An Epic Guide To Setting And Achieving Short-Term Goals For Immediate Success
No matter what kind of short-term goals examples you are looking for. We have them all covered right here.
Furthermore, understand this one point about short-term goals. Specifically, that they are the foundation for your long-term success.
So, let’s get moving. Then you can start your short-term goal-setting…
13 Categories Of Short-Term Goals Examples
Here is what I have for you today…
13 categories of short-term goals with 10 examples for each category. That gives us a total of 130 possible short-term goals for your consideration.
Thus, providing you with a deep list of short-term goals examples to choose from.
Better yet…
In case you want to learn more and do more with any one of the specific goal categories. Additional reference articles and resources are also included.
So, let’s go through them one by one…
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
1. Short-Term Life Goals Examples
Life goals are central to your beliefs and values as a person. In the short term, they often relate to behaviors you should practice daily throughout your lifetime.
Examples of life goals:
- Develop a vision for your future
- Maintain a positive mental attitude
- Be mindful of your thoughts and actions
- Embrace change
- Live in the moment
- Improve your self-confidence
- Stop procrastinating
- Learn to be at peace with yourself
- Sacrifice something important to you
- Plan for a lasting legacy
Additional reading: Learn more about setting life goals
2. Short-Term Personal Goals Examples
Personal goals focus on relationships and habits. Also, they promote your personal growth as an individual. Such as being a better and more effective person.
Examples of personal goals:
- Expand your network of friends
- Remove toxic people from your life
- Be a better spouse
- Improve your parenting skills
- Become a better listener
- Seek work-life balance
- Volunteer for a cause you believe in
- Be kind, grateful, and tolerant
- Get adequate sleep
- Start and keep a journal
Additional reading: Dive deeper into personal goal-setting
3. Examples Of Short-Term Goals For Students
I know that not everyone reading this is going to school right now.
But, just in case you are. Be sure to consider these short-term objectives for getting the most from your educational experience.
Examples of goals for students:
- Set aside time to study
- Complete all assignments on time
- Improve note-taking
- Get to know your teachers
- Improve your grades
- Choose a major
- Graduate
- Get an advanced degree
- Participate in extracurricular activities
- Network with other students
Additional reading: All the best financial goals for students
And for the rest of us who are not going to school…
4. Short-Term Lifelong Learning Goals Examples
Learning shouldn’t stop when your formal classroom training ends. Not when there are countless opportunities to continue the learning process
What I’m referring to is continuous educational development.
Examples of lifelong learning goals:
- Learn from life’s daily lessons
- Take up meditation
- Improve upon a weakness
- Develop a new skill
- Master a new language
- Learn a musical instrument
- Adopt a new technology
- Join a club or organization
- Play a new sport
- Teach a course
Additional reading: In-depth guide about learning throughout your lifetime
5. Short-Term Career Goals Examples
Career goals are milestones that you want to achieve as you move forward in your chosen profession. Whatever it might be.
Examples of career goals:
- Be great at what you do today
- Seek out performance feedback
- Make a 5-year career plan
- Find a mentor
- Improve your resume
- Master public speaking
- Attend a relevant seminar
- Cross-train in a different department
- Land your dream job
- Earn a promotion
Additional resource: For presenting your qualifications in the best possible light. I like using MyPerfectResume.
Because for career success, a good resume is a must! It will help you stand out from the crowd.
Additional reading: Goals for accelerating career progress
6. Short-Term Leadership Goals Examples
Leadership isn’t just for business people. No way.
Because you can be a leader in your family. A leader in your circle of friends. Or, a leader of a recreational sports team. Just to name a few possibilities.
As a result, the options to lead are virtually endless.
So, don’t discount setting leadership objectives. No matter your situation in life.
Examples of leadership goals:
- Learn to think strategically
- Build better relationships
- Accept responsibility
- Be efficient with your time
- Reflect and learn from failure
- Welcome constructive criticism
- Set a good example
- Know your limits and seek to expand them
- Be a coach and mentor
- Provide positive feedback
Additional reading: Goals for bringing out your inner leader
7. Short-Term Professional Development Goals Examples
Unlike career objectives, that focus on your chosen profession.
