7 Types of Goals for All Areas of Life

You don’t have to wait for a new year, a new month or a “fresh start Monday” to set goals. When something in your life needs to change, the best time to start is right now.

But here’s the thing: Vague, wishy-washy goals don’t work. If you want real progress, you need to create goals with clear direction—and make sure they have the qualities that actually move your life forward.

So, let’s walk through how to set goals that work and the seven areas of life where you need them.

What Are Goals and Why Do They Matter?

If you look up goal in the dictionary, you’ll see something along the lines of “a result or achievement that calls for some effort on your part.”

Well, duh. Setting goals is easy. It’s the effort of making them happen that we get most hung up on. And sometimes we don’t even know what that effort will look like because the goal itself lacks clarity. But research has shown that folks who set goals are 10 times more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.¹ That’s a big deal!

So, how do you set clear goals that work? They have to be:

• Specific: If you set a goal to get healthy, you won’t do it. If your goal is simply to focus on personal growth, nothing will change. You’ve got to be specific. You have to pick the specific areas of health you want to work on, like losing weight by exercising. Or you can decide to grow personally by reading a set number of books each year.
• Measurable: This is when you name how many pounds you’ll lose (say 25) or decide to run 30 minutes a day. Or when you commit to reading 10 pages a day. You can step on the scale to track weight or look at where your bookmark has moved in that book to know whether you’re accomplishing your goals.
• Under a time limit: Without a deadline, you won’t work with urgency (and I’m assuming you probably don’t want to spend three years trying to drop 25 pounds or finally start that podcast). Set a time limit and get the clock ticking. Deadlines motivate.
• Yours: If your only motivation for going on a diet is “my spouse wants me to,” you won’t stick to it. The same goes for every type of goal—it’s got to be yours, not someone else’s.
• In writing: There’s something really powerful about getting out a pen or pencil and writing your goals down. Listen, the Bible says in Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV), “Write the vision and make it plain.” So do that!
• Shared with others: A lot of times, we hide our goals because we think, What if I fail? Well, what if you don’t? Accountability and visibility might be just what you need to succeed. Listen, I’m not saying you have to post it on social media, but I am saying life-change rarely happens on an island.

How to Set Goals That Actually Work

Timeout! Before we talk about the types of goals you need to set, here are three things to think about during the goal-setting process itself. Keeping these principles in mind will help you set goals you can actually follow through on.

Think About Your Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

Building wealth to become a millionaire is an awesome goal, but it usually takes decades. And when a goal is that far away, it’s easy to lose motivation. That’s why you also need small, short-term goals that move you forward and help you stay encouraged along the way.

On the flip side, only setting short-term goals—like earning a raise in the next year—can keep you from dreaming bigger and planning for the future you really want five or 10 years from now.

A solid goal-setting plan includes both:

• Short-term goals that give you quick wins
• Long-term goals that help you stay focused on your big picture

Think of it like decorating a house: You renovate one room at a time, but you still need an overall vision for the whole home. Your goals work the same way.

Identify the Steps It Will Take to Reach Your Goals

Even the best goals won’t happen by accident. To set goals you can actually achieve, you need a clear plan for how you’ll get there.

Sit down, grab a pen, and map out the steps between point A and point B. Ask yourself what it’s really going to take to reach your goal—and be honest.

A few examples:

• Want to lose weight? Decide on your eating plan and workout routine.
• Want to grow in your career? Outline the skills, certifications or relationships you need.
• Want to become president of the United States? Hey—45 people have done it! But you’ll still need a plan: How will you get into public office, build a personal brand, and rise through the political ranks?

When you identify the steps up front, your big goals stop feeling overwhelming and start looking doable. And remember: There’s only one way to eat an elephant—one bite at a time.

Write Down Your Goals to Stay Accountable

I know, we already talked about this one, but it’s that important. Write down your goals. Studies show that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to accomplish them.² That’s because seeing your goals in writing makes them feel real. It also gives you a visual reminder to follow through.

If you’re looking for the best place to do that, our Goal Tracker Worksheet is a great option. Seeing your goals in black and white will help you hold yourself accountable and track your progress along the way.

The 7 Types of Goals You Need in Every Area of Life

All right, now that you know how to set goals, it’s time to look at the seven major areas of life where intentional goal-setting brings clarity, balance and forward movement. These categories help you see your life from a big-picture perspective—so you don’t accidentally put all your energy into one area while neglecting another.

Before we dive in to each one, here’s a quick snapshot of the seven types of life goals and examples of what they look like in real life.

1. Spiritual Goals (Examples and Ideas)

Spiritual goals keep you focused on God and what’s really important, and they can seriously help with stress and anxiety. In my opinion (and I’m not wrong), this is the most important goal-setting category because it sets the tone for all the others.

