8 Areas In Life To Set Goals With 100 Examples (FREE Workbook)

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Use these 8 areas in life to set goals so that you can live your most fulfilled and self-actualised life.

You don’t need to wait until the New Year to change your life, you can start your personal growth journey right NOW!

So many people miss out on setting goals in all areas of their lives because they are scared of failing or have been indoctrinated to believe that the only goals worth setting are in their careers and business.

I’m going to break down the 8 different areas of life (health and fitness, personal and spiritual growth, friends and family, romantic relationships, career and business, financial health, physical environment and fun and recreation) and provide you with 100 examples of goals that you can use.

What are goals?

Goals are aims or objectives that are specific measurable achievable relevant and time-bound.

They are designed to provide you with a clear direction for your life and give you something to work towards so that you can feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

The best types of goals are aligned with your values because they provide you with intrinsic motivation and the resilience to keep going when times get hard. However, you can set goals that are not in alignment with your values but that just makes life a lot harder!

For example, setting the ambitious goal to be a doctor to please your parents when in reality you want to be an artist instead. Doing the day-to-day work and studying to achieve your goal will feel like a never-ending slog and it would be hard to stay motivated.

Your goals can be long-term medium-term and short-term BUT you need to break down your big long-term goals into smaller manageable chunks over shorter periods of time to increase your chance of ACTUALLY achieving them.

Why is it important to set goals in different life areas?

There are eight different areas of life you need to set goals in order to feel the most fulfilled and balanced. These areas are:

Health and Fitness
Personal and spiritual growth
Friends and family
Romantic relatinsihps
Career and business
Financial health
Physical environment
Fun and recreation

If you look online there are many different versions of the 8 areas of your life so it may feel confusing seeing this list.

However, they are all pretty much the same with slightly different groupings e.g. separating spiritual growth and personal growth or combining family, friends and romantic relationships.

Either way, having a clear idea of the 8 areas of YOUR life is important because it makes sure you don’t neglect one area in favour of another and it also promotes holistic wellbeing by preventing burnout.

There’s no point only focusing on financial health and career/business at the cost of your health, connections with others and physical environment. Where is the fun in being rich but alone and living in squalor?

Which life categories are most important?

This is a tricky question because ALL areas are important when it comes to living a healthy and fulfilling life. However, some areas are slightly more important than others overall and other areas have their level of importance change depending on the season of your life.

For example, your health and fitness will ALWAYS be important and should be a priority no matter the stage in your life because without good health your quality of life significantly decreases.

Unfortunately, society isn’t built for everyone equally which means poor health can negatively impact all areas of your life e.g. career, financial health, romantic relationships etc…

So prioritising your health and fitness will improve your quality of life and increase your likelihood of achieving your other goals.

Prioritising life areas also depends on the season of your life

According to Erikson’s theory of psychological stages, each life stage has a different conflict or purpose that drives our behaviour and priorities.

For example, many young adults in the ‘intimacy vs isolation’ stage focus on their career development and education as they start to build their foundations in life. But they also juggle creating meaningful friendships and relationships with others.

I know that this was something that I struggled a lot with in my early/mid 20’s – trying to find the balance between climbing up the career ladder and forming relationships. Most of the time the career ladder won, which left me feeling lonely, isolated and misunderstood. This is something that A LOT of perfectionists also struggle with.

Whereas, middle age people in the ‘generativity vs stagnation’ stage tend to focus on family, financial stability and personal growth. There is a bigger emphasis on guiding the next generation and doing something worthwhile.

However, the stereotype of a mid-life crisis exists for a reason which is why it is important for middle age people to continue to set goals in the personal and spiritual growth area of their lives.

And finally, older adults/elderly in the ‘integrity vs despair’ stage tend to focus on enjoying retirement, prioritising health, spending quality time with family and reflecting on their legacy.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list and different crisis periods in our lives may cause us to focus on different goals (e.g. death of a loved one, illness, redundancy etc…). These events can shift our priorities temporarily or permanently depending on how we deal with them.

How to deal with conflicting goals in different areas of life

Sometimes, life is complicated, hard and just overall annoying especially when we are faced with making difficult decisions. For example, choosing a goal to focus on that is in direct opposition with another goal in a different life area.

