How to Set Goals You’ll Actually Reach in 2022
2022, here we come!
If you’ve ever set a New Year’s Resolution – or any goal for that matter – and not been able to stick with it, you’re not alone.
If you’re ready to set goals for 2022 and follow through with them, you’ve come to the right place.
It can be stressful trying to create goals and maintain your follow through, but you totally got this! And just know that it doesn’t have to be incredibly stressful – in fact, it shouldn’t be! (:
I’m going to go through my process of coming up with, setting, and following through with goals, and I can’t wait to take you along for the ride and show you how to set goals you’ll actually reach in 2022!
how to set goals you’ll actually reach in 2022
goal-setting: step one
It can be hard to know exactly what you want to work on in the new year, which is why it’s really important to be flexible.
If you are working toward a goal and you suddenly realize that’s not what you want to strive for anymore, it’s okay to shift or narrow your focus.
Chances are, not all of the goals you set for yourself to meet in 2022 will stay consistent the entire year. You might change some, get rid of some, or even add some new ones!
I had no intention of starting a blog at the beginning of 2021, but once I did, you can bet I set some goals that I wanted to meet by the end of the year!
My suggestion is to pick no more than 3 areas of your life that you want to work on. Here are some ideas:
- school
- social life
- marriage/relationship
- physical activity
- nutrition
- volunteering/donating
- reading
Of course, as time goes on, you can add more areas if you’d like, but I find it easiest (and less stressful) to start with 2-3 and work your way up.
You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with too many goals because then you won’t be able to put the required amount of time and focus toward each one. (:
goal-setting: step two
Time to move onto step two of how to set goals you’ll actually reach in 2022!
After you choose which areas of your life you want to work on, it’s time to set the specific goals! This part is completely up to you – and it depends on what you want to work on this next year!
I’d recommend setting 1-3 goals PER area of your life that you’ve chosen to work on. If you’re easily overwhelmed with goal-setting, just start with 1 goal, but if you love this kind of stuff and setting 3 goals doesn’t stress you out, go for it!
Just remember: you can always add more goals or change your current goal(s) later! (:
For example, the 3 areas of my life that I chose to work on in 2020 and 2021 were physical activity, reading, and volunteering/donating. (And then I added my blog to the list halfway through 2021.)
Here were the specific goals I set for each of those areas of my life:
- physical activity: run 6 races, improve my golf score
- reading: read 12 books outside of school
- volunteering/donating: donate time or material items to 12 organizations
Now, even if those are the same areas you chose to work on, those goals might not be related to what you want to work on. Here are some goal ideas for different areas of your life that you can use as inspiration. (:
- school: get a x GPA, fill out college/grad school applications, complete an internship
- social life: get to know someone new, talk to 1 new person every week, invite someone you don’t know very well to hang out
- marriage/relationship: have a date night every week, propose(;, try something brand new to both of you, read a couples book together
- physical activity: workout x times a week, set a new PR, try a new kind of exercise
- nutrition: drink x ounces of water every day, eat x fruits and veggies every day, learn more about intuitive eating!!
- volunteering/donating: donate to x organizations, volunteer x amount of times, raise money for a specific cause that’s close to you
- reading: read a new book genre, read a book you normally wouldn’t go for, read x number of books
Once you figure out what specific goals you want to set for yourself, WRITE. THEM. DOWN. And make sure they’re someplace you’re sure to see everyday: the bathroom mirror, your planner, your Notes app… wherever you know you’ll see them regularly!
reaching your goals
I know this post was all about how to set goals you’ll actually reach in 2022, but there are a few very important things to remember in regards to reaching goals you set for yourself:
- It’s going to take TIME to reach your goals, and that’s okay!! You will not reach your goals in one day, one week, and probably not even one month. Don’t worry about the timeline of your goals; that isn’t near as important as the goal itself.
- It’s not going to be easy. But that’s what makes it worth it. (:
- And last but certainly not least… DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP. If you need a break, take one. If you need to rest, please do. It can be fun and energizing to go go go after your goals, but sometimes that’s not sustainable. It’s important to find your balance between work and play! (:
- I lied about that being the last one. (; But this reminder is just as important, so listen up! Don’t compare your goals, your timeline, your life to anyone else’s! Someone might reach your goal before you do, someone might have more time to put into their goals, but that’s okay. You are not doing this for anyone but yourself, so don’t worry about what anyone else is doing!
I hope these tips on how to set goals you’ll actually reach in 2022 are helpful when coming up with your goals for the new year! Remember: you are way more powerful than you think!
If you enjoyed this post, I would love for you to share it with others so we can all crush our goals together!
