Your 2024 Goals – How To Set And Reach Goals In The New Year

Do you plan on setting 2024 goals for yourself? If you’re like many people around the world, the answer is probably yes. Whether you want to call it a New Year’s resolution or a goal, having goals for yourself can be a great thing. And, the new year is the perfect time to think about…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: December 12, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Do you plan on setting 2024 goals for yourself?

If you’re like many people around the world, the answer is probably yes.

Whether you want to call it a New Year’s resolution or a goal, having goals for yourself can be a great thing. And, the new year is the perfect time to think about what you want your future to be like.

Setting goals for the new year is a long standing tradition. 

However, only about 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s goals each year. And, only 75% of those who are setting resolutions will follow through with them after the first week of the year. 

It’s crazy that 25% of people will stop working towards their resolutions after just the first week! And by June, more than half of the people who set 2024 resolutions will have forgotten about them.

So, why do so many people fail to reach their goals each new year?

There are many reasons for why goals aren’t met, and a lot of it has to do with how you set your goals.

  • Is your goal specific enough?
  • Is your goal achievable?
  • Is your goal realistic?

These factors can have a huge impact on whether or not you are able to reach your goals.

Today, I am going to talk about how to reach your goals this year.

Goals are important in life because they can help you grow, give you motivation, learn new skills, improve yourself, and more.

Articles related to setting 2024 goals ideas:

Here are things to think about when setting 2024 goals.

 

What are some good goals to set for 2024?

First, if you’re feeling stuck but want to set a goal, I want to make some suggestions. Even if you don’t go for anything on this list, you can use these ideas for motivation.

Remember, goals will vary from person to person, as everyone is different.

When people set goals for themselves, they can be big or small.

You may set personal goals for yourself or even goals for work. Whatever you choose, there are so many different types of goals you can set for yourself.

Here are some ideas:

  • Pay off your debt
  • Improve your credit score
  • Travel more
  • Buy a home
  • Focus on your health
  • Learn a new skill
  • Volunteer more
  • Start a side hustle
  • Drink more water
  • Spend less time on social media
  • Be more organized

And more!

How did you do with your last set of goals?

When deciding on your goal for 2024, I think it’s helpful to think about how you did with the last goal or resolution you set for yourself. 

This is important because it may help you realize what you did wrong last time and what you can work on for this year’s goals.

You should think about things such as:

  • Did you reach your last goal?
  • Where did you get stuck with your last goal?
  • What should you focus your attention on in the coming year?
  • What kept you motivated? What made you lose motivation?
  • What could you have done better?

By thinking about your previous goals, you’ll be able to set better goals for yourself in the future.

 

Are your 2024 goals SMART?

When setting your goal, you should make sure they are SMART. This means:

  • Specific – What is your resolution? Is it specific enough or is it too broad? What needs to be done to achieve it? Why do you want to reach it?
  • Measurable – How can you measure your progress? How will you know if you’re on track?
  • Attainable – Can your 2024 goal setting actually be achieved?
  • Realistic/relevant – Can you achieve your goal? Is the resolution worth it?
  • Time – What’s your time frame for reaching your goal?

This is important to remember when setting 2024 goals because a SMART goal is one that you have spent a lot of time thinking about. 

 

Can you visualize your goals?

Have you ever stopped to think about exactly what your goal looks like?

What will it be like once you actually reach it?

Visualizing your goal for 2024 is a fun step, and it’s one that will help keep you motivated.

And when I say visualize, I mean to actually put your goal on paper.

When you physically print or write down your goals, you are more likely to commit them to memory. You should write down each of your resolutions and why they are important to you. 

For me, if I don’t write something down or have it in front of me on a regular basis, I tend to forget about it. And, this definitely goes for goals too.

If you can’t remember your resolutions, it would be very hard to achieve them. 

Here are some ways to visualize your goals:

  • Keep a journal 
  • Create a blog to talk about your goal
  • Build a vision board (this can be a fun crafty project)
  • Place post-its around your home that talk about your annual resolutions
  • Set reminders on your phone, calendar, or whatever else you use for your to-do list
  • Keep a picture handy of what your goal is and what it means to you

 

Can you break your resolutions apart into smaller ones?

Sometimes, one huge goal can seem crazy difficult to reach. 

This is why breaking your goal apart into smaller ones can make it seem more achievable. 

As you are setting your 2024 goals, it can be really easy to think that you have an entire year to work on them. This might cause you to forget about them in the first place or become overwhelmed with the work it takes. You may push it off thinking that you have a lot of time to worry about it later.

One way to approach your 2024 resolutions is to think of them as 12 separate resolutions that relate to an overall goal, one for each month of the year. Basically, each month you would complete a step that would get you closer to achieving your overall resolutions.