Fun times!

There are a few different things you can do to resolve the situation

Identify which goals are most in alignment with your values and long-term vision
Find a middle ground that partially satisfies both goals without completely neglecting one or both (e.g. changing dates or expectations)
Ask for help! For example, hiring a cleaner to clean your home because you don’t have the time or capacity
Set clear boundaries for each goal so that you can do both without using all of your mental, physical or emotional energy
Designate different time periods for each goal. E.g 1 goal in the first half of the year, the other goal in the second half of the year

Types of goals to set in 8 areas of life with examples

Health and Fitness

Your health and fitness include looking after your physical and mental wellbeing by doing things like exercising, eating healthily and getting regular checkups.

For example, it is recommended that you eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day and do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week to reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.

These activities will also improve your energy levels and focus so that you can work towards goals in the other areas of your life too!

Neglecting this area of your life will have a significant impact on your short to long-term quality of life.

Walk 10k steps every day
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day
Have five portions of fruit and veg every day
Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night
Practice yoga 3 times a week (online or at a class)
Learn how to do a handstand
Run a marathon
Swim 50 laps non-stop
Quit smoking
Learn how to cook 5 healthy meals
Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Climb a mountain
Try at least one new sport every quarter
Get an annual medical check-up
Learn how to do the splits
Spend 30 minutes outside every day
Switch coffee for matcha lattes

Personal and Spiritual Growth

Personal growth is all about continuous self-improvement and learning whereas, spiritual growth is focused on developing deeper spiritual and religious practices with yourself and a higher power (God).

Through working on your personal and spiritual practice you will improve your self-awareness and resilience to challenges and setbacks.

You’ll also have a greater sense of purpose, a deeper connection with your values and the ability to make better decisions that are in alignment.

I don’t talk about religion on this blog because I know it is a touchy subject for a lot of people. However, I will say that I grew up atheist/agnostic and through my pursuit of self-development over the years I noticed that most successful people believed in some form of higher power – a connection to something bigger than themselves.

At first, I just rolled my eyes but over time I started implementing their different practices and truly found the benefit in prayer, meditation and yoga. So what I’m trying to say is don’t knock it until you try it and God is real!

Read 1 non-fiction book a month
Sign up to an online course to learn a new skill
Journal every single day
Go to prayer/bible study meetings
Practice meditation daily for 10 minutes
Reflect on your areas of weaknesses and blind spots
Get to intermediate level in a language within 2 years
Develop a realistic morning and evening routine
Go on a meditation retreat
Take a public speaking course
Create a values vision board
Write a personal mission statement
Practise daily affirmations
Watch a TED talk once every week
Learn how to play a new board game

Friends and Family

Having deep connections with your family and friends is so important to your overall mental and emotional health.

There is nothing worse than feeling lonely, depressed and misunderstood in the world. In fact, there is a loneliness epidemic which is partially due to the rise of social media, the increase in urban grey concrete cities, and a lack of community spirit.

This means it is more important than ever to build and maintain connections with others to improve your chances of feeling happy, supported and connected to society.

Plan a family reunion with extended family members
Call or visit your parents once a week
Offer to help a friend who is struggling
Set a group chat with your cousins
Join your friendship groups together by arranging a joint event
Plan a monthly family games night
Write a heartfelt letter to each family member
Host a ‘Come Dine With Me’ style dinner party with friends
Make a family time capsule
Create a new family/friend tradition
Plan a picnic at a local park
Create a scrapbook

Romantic Relationships

Society places a lot of emphasis on romantic relationships and there is a good reason for that!

We all want to feel loved, appreciated and cared for and having a HEALTHY romantic relationship is one way to do that. Also, sharing the same values and life goals with your partner helps you achieve your goals and reinforces positive habits that benefit your health.

And I would like to reiterate the word HEALTHY again because many studies have shown that being single is MUCH BETTER than being in an unhealthy, unhappy relationship.

This is why it is important that you invest quality time to spend with your partner and provide mutual support towards your goals.