Professional development provides the underlying foundation for success. No matter what type of job you have or work you do.
Examples of professional development goals:
- Make a professional development plan
- Get input from people you trust
- Present yourself in a positive light
- Get to know yourself very well
- Practice good time management
- Develop your financial acumen
- Improve your interpersonal skills
- Enhance your leadership abilities
- Improve workplace skills
- Focus on outcomes, not the activity
Additional reading: How to develop as a professional
8. Examples Of Short-Term Goals For Managers
Being a manager of people has its own set of challenges and opportunities. So, for all of you managers in the audience, here are some ways to shine.
Examples of goals for managers:
- Improve your time management skills
- Build a strong team
- Put your team in the right structure
- Learn to coach and mentor
- Establish accountability
- Motivate your team
- Establish career paths
- Complete succession planning
- Run effective team meetings
- Improve your function’s productivity
Additional reading: Goal setting for managers
9. Examples Of Short-Term Goals For Employees
Maybe you aren’t a manager yet. Or, do not ever care to be one.
That’s okay. Then, make goal setting as an employee your primary focus.
Get the boss off your back. And impress him or her with your objectives for the new year!
Examples of goals for employees:
- Increase sales
- Create a marketing strategy
- Develop a new product or service
- Increase output
- Reduce quality issues
- Streamline a process
- Eliminate unnecessary expenses
- Increase direct job skills through training
- Lead a team or project
- Communicate and collaborate better
Additional reading: Best employee goal setting tips
10. Short-Term Business Goals Examples
On the other hand, perhaps you own and operate a company of your own. If that’s the case, consider these examples to take your business to the next level…
Examples of business goals:
- Define your value proposition
- Improve brand reputation
- Develop a business plan
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Increase revenues and market share
- Optimize product and service pricing
- Implement productivity improvements
- Increase profits
- Implement an employee development program
- Increase shareholder value
Additional resource: If you would like to learn more, you might benefit from this online course about business strategy and leadership.
Or a deep dive into this related article…
Additional reading: Short-term business goals for long-term success
11. Short-Term Fitness And Wellness Goals Examples
You can’t be your best when you aren’t feeling your best. So be sure to take care of your health, get fit, and improve your wellness.
Examples of health and wellness goals:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Develop an exercise routine
- Take a vacation
- Maintain your ideal weight
- Adopt strength training
- Complete a marathon
- Practice yoga
- Achieve 6-pack abs
- Practice moderation
- Develop a self-care routine
12. Short-Term Savings Goals Examples
As the old saying goes, “a penny saved is a penny earned”. Better yet, unlike making more money. Income taxes won’t take a cut of any extra dollar you can save.
Examples of savings goals:
- Reduce expenses to save money
- Save any raises or bonuses
- Sign up for paycheck direct deposit
- Establish an emergency fund
- Contribute to your employer’s retirement plan
- Save for something you value
- Sock some money away for something fun
- Save for a down payment on a home
- Open and fund an IRA account
- Open and fund a health savings account
Additional resources: To assist with your short-term savings objectives. Try the Rakuten app now
Rakuten is perfect for earning cash rebates on all of your online purchases. I mean, why pay more if you don’t have to?
13. Short-Term Financial Goals Examples
Last but not least, we have financial goals.
And I saved them for last because if you take care of the other goal-setting areas that apply to your unique situation. Then, success with your finances is more likely to follow.
Even if that’s the case, don’t neglect setting good targets for your finances.
Examples of financial goals:
- Develop of vision of your financial future
- Assess your current money state
- Put the right insurance in place
- Improve your credit score
- Establish a monthly budget
- Eliminate credit card debt
- Buy a home
- Invest money every month
- Read a book about investing
- Prepare end-of-life documents
Additional resource: For an excellent free money management tool, check out Personal Capital now.
It’s a great online tool for managing your spending and preparing a budget. Also, for seeing all of your investments in one place.
Additional reading: Setting short-term financial goals for success
Okay. Now you have a solid group of short-term objectives to consider.
Next, let’s discuss some other topics that relate to short-term goal setting.
What Are Short-Term Goals?
