26 examples of future goals for your career and personal life - LifeHack (2023)

Most people set multiple goals each year, but most of them are not met. To make sure the life of your dreams comes true, you need to take the time to learn how to create future goals, whether they are personal or professional goals that fit the life you want to create.

Of course, choosing the right lens can be difficult. Sometimes it takes a little inspiration to grease the wheels of success. Below are many examples of future goals that will make it much easier for you to set and achieve goals for your future. Whether you're looking for good old-fashioned self-improvement or want to improve your career prospects, you're in the right place.

So, are you ready to take that first all-important step?

26 examples of future goals for your personal growth

Take a look at the following 26 future goal examples to get you started today. And before you know it, you'll be on your way to a better, more fulfilling life.

1. Read a new book every month

First on this list of examples of future goals is to read a new book each month. This is an ambitious goal that will make you grow personally and professionally. As? Allowing you to learn more each day than most people in their entire lives.

Any time spent reading can be done at home with the family (or by yourself), over lunch at work, or even before bed. However, the important thing is to use what you have read to change your habits. And over time, it's virtually guaranteed to change your life for the better.^[1]

2. Create a website and a blog

This is great because it teaches you how to find your voice, figure out what you want to say, and share your message. You can also learn about new technology or tools that can help you work more efficiently. It's an opportunity to turn words into action! And that's great, whether it's for your personal development or professional purposes.

Even better, you can use it to demonstrate your professional expertise, which can bring more business opportunities your way.

3. Develop a more active lifestyle

Incorporating an active lifestyle into your routine will make you feel better, have more energy, and improve your health. You'll even have a better chance of living longer, too. And the best part? It doesn't have to be a difficult task. You can easily find ways to make this happen, whether it's taking your dog for evening walks or exercising with friends on the weekends.

4. Find new passions to explore

This goal is useful because it gives you time to rediscover yourself. You may find that this goal sparks a whole new interest in something. If that's the case, you can explore it for a few months and then find another passion to pursue, or even combine two passions into one! This gives meaning to your goals and essentially means that your life has more meaning too.

5. Learn new skills in your field

You will find this useful because it allows you to keep up with the trends, stay relevant in your industry, and have something new for yourself or others. You can also use your new skills in a job interview or work project, which can also lead to more job opportunities and better job prospects.

6. Undertake new projects at work

Trying out new projects will help you grow your career and learn more about a company's goals or how other teams work. It can also teach you something unexpected that can be applied to another project as well.

7. Make time for friends and family

This is a great way to help you feel more satisfied with your social life. This could be meeting up for coffee or dinner, going out on a date night, or just taking care of your pet together. You'll be able to catch up and share quality moments that don't always happen when you're busy. And often it's those slow, quiet moments that stick with us the longest.

8. Do charity work

By taking on this kind of future goal, you are giving something to the world and you are making a difference. Even better, you can meet new people and make connections with others who share similar interests, since you are more likely tovoluntarySomewhere where you feel strongly.

9. Plan one or two trips a year

Sometimes the most important thing is to take time out of everyday life. As you change scenery and explore new destinations, you'll have a break from work projects or other activities that keep your mind busy. You can also meet new people while you're away and have the opportunity to explore different cultures, learn about yourself, and develop connections with new and interesting people.

10. Learn to cook from scratch

It's always helpful to learn more about what goes into your favorite foods. You can also make your kitchen look less intimidating or provide tools for cooking on the go, which can be very convenient. And of course you can make delicious andhealthy foodsfor you or your family.

11. Try something out of your comfort zone.

This goal is great for giving you a chance to push yourself and challenge what you know. By living life outside of our comfort zone and making mistakes along the way, you are constantly learning something new. This could be anything from traveling to a new place, trying food you've never eaten before, or even taking on something in your personal life that would normally cause you anxiety.

12. Learn to meditate

Meditation is useful because it helps you to be more present. It can also help with other goals like sleep or having a better work-life balance. After all, you'll feel less stressed and find it easier to find your zen state when you meditate regularly.^[2]

13. Practice gratitude every day.

One of the best stress relievers is to be grateful for what you have, and this can be done by keeping a gratitude journal, reflecting on goals you've accomplished, or simply saying "thank you." The important thing is not to let negativity cloud your thoughts and remember what is really good in life.

