Looking for monthly goal ideas?
I've been studying, reading, and writing about intentional living for well over a year now. Committed to creating the life I want for myself, I've tried a lot of different rhythms and practices on how to do just that, and I can tell you without a doubt that to this point, the one that's made the biggest difference is monthly goal setting.
Intentional living is all about creating the life that you want, filling it with practices and people that make you better. Setting monthly goals is one of the most effective ways to stay on track with that.
These monthly goal ideas for intentional living are divided into Fitness, Mindset, Relationships, Spiritual Life, and Work, the categories I'd recommend starting to set goals in.
Keep in mind that goal setting, while a life changing and incredible process, can take a little bit of time to get used to. It's easy to get excited at the beginning and try to do too much, too fast.
Don't pull an Icarus and set yourself up for failure.
I have a whole post up about setting successful goals, which I would HIGHLY recommend, especially if you're new to goal setting, but at the very least, take a read through the "Tools to get started" section of this post -- filled with a condensed how-to and some FREE resources to help you achieve any monthly goal you give yourself.
Monthly Goal Ideas for an Intentional Life
Why Set Monthly Goals?
But why bother setting monthly goals in the first place? If you want to change something, why not just... change it?
Well, if you've ever tried that method, you know exactly why. It doesn't work.
You are a creature of habit. The human brain is an incredible thing, and it actively works to conserve energy by habit-izing as many regular activities as possible. Meaning... if you want to make a change in your life, you need to make it a habit.
First - the beauty about these monthly goal ideas is that they start out short term, like a sprint. You're committing to them for just 30 days. With that mindset, it's a lot easier to motivate yourself to follow through on them. By the end of the month, if you want to keep going, it's only going to get easier.
Short term sprint = long term life change.
Secondly - setting monthly goals allows you to try new rhythms without having to fully commit. Giving healthy habits a month-long trial means that you'll get a decent shot at seeing how they affect your life, mindset, and mood, and you can decide from there if you want to make them permanent.
Finally - monthly goal setting is a great way to build discipline. It's a short term end date, so easy to stick to, but the character it develops in you will help you stay the path for the things that you don't want to give up.
Tools to Get Started (FREE Printable!)
As you're getting started, and going through this list, do NOT try and do all of these in one month. I mean it. These monthly goal ideas are meant to provide you with inspiration and goal suggestions for a long time.
Doing too much too fast is a guaranteed way to burnout and not get anything done. If you're new to setting monthly goals, pick one or two and focus on them for the next 30 days.
I've been setting monthly goals for a long time, and I still don't pick more than 3 big ones every month. (By big ones, I mean ones that interrupt daily routines I've been practicing.)
ALSO - I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. A couple of months, we launched out of the habit printables and the love has been overwhelming. The Goal Tracker & The Goal Calendar are monthly goal templates designed to help you set, track, and achieve your goals in style.
Whether you're brand new to setting monthly goals, or already a pro, I'm fully convinced that these totally free printables will help you up your game and find new levels of success.
Monthly Goal Ideas
All right - you know what to do, you've got your free Goal Tracker, and you're ready to go. These monthly goal ideas for an intentional life are all healthy practices that add to a full, happy, balanced life. I hope these goals will push you out of your comfort zone, challenge you to grow, and show you just how wildly capable you are.
FITNESS
- Try a new fitness class every week
- Work out an extra day each week
- Go for a run three times a week
- Stretch in the mornings
- Go for a 20 minute walk around the neighbourhood every evening
- Work on being able to do a split every day
- Cut out sugar for a month
- Drink ___ amount of water everyday
- 10,000 steps a day for the whole month
- Get outside for at least 20 minutes a day
RELATIONSHIPS
- Write down one thing you appreciate about your significant other every day (at the end of the month, show them the list)
- Text a different friend every day of the week to see how they're doing
- Reach out to someone who looks like they need a friend
- Make time for a date night every week
- Find out your significant other's love language, and pick one thing each week to do for them based on it
- Call your mom every week
- Send an encouraging message to someone every day
- Pay it forward for a stranger at least once a week
- Spend at least 3 hours a week with your significant other -- phones OFF
- Set aside 30 minutes every week just to pray over your relationship
SPIRITUAL
- Spend time reading scripture every day this month
- Read 1-2 books of the Bible this month
- Set aside time to spend in prayer every evening
- Write down prayer requests and praise reports in a journal to track and remember
- Pick a book or two on spiritual growth and make it a goal to finish them this month (Next month, make it a goal to implement what you learned!)
- Listen to only Christian music for a month
- Fast once a week for the month
- Wake up earlier than normal to spend more time with God
- Talk about your faith with at least 3 people every week
- Make at least 1 new friend who doesn't share your beliefs (WITHOUT an agenda -- it's just healthy)
MINDSET
- Journal every day
- Schedule time for self care at least once a week
- Before you get out of bed, think of at least 3 things you're grateful for
- Consciously work to contribute positively to your environment every day
- Read 20 pages a day
- Take a Netflix fast
- Start a creative project in an area you're not an expert at (Paint something, start practicing piano, write poetry) and work on it 10 minutes a day
- Spend time alone for self reflection
- Say yes to everything that scares you for a month
- Every time you feel resentful about something, come up with three positive outcomes/things you can do to create positive outcomes in relation to it
WORK
- Spend 20 minutes a day researching a passion project
- Try a new side hustle for 30 days
- Try time blocking for 30 days
- Show up at the office everyday and find a different coworker to cheer on/verbally affirm
- Use a physical planner to schedule work activities
- Focus on developing a new hard skill
- Focus on developing a new soft skill
- Read a business book
- Turn off your phone while you're working
- Stop checking your email while you're grinding on a project
Monthly goal setting is the bread and butter of personal growth, and these monthly goal ideas are the perfect place to get started. Customize them to your specific targets, or take them exactly as they are and give growth a real shot!
An intentional life is one built all around your priorities, and if growth is one of them, monthly goals should be a habit.
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Love all these goal ideas!! So good!
Yay!! Thank you so much, I’m so glad that you enjoyed!