With the end of 2017 we’re already looking forward to next year. We strongly believe in goal setting and self-reflection because it encourages us to grow as unique individuals. There is power and confidence in accomplishing the milestones we set for ourselves. While you’re taking the time to reflect on how this year went, look ahead to the goals for next year. Keep in mind that the best goals are measurable and have clear metrics to track.
But setting your goals is only the first step in achieving them — you need a plan and a system in place to guide you and keep you on track. We all know what it’s like to set goals that we don’t follow through with. This is why I’m excited about using my Unbound Planner in 2018! It’s the first I’ve seen that tracks all your goals in one place — whether they occur yearly, monthly, weekly or daily. I’ll show you what I mean in the examples below.
That said, here are 18 goals to set in 2018:
1. Take one personal development course.
Change and learning are markers of growth. It shows a lot of initiative if you take a course that focuses specifically on personal development. Whether it’s on goal setting, leadership, confidence or something else, taking a course will be a catalyst for growth.
“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.”
This is an example of a one-time goal. As you can see in the photo, you schedule these types of goals on your timeline page. Then, each month you’ll refer back to this page as you’re planning your goals for that month.
2. Earn one new career certification.
Like with personal growth, your career growth is dependent on what you put into it. Taking time, especially personal time, to devote to your career development shows both initiative and commitment. You’ll learn something and impress your boss too.
And in the very least it’s something new to add to your LinkedIn profile.
3. Read (at least) 12 books.
Books are easily the most inexpensive tools at our disposal. There is a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be uncovered on our pursuit of personal development. One book a month is a reasonable goal to set.
Here are a few of our favorites:
6 New Books to Read for Your Career and Self-Development
15 Books That Challenge Us to Think Differently
5 Books Written By Women to Read for Self-Development
14 Books to Change the Way You Think About Your Career
If you love reading brand new titles and releases, we recommend Book of the Month — if you sign up here, you’ll get your first book for $9.99 and a free tote bag.
4. Unfollow everyone who makes you feel bad about yourself on social media.
There’s a lot we can’t control, but our timelines are one of the things we can. Comparison is the thief of joy and if scrolling past fitness models and world travelers isn’t doing anything to help your self-esteem, unfollow them. There is no shame in doing what is best for yourself.
5. Do a Whole30.
It’s no secret that we’re major fans of the Whole30 here at GenTwenty. Learning about how our bodies work individually is so valuable. What we eat impacts our health, our sleeping patterns, and our mood in significant ways. It might sound challenging to give up sugar, alcohol, legumes, grains, dairy, MSG, carrageenan or sulfites — but you can do it! It’s only 30 days, after all.
Pro-tip: The key to successful Whole30 is keeping track of your meals and prepping ahead of time. We highly recommend browsing the website thoroughly and reading the book to understand why you’re doing a Whole30 and how it will aid you in the long run.
6. Complete a no-spend challenge.
Can you track where every cent of your money is going? Learning your spending habits and creating a budget (get our free template here!) is the first step to financial freedom. We can easily get drawn into spending more money than we intend to. A great way to combat this is to do a no-spend challenge. That’s a month of no extraneous spending. Marina completed a six month shopping ban that jump-started her path to financial freedom. You can do it.
7. Spend more time putting yourself first.
Saying no to others is hard. Putting yourself first is seen as “selfish” or even thoughtless and careless. We think it means the opposite.
Putting yourself first and taking the time to take care of yourself in the ways that you need to be supported physically and emotionally, gives you the space the be your best self. We cannot do our best work or serve others when we are rundown and exhausted.
Schedule time specifically for yourself into every day. Maybe that’s your time to read, catch up on chores, run personal errands or watch your favorite TV show. There is no shame in taking care of yourself.
The Unbound Planner helps make self-care a priority by reminding you each week, in your weekly goals section, to spend time on yourself.
8. Travel somewhere new.
New places and new people gives us a perspective we don’t get from our typical routines. This exposure to different situations, foods, and experiences changes us. You don’t have to go very far, a day trip to somewhere nearby that you’ve never been before is enough to shake up your comfort zone. It’s these experiences that make your life richer.
