment and momentum.
It’s true, many people prefer setting SMART goals. However, here’s another option…
Setting HARD Life Goals
Because I think the HARD goal-setting system is more relevant. At least when it comes to setting some of your more emotionally driven objectives.
HARD stands for the following attributes:
Heartfelt. Meaning something you want to accomplish that you care deeply about.
Remember at the beginning of the article where I defined today’s topic? I said these objectives are core to your values and beliefs as a person.
By definition, that makes them heartfelt, in my opinion.
Animated. This is for creating a vivid image in your mind. Of exactly what successful goal achievement means and looks like.
Required. When you feel one of the goal examples we have covered is a requirement for your life. Then the chances of achieving it are much greater.
Difficult. True life transformation starts where the easy stuff ends. That’s why life goals are difficult and time-consuming to accomplish.
Perhaps you can see now, why the HARD goal-setting system may be the better choice. Specifically for setting personal development goals.
You can read more about SMART goal-setting versus HARD goal-setting. And I think you should if you are unclear about the best path to take.
Now we need to discuss achieving goals. Specifically, how to achieve goals in life…
Tools and Tips For Achieving Life Goals
Once you choose and set your goals in life, I suggest this 5 step process to achieve them:
- Get your mind right
- Create an environment for success
- Develop a plan
- Act on your plan
- Monitor and adapt
Furthermore, goal trees are useful tools. They help to lay out the milestones you will need to accomplish along the way to ultimate success.
Because this one thing is very important…
Ensure your short-term activities are aligned with longer-term goals.
Okay. That covers it.
So, allow me to wrap up with a few parting thoughts…
Choosing, Setting, And Achieving Life Goals: Wrap Up
I think the best advice I can give is this…
Don’t Be Limited By Your Thoughts
Think big. Life is what you make it. And you are only limited by your thoughts.
And one more thing. I have provided you with a list of 100 life goals. But, I promised 101.
So here it is:
The Most Important Objective Of Then All
Make the most of your life!
Because if you are a little older, like me. You probably understand your life, like mine has a limited duration.
However, if you are young, yes you have time on your side. But please, don’t waste a second of it. Since time will slip by faster than you think.
Best of luck. No matter where you are in your journey through life.
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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.