Goals to Set in 2023: Ultimate List

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The new year is a great time to refresh your goals and refocus on what you want out of life. So often, life gets hectic, and we lose sight of goals, especially towards the end of the year, and the new year provides some much-needed change. So what goals should you add to your list for the new year? 

Goals you should set in 2023 include growing a positive mindset, creating a 5-year plan, and eliminating negative self-talk. Personal growth goals are crucial since they aid in reaching goals in other categories like self-care, fiancee, career, and relationships. 

In the rest of this article, I will discuss why setting goals is essential and several goals you should add to your list this year. I will focus on goals in categories like personal development, self-care, relationships, finances, career, and travel. So if you want to check out each category’s excellent goal list, read on. 

Why Goal Setting is Important 

Setting goals is extremely important because they provide actionable steps for reaching your overall vision for your life.

Of course, you can still hit milestones without setting goals, but setting them has proven to be much more effective. 

Other benefits of goal setting include:

• Increased productivity
• Promotes self-mastery
• Provides direction
• A sense of accomplishment
• Keeps you accountable
• Increased motivation 

Goals often act as a map for accomplishing huge dreams or milestones in your life. You generally start by setting a few long-term goals, which are then broken down into short-term goals.

Next, short-term goals are broken down into actionable steps, resulting in simple tasks that move you closer to the larger goal. 

Which Type of Goal is Best?

There are several types of goals and methods for goal setting, and not all of these goals are incredibly effective.

So, what types of goals should you focus on? Which types of goals are most likely to bring you success? 

The best type of goal is precise, and its progress is measurable. A good goal is easily mapped out and accomplished by breaking it down into smaller, more actionable steps. The best goals have milestones and timelines for when they will be accomplished.

Many seasoned goal setters prefer to set goals that are S.M.A.R.T. If you don’t already know what S.M.A.R.T. goals are, I recommend checking out my article “The Beginners Guide to Goal Setting.”

In the article, I go over how to set realistic and attainable goals in all life categories.

Goals to Set For the Year 

There are many categories in everyone’s lives where improvement can be made. For example, many goals fall under categories like personal development or finance.

Therefore, it can be helpful to categorize your goals as you make a list for the year. 

Some of the most popular goal categories include:

• Personal development 
• Self-Care 
• Relationships 
• Finance
• Career
• Travel 

It’s a good idea to set at least 1 goal in each category. However, some categories might not fit into your life plan, and you may also need to add others. So do what makes the most sense to you. 

Now that you have a better idea of what goal categories I will be covering let’s dive right in and look at goals you should consider setting this year. 

1. Personal Development Goals

The Personal development goal category is broad and easily encompasses most goals you set. These goals aim to improve yourself and generate more happiness.

The primary focus of these goals is to learn and grow as a person. 

What are some of the personal development goals you should set for 2023? 

• Grow a positive mindset 
• Practice consistency
• Create a 5-year plan 
• Start a new hobby
• Eliminate negative self-talk
• Learn to creatively problem solve 
• Implement a daily routine 
• Learn something new 
• Polish and old skill 
• Build a new habit 

If you only take one goal from the personal development list, it should be creating a 5-year plan. If you haven’t already, these plans are life-changing and great for keeping you on track for your overall life goals.

To learn more about these life plans, read my article “How to Create the Perfect 5-Year Plan“. 

2. Self-Care Goals

The next category you should visit when setting goals for 2023 is self-care. Sadly, self-care is often overlooked, especially when life gets busy, which is why setting these goals is so important.

Self-care goals range from caring about physical appearance to your mental health. 

So what are some of the best self-care goals to focus on this year? 

• Declutter your home 
• Prioritize your mental health
• Purposely move your body
• Fuel your body with nutrient-dense foods 
• Drink more water 
• Start meditating 
• Read some self-help books 
• Learn to manage stress better 
• Take up journaling 
• Practice gratitude 

Cleaning up your space and mind is a fantastic way to practice self-care and set you up for a prosperous new year. 

3. Relationship Goals

Another goal category you should consider is relationships. There are many types of relationships in your life, and all have room for improvement, not just romantic ones.

Additionally, often improving relationships starts with self-reflecting and growth on your part. 

So what are some excellent self-care goals you can set in 2023? 

• Nurture your friendships 
• Set a recurring date night 
• Practice active listening 
• Learn each other’s love language 
• Spend more time with loved ones 
• Utilize open communication 

Learning to listen and communicate better are fantastic methods to grow all of the relationships in your life. It’s not always easy to improve your communication and listening style, but it’s definitely worth the effort. 

4. Finance Goals

One of the most important categories you can set goals from is finance. Money certainly isn’t everything, but having your finances in order is extremely helpful.

For example, having enough money to feel comfortable and safe is a reasonable goal. 

What are some of the other financial goals you should consider adding to your list? 

• Put money in savings each month
• Create a budget 
• Diversify your income 
• Stop impulse buying 
• Reduce your spending 

Saving money each month is a surefire way to get your finances in check. My husband and I always treat savings like a monthly bill when doing our finances. That slight shift in mentality has done wonders for our savings account. 

Start small and only put away what you reasonably can. 

If you haven’t already, check out the book The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris (available on Amazon). This book is fantastic for giving you financial goal ideas, walking you through diversifying income, and starting your own turnkey business. 

This book completely changed how I thought of money. 

5. Career Goals

Another category you should consider is setting goals in your career. Now, these goals can be incredibly ambitious or straightforward. However, sometimes taking a step back to try and rebalance your life is much needed. 

The goal is to find what makes you happy and successful in your career. 

So what are some excellent career goals you can set? 

• Be more proactive 
• Attain a leadership role 
• Start your own business 
• Pursue your dream job 
• Obtain better time management skills 
• Learn to set healthy boundaries
• Create a work/life balance  

One of the best skills you can learn is to balance your life between work and play. Unfortunately, I know how difficult creating this balance can be.

However, improving things like your time management skills will certainly help. 

6. Travel Goals 

Lastly, there is the travel goals category. This section of goals is arguably the most fun because who doesn’t love to travel? 

One thing to note about travel goals is that they often go hand in hand with your financial well-being, making it essential to account for your finances when setting travel goals. 

So what are some excellent travel resolution goals you can set this year? 

• Create a travel bucket list 
• Visit a new country 
• Go on a road trip 
• Create a travel savings account 
• Participate in a service mission 

Your travel goals can be as extravagant or minimal as you want. Set travel goals out a year or two, and spend the time up to the goals preparing for the trip. 

Final Thoughts 

Setting goals for the new year doesn’t have to be stressful, so I carefully put together this list of goals. However, it’s also essential to set goals not to overload yourself.

Too many goals will spread you too thin and often results in failure. 

So start small and select only 1-2 goals from each category.

It’s never too late in the year to set some resolutions and start goal planning. So sit down and start today because one year from now, you will be so grateful you did. 

Have a bright day!