9. Go to six concerts.
There’s something about music that is both healing and hypnotic. You’re transported to somewhere carefree, even if just for a few hours.
Setting a specific number of concerts, allows you to have a concrete and measureable goal that you can track throughout the year. If there are no events on your calendar, find something new ASAP by searching the websites of local venues.
10. Up your water intake.
Does anyone else feel dehydrated or is it just me? Our water intake seems to fall to the wayside, especially in favor of everyone’s favorite — caffeine. Do whatever it takes for you to get more water into your diet. You’ll have more energy, better digestion, and will just feel better.
Use the habit tracker in the Unbound Planner to check off your daily cups. Bottoms up!
11. Do the thing you’ve been putting off.
We all have that one thing that we’ve always wanted to do but somehow never get around to.
For me, it’s calligraphy. It’s something I continuously say I want to learn, yet hardly ever make any moves towards it. Last year I bought a few books and pens and even signed up for a course. Guess what’s still sitting on my bookshelf? Yep. 2018 will be the year.
12. Go to a new restaurant or cook a new meal once a month.
Like with traveling, it’s easy to fall into a routine with our food. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with eating the same meals and popping into the same places every month, but what might you be missing out on by sticking with your routine? Make some reservations and get out there. Tip: you could get up to 30% cash back at participating restaurants with this hack!
Set a monthly goal of making a reservation on the 5th of every month to make sure you follow through! Unbound Planner makes tracking monthly goals like this easy with its dedicated monthly goal section.
13. Add $100 extra dollars to your savings every month.
Setting financial goals is crucial to reaching financial freedom one day. By adding more to your savings now, you can make “one day” come sooner. Whether you add that extra $100 to your 401(k), your emergency fund, or an investment account, the point is that you do it.
For this repeating monthly goal, set up automatic transfers on pay day to make it non-negotiable. Mark it in your Unbound Planner to stay on track with this monthly goal!
Increasing your savings on a regular basis, especially as you bring in more income through a promotion, a side hustle or a job change, is your best bet in avoiding succumbing to lifestyle inflation. You’ve got this.
14. Spend more time with the people you care about.
How often do you put off spending time with your family or friends because you’re “busy?” We all have things to do and deadlines to meet. Grown-up responsibilities often take up a lot of our time. It’s up to us to make it a priority to call them or grab coffee more frequently. Your relationships are what you remember.
Make this goal specific by putting “call my parents once a week” or “have coffee with a close friend every Thursday” on your calendar.
15. Volunteer your time to a cause that matters to you.
Donating money or supplies is a great thing to do if you can! Giving your time is just as valuable too. It’s important to put love and kindness into the world in anyway that we can. Volunteering your time is a way to do just that.
16. Go to all of your doctor’s appointments.
Primary care, eye, dentist… making and keeping these appointments annually is a essential for keeping track of our health over time. In our younger years, we tend to put off going to these appointments because they’re expensive, especially if we don’t have insurance. Keep them if you can. This track record will be valuable as we get older. Not to mention, you’ll be able to catch any potential health issues sooner.
17. Let go of anything that is not serving you.
Things that serve you are things that make you a better person. Exercise might be tough in the moment, but ultimately it is encouraging your overall health.
If you’re not sure where to start, analyze your schedule and ask yourself:
What do I most look forward to?
What drains me?
Do more of what you’re looking forward to and less of what you dread. Be honest with yourself. This takes some self-tough-love. You have to have the self-awareness to know that even if you’re dreading something, that doesn’t mean it’s not serving you. Pay careful attention to the commitments that leave you exhausted.
A way keep up with this is by practicing regular self-reflection. This is another thing I love about Unbound — it incorporates essential life practices like self-reflection throughout.
18. Learn to be your own best friend.
Borrowing from Rachael’s post 17 Goals to Set in 2017, learning to be your own best friend is essential. You are the only person who you have to spend your whole life with. Get to know yourself better. Learn everything you like, dislike, what lights you up, what brings you down. Treat yourself like a best friend should be treated — with kindness and respect.
And there you have it — 18 goals to set in 2018!
From one person to another, our goals are unique as snowflakes and they need a system that reflects that. These goals and resolutions we set for ourselves can be overwhelming without a system in place to track them and hold us accountable.