14. Treat yourself occasionally

Sometimes it's hard to take time for yourself and enjoy life. When done responsibly, indulgences can be beneficial to your well-being and help you feel more refreshed. Whether it's a massage, dinner with friends, or just a night at home watching TV, we need to set aside time for ourselves from time to time.

15. Create a debt elimination budget

One of the most stressful experiences we can live isfinancial problems. And while we may not be able to solve every debt problem right away, it's important to set goals and start addressing some of them.

One of the main financial stressors is debt. If you can create and maintain a debt elimination process, the level of satisfaction you will feel when your debt is eliminated will be enormous.

16. Take care of your mental health

All of these future goal examples mean nothing if you're not in the right frame of mind to use them. Therefore, it is also important to set goals for your mental health. This is different for everyone, but in general it means moving away from sources of stress and balancing them with activities that bring you joy or fulfillment.

Stephen Covey calls this "sharpening the saw" in his book,The seven habits of highly effective people. Essentially, it's what keeps you going through the tough times in life.

17. Learn a new language

It's obvious that being able to communicate with more people is great from both a personal and a professional perspective. On the one hand, people prefer to communicate in their mother tongue. Thus, it will make traveling and socializing more enjoyable. On the other hand, virtually all companies want multilingual speakers. It is good for business and will make you stand out more.

18. Take a self defense class.

This may not be so obvious, but another example of a future goal is taking a self-defense class. While you should ideally never need to use it, learning self-defense will help you feel more confident and empowered. And knowing that you have the skills to protect yourself and your loved ones is a great feeling. So why not take advantage of it?

19. Start painting

Painting is a perfect outlet to regulate emotions and gain a sense of peace and tranquility. It's also great for developing your creative skills and being able to express yourself through art. You will be surprised how quickly your skills improve when you start painting as an activity for simple achievement reasons.

20. Learn to play a musical instrument

Another great way to be creative is to play an instrument. It may seem overwhelming at first, but surprisingly it's not as difficult as you think. And playing an instrument will force your brain to work in new ways and help with cognitive development.^[3]Also, music is great for social reasons as you can relate to it too.

21. Start a side hustle

Side hustles can be a great way to not only earn more money but also improve your career. Any employer will be impressed by the drive it takes to start a side job, not to mention the skills needed to make it work. But the most important part is that it will give you goals to pursue outside of your day job, which can be extremely rewarding.

22. Learn to take care of the garden

A great way to relieve stress while being physically active is to garden. It's not as difficult as you think. All you need is a small space in the garden and some seeds. And it will also be good for your mental health, as you will be able to keep something out of yourself when the current circumstances are difficult.

23. Seek to be a team leader

The best way to start working is to be in aleadership position. Leaders are automatically respected by others. In addition, being a leader, you will stand out more in the memory of the people. This will give it more weight when considering new positions or projects for employees.

24. Hire someone from your network

Working with people within your network will foster better connections and opportunities. And if you help them, they will help you. This means that it will be easier for you to find better positions to work in your career.

25. Teach or guide others in your field

One of the best ways to excel in your field is to teach others. This will not only make you more marketable, but it will also help you learn more about your field of expertise. It's a great way to give back in a few ways too.

26. Try different roles and departments in your company

The last of these future goal examples is to try out different roles at your company. If your goal is to move up in the company, it can be helpful to work across multiple departments, even for a short period of time. This will help you better understand the goals and culture of the company, which is great for networking. It will also give you an idea of ​​where your strengths lie so that when new openings open up in different departments, you can apply successfully.

final thoughts

Setting goals is critical to your personal life and your professional success. If you have fought forReach your goals, it may be time for a change of strategy. But you don't have to go from zero to hero overnight. Instead, take small steps every day that will lead you to your main goal.

You can use these sample future goals to set your own and work on them one at a time. And before you know it, you'll build enough momentum to take steps that will change your life forever.

Featured photo credit:Jodie Cook via unsplash.com