When you think about setting a spiritual goal, you may want to:

• Make prayer a daily part of your life
• Wake up 30 minutes earlier to read and study a chapter or two of the Bible
• Make church your “holy habit”
• Find a way to give your time, talent or treasure to your local church

Just be sure the spiritual goal you choose meets the six qualities we talked about earlier!

2. Financial Goals (Examples and Ideas)

Listen . . . I love me a money goal. So much of what you can do in life is decided by your money situation.

And the fact is, it’s hard to do much of anything when you’re broke! How in the world are you supposed to save an emergency fund, invest for retirement, or focus on generosity if you’re up to your ears in payments and never have any money left over?

I’ve been there. By committing to a set of money goals, my husband and I were able to pay off $460,000 of debt, pile up money for saving, and make consistent headway on our retirement investments.

You could set a goal to:

• Create a budget and start telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went (the best way to do this is by downloading the EveryDollar app)
• Get out of debt (don’t forget to give yourself a time limit)
• Save 3–6 months of expenses for your emergency fund
• Read The Total Money Makeover and commit to following the 7 Baby Steps
• Begin investing 15% of your income for retirement (if you’re out of debt and have a full emergency fund)

3. Career Goals (Examples and Ideas)

Up next: work goals. If you’re stuck in a job you hate, this is your chance to actually do something about it. The same goes if you’re dealing with a hostile work environment or difficult coworkers. You have two choices—adapt and change or complain and stay the same.

Life is too short and your talents are too valuable for you to spend 40-plus hours a week wasting away in a soul-sucking, dead-end job.

It’s time to make a plan to roll out of there ASAP and find work that uses your God-given talents. Career goals you might set include:

• Create a business plan for your business idea
• Create a LinkedIn profile or update your resumé
• Get clear on your talents, passions and mission by taking the Get Clear Career Assessment by my friend Ken Coleman
• Read The Proximity Principle and commit to developing relationships with the right people

But career goals aren’t just about changing jobs. If you love where you work, you can still grow by setting goals like:

• Connect with your leader and create a growth plan
• Become a better resource for your teammates
• Position yourself for a promotion

4. Intellectual Goals (Examples and Ideas)

Here’s a crazy idea: You don’t have to stop learning just because you’re out of school. No matter your age, education or job status, you should commit to ongoing intellectual growth.

And this isn’t just my opinion—it’s biblical. Proverbs 1:5 (NKJV) says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

Coasting on what you already know will only get you so far. Being intentional about learning is the only solution.

I personally love setting a goal to read a new nonfiction book or listen to an informative podcast on the drive in to work. But your goals could be to:

• Take a class at a local community college (debt-free, of course)
• Set up a monthly meeting with a mentor
• Keep the TV off at least two nights a week and build your leadership skills by listening to The EntreLeadership Podcast

5. Health/Wellness Goals (Examples and Ideas)

When people think about health and wellness goals, they usually jump straight to diet and exercise—and that’s valid. One of my best accomplishments was permanently adopting a plant-based vegetarian diet­. But remember, there are tons of ways to prioritize your health.

Sleep is a huge one. A good night’s sleep is like hitting a giant reset button for your physical, mental and emotional health. And trust me, as a wife, mom, business owner and ministry leader, I’ve felt that firsthand.

Your physical health impacts your mental health—big time. That means you should set goals to:

• Get seven to nine hours of sleep every night
• Move your body for at least 30 uninterrupted minutes every day
• Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods

6. Family Goals (Examples and Ideas)

Man. Family is so important—it deserves its own goal category. It may feel strange to set family goals, but relationships grow when you’re intentional.

Truth be told, my family goals are at the top of my list (just under spiritual goals). Because in my opinion, if my spiritual side is suffering and my relationships aren’t right with the people I love most, none of the other stuff hits right.

Some family goals you could set are:

• Call your parents once a week to stay connected
• Take Financial Peace University with your spouse to align your money goals
• Meet with a sibling or other family member once a month for coffee (or a video chat if they live far away)
• Prioritize family dinners at the table a few nights a week—no phones allowed (hey, you could even use Dr. John Delony’s Questions for Humans cards to keep the conversation going)

7. Social Goals (Examples and Ideas)

You need people. You need connection. Social goals help you build relationships that make life meaningful.

Our culture tries to convince us that social media can replace real connection, but that’s not the case. Loneliness is worse for your body than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.³ Seriously! It affects your physical health, mental health, spiritual walk, work life . . . you name it!

So set some social goals! My family has moved states before, and I know firsthand how easy it is to feel isolated. You have to be intentional about building community.

This could look like deciding to:

• Read Own Your Past, Change Your Future to learn what it takes to create actual amazing relationships
• Get involved in a good church community
• Invite a coworker or friend over for dinner once a month
• Say yes more often when people invite you to hang out

Take the Next Steps to Start Setting Your Goals

Setting goals in several areas of life may seem overwhelming, but you can do it! You have the power to make significant change in your life, and even though that change won’t happen overnight, you can start today.