26 Yearly Goals You Should Set to Change Your Life

Have you been thinking about setting some yearly goals, but aren’t quite sure what goals you should set? In that case, you’re in the right place. In this post, I will share 26 useful and fun yearly goals with you! 

And if you’re still on the fence about setting long-term goals or you wonder whether you can actually stick to something for a whole year, let me encourage you by saying that you absolutely can. You just need to set goals that align with your future plans, personal values, and aspirations, and make sure that you know exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals. 

Setting goals is a crucial part of personal development and building the future you have been dreaming of. It’s hard to change your life if you don’t have a plan in place, and yearly goals can help you with this. If you happen to have any big goals, like 10-year goals for your career for example, it’s a good idea to plan this year in a way that will help you reach those bigger goals.

So, whatever specific goal you might have in mind, take it seriously and do everything you can to reach it. This year could be your best year yet!

Why setting yearly goals is a good idea

First things first: I think setting goals is always a great idea. And when it comes to yearly goals, I believe they can be especially helpful in actually changing your life. 

When choosing your yearly goals, it’s good to think about the bigger picture. What future goals do you have? What do you want your life to look like a year or two from now? What kind of person do you want to be? How do you want your life to change from the previous year?

Whether your yearly goals are also New Year’s goals doesn’t matter. They are always important and you can start a new life at any point of the year.

You have to make sure that every goal you set is a realistic goal that you can actually achieve. And when you have your list of goals, you need to make a detailed plan for the upcoming year and make sure that what you have is a list of clear, measurable goals and that you know how you will actually go about working on them.

If you stick to your yearly goals, your life can be very different by the end of the year. You can be a more productive, happier, or more confident person. You can live in your dream city or have more friends. Or perhaps you’ll simply have a better evening routine which leads to you getting to wake up well-rested every day. That’s why you need to set these goals.

Next, let’s get to the yearly goal ideas!

1. Learn to step out of your comfort zone 

Possibly the most important goal you can set for this year is to learn to step out of your comfort zone. People naturally look for comfort, but constantly avoiding things that are boring or challenging is definitely holding you back. 

You need to learn to notice when you’re avoiding something just because doing it would make you uncomfortable. And then you need to learn to do that thing anyway, whether it’s by setting timers or promising yourself a reward for completing the task. Trust me, stepping out of your comfort zone can do wonders for your life!

2. Overcome shyness

You might think that you just happen to be shy by nature and that’s all there is to it, but it’s actually something you can get rid of. Often people grow out of shyness as they get older anyway. 

I used to be really shy, but putting myself in situations where I have no other choice but to speak up or do something scary has helped me a lot. You can challenge yourself to speak more in social settings or go talk to strangers at parties. If you take this seriously, you can make a big difference in a short time. 

3. Create a new productivity system for yourself 

If you want to get a lot done, creating a productivity system for yourself can be very beneficial. You just need to know what kind of system would benefit you and how you can make it easier for yourself to be more productive and get everything on your to-do list done.

You can for example start by getting a bullet journal or by creating a new morning routine. The important thing is that your productivity system is clear and easy enough to stick to.

4. Reduce time spent on social media

Almost everyone spends too much time on social media and I’m sure you already know how harmful it can be. You might also feel like you don’t have enough time to do other things you’d like to do, like read more or maybe paint. 

One of the easiest ways to make more time for the important things is to reduce the time you spend mindlessly scrolling on social media. Does Instagram or Reddit actually even benefit you? Or would you perhaps be happier if you spent more time reading those books you’ve been meaning to read for years?

5. Learn public speaking

Communication skills can be extremely valuable, but you have to make an effort to learn them. One yearly goal you can set is to practice public speaking.

This can be an especially useful skill if you ever have to give presentations or speeches or if that is something you’re planning on doing in the future. Look for opportunities to speak for an audience or practice at home.

6. Start a side hustle

Starting a side hustle is definitely a good idea if you’d like to make a little extra money, or you have been thinking about starting your own business one day. While most side hustles aren’t worth it in the short term, if you stick to them, they can start bringing in meaningful income.

If you happen to also have any financial goals for the future, starting a new side hustle can be a wise choice. And because side hustles are often something that can teach you new skills and they can be something you can add to your resume, this is one of the best goals you can set for this year.

7. Quit a bad habit

We all have bad habits and we all know that they aren’t doing us any favors. If you are often late, tend to procrastinate, or struggle with any other bad habit, why not set a goal to quit that habit once and for all? 

Just imagine how much better your life can be a year later if, and when, you succeed. You’ll no longer have to feel bad about always making the same mistake. And perhaps after that, you can take the next step towards a better future by quitting another bad habit.

8. Have a better work-life balance

If you have any big career goals to achieve, hard work tends to be non-negotiable. But just because you want to work hard, doesn’t mean that you should let other areas of life suffer. Your work matters, but your personal life matters too. 