For example, if your resolution is to start a successful blog, your monthly resolutions may look like this:

  • January – Think of a blog idea and a name, brainstorm post ideas, and start your blog
  • February – Start writing blog posts and create an editorial calendar
  • March – Research ways to monetize your blog, like learning about sponsored posts
  • April – Take a blogging course
  • May – Reach X number of page views
  • June – Attend a blogging conference
  • July – Guest post on 5 websites
  • August – Grow your email list to X subscribers
  • September – Build an emergency fund for X months
  • October – Reach X in blogging income
  • November – Grow a social media account to X
  • December – Reach full-time blogger status

Related: The 10 Steps To A Successful Blog

 

Are you able to track your progress?

To stay motivated with your resolutions and to see them through, you should review your progress regularly. You may want to check in daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on what type of 2024 goals you set and what works for you.

This is why writing down your resolutions or breaking them into smaller parts is an important part of setting 2024 goals. You can check in and see where you are at, and it helps if you make notes of your progress as you go. 

Keeping track of your 2024 goals will tell you what still needs to be done to reach them, and if you are behind, it’s easier to see what you might need to change. Finding a 2024 goals planner is a great idea!

Changing your resolutions isn’t giving up on them either. It’s making sure that they are working for you.

Related: If you are setting 2024 goals that are related to your finances, then I highly recommend that you check out Personal Capital (a free service). 

 

Can you find small ways to stick to your 2024 resolutions?

Many will fall off track when it comes to setting 2024 goals because the steps it takes to achieve them just feel too big. This may cause you to ignore your resolutions, become overwhelmed, feel like you’re being lazy, lose confidence, and so on.

Unfortunately, all it takes is falling behind on one small part of your resolution to spiral out of control and completely fall off track.

To make big resolutions more achievable, think about small things you can do on a daily basis that will help you reach your goals. 

Remember, even small steps in the right direction can lead to successful goals.

Here are some examples of resolutions and how smaller steps can keep you on track:

  • If you are trying to focus on your health, start by setting smaller healthy goals like eating one healthy meal a day.
  • If your resolution is to start working out more, start with much shorter workout sessions. You can go for a 20 minute walk, a bike ride, or do strength training while you are cooking a meal, watching TV, getting ready, etc.
  • If your resolutions are related to your finances, you can start by automating as much as possible.

When you take small steps like this, you will find that your goals are less overwhelming and much easier to achieve. 

 

Can you make your goal a part of your daily routine?

Making your goal a part of your daily routine can increase the likelihood of you reaching your goal.

This is because your goal becomes a regular habit, and habits are hard for most people to break.

If your resolution is to start saving for retirement, then set a reminder on your phone that tells you to make a weekly contribution to your retirement fund. If you want to start exercising more, create a habit of going for more hikes or working out before you go to work.

Small actions repeated over time become habits, and you can build on them more and more until you achieve your goals.

 

Do you know anyone else who has a similar 2024 goal?

Perhaps you know someone else who has a goal that’s similar to yours.

If that’s the case, then use that to your advantage.

One great way to stay on track with your resolutions is to turn them into a friendly competition between you and a friend, co-worker, or family member.

Think of it as having an accountability partner, which can make things more fun and even easier.

It can be easier because you won’t be working on your resolutions alone. Instead, you will have a person there who is going through the same thing. You can encourage each other to succeed, talk about why you’re struggling, and more.

When you start setting your 2024 resolutions, think about who else in your life might also be trying to work towards the same things. This can be someone you know in real life, or they can even be a stranger, such as someone you met online who has a similar goal in mind.

 

How to set goals in life.

When setting work or personal goals for 2024, remember to not be too hard on yourself.

Many people who set goals, even those who follow through with them for the entire year, will occasionally slip up. If this happens, don’t beat yourself up. 

Also, remember to reward yourself when you reach your mini goals and your overall goal.

I know some of you might be thinking that succeeding with a resolution should be enough of a reward, and while that is true, it might be helpful to think of other ways to reward yourself.

Everyone loves a reward, and rewards might give you just a little more motivation to work towards your goals. You can even write your reward next to your resolution, put it on your vision board, etc.

I hope you succeed in reaching your 2024 goals. Remember to have fun with them as well!

What are your 2024 goals? What’s your action plan for setting goals for 2024?


Filed under:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

Like this article?

Join the Conversation

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. I hope 2021 is great for you Janet!

  2. Travel more–going to see that on a lot of 2021 goals! I try to make incremental changes to my habits over time because I really have a difficult time sticking to a new goal. I’m going to revisit this list for sure.

  3. To be honest, I actually started on my New Year’s goals before the end of this year. I made a commitment on my birthday that I would do another weight loss transformation and focus more on side hustle entrepreneurship. It wasn’t easy in the beginning because I had a lot of headaches lost sleep and gained lots of weight. But I had to recommit myself to getting healthy again and consistent in my entrepreneurial endeavors. So far so good. 🙂

  4. Hello Michelle, thanks for sharing an instructive post. SMART goals are possibly the most effective way of focusing attention and making things happen in your business. This article carries an informative content. And you also represented it very impressively.

  5. Erick Zinyard

    Fantastic read! Very inspiring. I think it’s a fab idea to have goals etc and your blog is a fantastic read.