Plan a date night with your partner once a week
Work through the book ‘the 7 Principles for Making a Marriage Work’ by John Gottman with your partner
Spend at least 30 minutes of quality time each evening together
Go on a weekend getaway or a city break with your partner
Check-in with your partner to work towards your shared life goals
Celebrate your partner’s achievements
Create a shared hobby
Go to a couples retreat
Work through a difficult issue in couples therapy
Work on a puzzle or play a game together

Career and Business

Having really clear goals about the direction you want to take your career and business is important because on average we spend at least 35 – 40 hours at work.

You want to make sure that your career goals are fulfilling and enhance your job satisfaction because it is soul-destroying working a job that doesn’t move you forward in any way and drains your energy.

However, I am completely aware that not everyone wants to climb the career ladder, and that’s totally okay, but I think most people want a job that feels satisfying at least.

Attend a workshop or seminar related to your career every quarter
Go to 2 networking events every month
Pick a skill development area to work on each quarter
Take on a new responsibility at work
Plan out your business idea and research its viability
Learn how to demonstrate work-life flow
Invite a coworker out for a coffee catch-up once a month
Learn new software for work
Increase your LinkedIn connections by 20
Do a presentation at work to senior leadership
Develop a personal brand
Mentor a junior colleague
Get a mentor to help you in your career development

Financial Health

Financial health goals include everything to do with money and security e.g. savings, investments, budgeting, debt reduction and financial planning.

Poor financial health can result in terrible life outcomes such as eviction, bankruptcy, poverty and in the worst-case scenario homelessness which is why you NEED to set realistic and achievable goals in this life area.

Taking the time to set 1 or 2 financial goals each quarter will set you up for success and it’s never too late to educate yourself on financial literacy!

Save at least 20% of your income every month
Create a monthly budget to manage your expenses
Set up a monthly habit of reviewing your finances alone or with your partner
Pay off your debt within a certain time period
Speak to a debt advisor
Read a book or sign up for a course about investing
Create a will
Speak to a financial advisor
Review your pension pot
Unsubscribe from unnecessary subscriptions

Physical Environment

‘Tidy home, tidy mind’ couldn’t be more truer. As a lifelong anxious person, I noticed a significant reduction in my overall anxiety when I simplified my home and kept my room tidy.

When you have piles of clothes, paperwork and random items all over the house it is a constant reminder of your never-ending to-do list. Holding on to that information clutters your headspace and uses some of your mental energy before you’ve even had a chance to do the things that you need to do.

This is why you need to dedicate time each week to maintain a clean and tidy physical environment. You can do this by setting up a realistic cleaning and home organisation system or even hiring a cleaner.

Do what you need to do to feel safe, secure and comfortable at home.

Declutter and organise one room of your house each month
Create a schedule for regular home maintenance e.g. clearing the fridge and cleaning the gutters
Redecorate your bedroom so that it is a space for relaxation
Switch appliances to eco-friendly versions
Create a home office space
Build a wardrobe from scratch
Mop your floors once a week
Hire a window cleaner
Watch a YouTube video about fixing a house issue
Organise your cupboards

Fun and Recreation

It’s so easy to get bogged down with the Big Goals™ while completely forgetting the simple fact that life is for living!

Having fun, practising self-care and engaging in hobbies and interests are all necessary activities for a healthy and fulfilling life.

No one wants to live a boring life that feels like one sacrifice after another. TRUST ME because I’ve been there and my mental health took the steepest nose dive known to man. So I can tell you firsthand that it’s not worth stripping fun out of your life.

Go on holiday, dance in the rain and make silly memories with your friends since nothing in life is guaranteed. You can work for 40 years, saving for your retirement, sacrificing fun and family only to get ill and have nothing to show for it.

It reminds me of this Humans Of New York Post I screenshotted many years ago.

Dedicate at least 1 hour a week to a hobby
Plan 1 holiday a year to a new destination
Try to go to 30 countries before you turn 30
Join a sports club to make new friends
Try something completely new to see if you like it
Join a 30-day challenge e.g. self-love challenge
Go to a new restaurant each month
Start a book club
Go on a wine-tasting tour
Build a model project
Go to Disney World
Attend a music festival
Go to an art gallery or local museum

What areas of your life are you going to set goals in?

Now that you know the 8 different life categories you can start setting goals that will move you forward in life.

Take a look through the list of 100 goals and see what jumps out to you. Use these goals as a template but make sure you personalise them and add additional details to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timebound, empowering and reflective.

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