Set boundaries and make time for hobbies, friends, and family. You deserve to have time for yourself and to be able to relax every day. There might also be some personal goals you want to pursue, but currently your work is taking up too much of your time and energy. Start prioritizing them whenever possible and you will have more energy for work too. 

9. Write a book

Many people dream of writing a book, but few actually sit down and do it. Of course, writing a whole book isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but if this is one of your big goals for life, it’s something you should do. 

The idea of writing a book from start to finish might sound daunting, but with a detailed plan and clear action steps, it is doable. You can break the whole process into more manageable short-term goals, like coming up with some ideas this month, developing the characters the next month, writing four chapters one month, and so on. 

And in case you ever feel like you don’t know what you are doing or how you should do it, just remember that you’re not just writing a book; you are also learning the new skill of writing a book. No one was born knowing how to write compelling characters or realistic dialogue. 

10. Make new friends

So many people are constantly saying they wish they had more friends or perhaps any friends at all. But how many actually put in the effort to find new friends? 

It’s not easy to find soulmates, but there are plenty of people out there looking for new friends. So, if this is you, take the first step in making new friends by talking with people more, starting new hobbies, inviting people for coffee or a trip to Greece, and see what happens. 

Your personal relationships are one of the most important things when it comes to your life and your happiness, so this is definitely something you should focus on. 

11. Learn to spend your time better

Proper time management is one of the most valuable skills you can have. You only get 24 hours every day and it’s not necessarily easy to have enough time for everything. 

The good thing is that if you learn to spend your time a bit better, you can get more done and possibly have more free time too. Start paying more attention to how you actually spend your time and what counts as a waste of time. Then it will be easier to learn to manage your time better. You can start by getting a time-tracking app on your phone. 

12. Set higher standards 

I think people should have much higher standards. We accept bad relationships and bad behavior way too easily. It’s too common for people to have a family member or a friend who treats them badly year after year. But the thing is, you deserve to be happy and have healthy relationships. 

Start setting higher standards and never feel like you should settle for less. You can set new standards for anything: friendships, clothes, food, hobbies, anything you feel should be better or higher quality. This is such a simple way to make your life much better!

13. Try something new every week

If you want to set some fun yearly goals, one goal you can set is to try something completely new every week. This will definitely make your life more exciting and you never know what you might discover: perhaps by the end of the year you’ll have two new hobbies, a new best friend and a new favorite TV show. 

Some weeks it can be something big, like trying a completely different hair color, and some other weeks it can be something easy, like listening to artists and genres you don’t usually listen to.

14. Start new productive habits

Building new good habits can make reaching your goals and managing your time much easier. If you want to become more productive and get more done, possibly the best way to do it is to learn a new habit or two that will help you prioritize the important things and help you focus on the things you’re working on. 

Perhaps you could start writing a to-do list every morning or not touch your phone before 10 am. Whatever new habits you decide to build, they will help you change your life in an easy and manageable way. 

15. Create an evening routine

If you want to make it easier to stick to your new habits, why not start a new evening routine? This will also help you go to bed early, and avoid wasting your time on your phone or watching TV if that’s something you want to avoid.

A good evening routine is simple and doesn’t take too much time. If you want to read more or spend more time on skincare, make it a part of your routine and you no longer have to feel bad about never getting around to it.

16. Develop a growth mindset

Having a growth mindset means that you believe you are able to learn new skills and grow, and that you can change things. If you want to change something in any area of your life, you know that that’s very much possible.

If you have a fixed mindset, you might believe that you simply are bad at something and there’s very little you can do about it. Naturally, this kind of thinking will often hold you back and keep you from reaching your dreams. Make it a yearly goal of yours to change your mindset and start believing in yourself! 

17. Learn self-discipline

If you have big plans for your future, there’s a good chance that you also have a lot of work to do. But, being a normal human being, you probably sometimes find it hard to stop procrastinating and start working. 

If that’s the case, you can benefit from becoming more disciplined. While this isn’t the easiest goal to set, you definitely have good reason to. Once you become more disciplined, it will be much easier to focus on the task at hand, ignore distractions, and simply do what you have to do when you have to do it.

18. Start rewarding yourself for little achievements

Sometimes working and being productive gets tough and you feel like nothing you do makes a difference anyway. To make things a bit easier and more exciting for you, why not start rewarding yourself for the little wins and achievements in life? 

It’s easier to complete your to-do list when you know that there’s a reward waiting for you. And by reward, I don’t mean anything big or necessarily something that costs money. It could be a movie or perhaps a specific pen you’ve been wanting to get. At the end of the day, you know best what encourages you to work. 

19. Read two books per month

Are you one of those people who want to read more? If that’s the case, set a yearly goal for yourself to read a certain number of books per week or per month. You know what is the number of books that makes sense for you, but I encourage you to aim a little higher than what you think is easily doable. 