Stepping back for a moment, I want to make sure we have a strong definition for today’s topic.
First of all, a goal is an objective or outcome that you want to achieve. It’s as simple as that.
Furthermore, short-term goals are differentiated from other goal types based on when you expect to complete them.
Let’s discuss this…
What Are The Other Types Of Goals?
First, short-term goals should be completed in a short time frame.
How long? Less than one year.
While medium-term goals take longer to complete. Specifically, more than 1 year but less than 5.
I love setting medium-term targets. Mainly because they are substantial enough to make a big impact on one’s life. But not so distant as to seem unrealistic or unachievable.
Finally, we have long-term goals. Accomplishing these objectives takes at least 5 years.
They are objectives that take a long time to achieve.
My favorite example of a long-term goal is becoming a millionaire. Because for the average person, doing so will take more than 5 years.
What Is The Importance Of Short-Term Goal Setting?
As I have mentioned, short-term goals are the building blocks for long-term success. Thus, they should support your medium and long-term goal planning.
For me, I like to think long-term. By establishing a vision for what my life will look like far out in the future. Then, I start working on short-term goals that will help me achieve my long-term vision.
For this, a goal tree is a useful tool. It helps align your short-term planning with your long-term objectives.
How To Choose Your Short-Term Goals
As I said, I like to think long-term first. By attempting to answer questions like this:
- Where should I live?
- Who will I spend my time with?
- What will I do and where will I work?
- How much money do I want to have?
- What kind of education do I want?
Because by understanding your long-term destination. It’s much easier to plot your course in the near term.
Then, with those big-picture questions out of the way, make your choices from today’s examples of short-term goals.
You can focus on any one of the 13 categories I just described. Or, broaden out by choosing one goal from several different categories.
How Many Should You Have?
Well, everyone is unique and has a different capacity for getting things done. However, I would say 5-7 are sufficient.
Remember that all of the goals you select from today’s list should be completed within one year because they are near-term objectives. So, don’t get overloaded and set yourself up for failure.
Next, goal setting for success…
How To Set Short-Term Goals
When it comes to goal-setting tips, I like making SMART goals.
SMART is an acronym. Here is what it stands for:
Specific. Write them down and be as detailed as possible.
Measurable. Determine how you know when your goal is achieved.
Achievable. Stretch yourself, but be realistic. Don’t waste time on things you will never accomplish.
Relevant. By thinking about and setting your long-term vision first. Then, what you do in the short term will have a high chance of being relevant to your situation.
Time-sensitive. Set deadlines for completion. Each should be less than one year. Otherwise, it’s not a short-term goal.
Finally, there is another goal-setting system you might like. It is called setting HARD goals.
I won’t go into details here about HARD goals. However, I have an additional resource on the topic…
Additional reading: Comparing and contrasting HARD vs SMART goals
Okay. You have made your selections. And you have set them using either the SMART or HARD goal-setting system.
Next up, I have some more tips for making your dreams a reality…
How To Achieve Your Near-Term Objectives
First of all, you are well on your way by selecting the right goals. And using a proven goal-setting system.
However, I have a few methods of my own that can improve your odds of success. I call it the PAM method. That stands for plan, act, monitor.
Thus…
- Make a plan
- Take action
- Monitor progress
Yes, review your progress often. Make it part of your morning routine.
I dive deeper into making your goals come true here…
Additional reading: Best practices for achieving goals
Okay. Now you have plenty of short-term goals examples to choose from. And some good tips for selecting, setting, and achieving them.
So, allow me to wrap up with a few parting thoughts…
Short-Term Goals Examples And How To Achieve Them
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of setting and achieving short-term goals.
Why This Topic Is So Important
Why? Well, I will state it again…
Because they are the building blocks for your long-term success.
About Your Journey To Success
As the saying goes, “every journey starts with a first step”.
So take that first step now by working on your short-term goals. To do so, use one or more of the examples and resources I have provided for you today.
Most importantly, good luck with your objectives. And best wishes for achieving exactly what you want out of your life!
More Reading For Obtaining The Life You Want And Deserve
Check out our other articles about…
Goals Of All Types and Goal Setting
…to help you reach your full potential!
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.