After you’ve decided how many books you want to read, make time for your new hobby and start looking for some books to read! 

20. Visit five new countries

If you like traveling, why not set a goal to travel a bit more? Visiting new places is always exciting and creates unforgettable memories. I still often think about the language course I took in Oxford back in 2010. 

If you are for example planning to visit Paris, why not prolong your trip a little and go to some other country as well? Traveling around Europe is easy and you’ll have a great opportunity to see Brussels and Luxembourg too if you want. The first time I went to the US, I visited New York, DC, and Los Angeles and it’s honestly one of the best memories I have. 

21. Do 30-day challenges

Those who want to change their life or are in need of a fresh start should take a 30-day challenge (or several). Challenges are fun and they can make a big difference in your life. If you want, you can create a 30-day challenge based on your own goals, but you can also take my 30-day challenge that will help you get back on track and start your new life. 

When you commit to a challenge, make sure to also plan how and when you will complete the daily tasks. This will make it much easier to actually stick with the challenge.  

Related article: 30 Monthly Goal Ideas that Will Change Your Life

22. Learn a new word every day

If you happen to be learning a new language, this is an especially good yearly goal to set, but even if you simply wish your vocabulary was a little bigger, this is something worth doing. 

The good thing is that this goal is not hard to achieve either. You can simply review some words during your lunch break or when you’re eating breakfast and just like that, you are learning new words with very little effort. If you keep up with this for the entire year, you’ll have learned at the very least 365 new words – but probably many more than that. 

23. Save up money 

Most people want more money and one effortless way to make this dream come true is of course to spend less and save more. It could be easier said than done, but if you have been thinking about saving up for retirement or you don’t have an emergency fund, this is a good goal to set. 

Maybe you could have a monthly budget or simply decide to save 50 or 100 or 500 (whatever is feasible for you) every month. At the end of the year, you’ll have saved a nice amount of money! 

24. Go for walks often

I love going for walks, especially in summer. But going for a walk isn’t just about moving your body a little or smelling roses in parks. It’s also a great way to really think about your life, manifest something, or work on changing your mindset. 

We often simply get used to doing the same things every day, without giving much thought to where it will lead us. When you’re walking, you have a wonderful opportunity to evaluate your life and hype yourself up to make any changes you need to make. And of course, you’ll also get your steps in. 

25. Start a diary

If you are interested in setting a bit smaller goals than writing a book or traveling, starting a diary can be a fun thing to do this year. 

I feel like a lot of people had a diary when they were young, but few adults seem to keep a diary. And that’s just sad. Your diary can be anything you want, but in any case, it is an irreplaceable way to capture your thoughts and memories that you would otherwise forget. Sometimes reading old diaries makes you understand yourself and your own life choices better. 

26. Do something you’re scared to do

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do, but you’re too scared to do? Perhaps this is the year to do it.

Facing your fears and challenging yourself can change your life and make you much stronger. Maybe you’re not quite content with your career path and where you are headed or perhaps you’ve been dreaming of moving to another country. Whatever it is that you are scared to do can change your life in unimaginable ways.

So, start gathering up your courage and do what you have to do. Bonus points if you’ll do several things you are scared to do. 

Related article: Why You Can’t Wait Till You’re Not Scared Anymore

How to make sure you’ll stick to your new goals

It’s easy to come up with new plans and make New Year’s resolutions, but actually sticking to anything, especially long-term goals, can be difficult. The important thing is that you have a clear action plan that tells you what to do and when. You need to know the time frame and target date for every goal.

All goals need to be clear, and you have to break them into actionable steps that you can actually take. This applies especially to bigger goals like writing a book, but even if you only want to drink more water, you still have to know what counts as more and how you will remember to drink the water. 

Effective goals are typically the goals that are relatively easy to work on. And by easy, I don’t just mean goals that only take a minute or two of your day. I mean that you really need to make it as easy for you as possible to work on your new goals every day. Basically what you want to set, are smart goals.

If your yearly goals are big, it’s a good idea to break them into weekly goals, or maybe even daily goals. This way you won’t be as overwhelmed and you can track your progress more easily.

Lastly, make sure to have a plan in place for when you don’t feel like completing your tasks or sticking to your habits. This can literally mean the difference between actually being where you want to be by the end of the year or not.

Final thoughts on yearly goal setting

No matter what your past year has been like, the next year can be completely different. New Year’s is the perfect time to set new goals, but you can of course set them at any time of the year. Whether you want to focus on your professional goals or personal growth, I guarantee that taking this seriously will help you.

Happy New Year if you’re reading this around New Year’s, and if not, I hope you’ll have a wonderful day and the rest of the year regardless! And good luck with your goals!

If you need more inspiration, you can find some interesting life goals to set here and I also recommend you read my tips for how to make good New Year’s resolutions.