The New Year arrives with a tidal wave of pressure to reinvent ourselves overnight. We make a list of resolutions, which are often just a list of punishments in disguise: Stop eating this. Stop spending that. Stop being lazy.
Is it any wonder they rarely last until February?
This year, let’s ditch the resolutions that make you feel bad and set some real, powerful goals that make you feel unstoppable. A resolution is about restriction. A goal is about expansion. It’s about deciding who you want to become and what you want to build.
Your best life isn’t about fixing what’s broken; it’s about courageously building what you truly desire. If you’re ready to make this year truly transformative, here are 10 goals to inspire you.
1. Goal: Master One “Game-Changing” Skill
Instead of vaguely wanting to “learn something new,” get specific. Choose one skill that, if you became proficient in it, would have a massive positive impact on your life or career.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: Competence is the foundation of confidence. The process of mastering a new skill—whether it’s public speaking, coding, a new language, or financial literacy—builds an unshakable belief in your ability to learn and grow.
First Actionable Step: Choose your skill. In the first week of the new year, sign up for a beginner’s online course or buy the most highly-rated book on the subject.
2. Goal: Build One “Keystone” Health Habit
Instead of a massive “get healthy” overhaul, focus on building one single, foundational habit that creates a positive ripple effect across your entire well-being.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: A keystone habit, like getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep or a 15-minute daily walk, is the domino that knocks down all the others. Better sleep leads to better food choices, more energy for exercise, and a calmer mind.
First Actionable Step: Choose your keystone habit. For the first month of the year, your only health goal is to be consistent with that one thing.
3. Goal: Read 12 “Perspective-Shifting” Books
Commit to reading one book a month. But don’t just read anything; be intentional. Choose books that will challenge your thinking and expand your world.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: You are actively curating your own wisdom. A year of intentional reading will leave you more knowledgeable, empathetic, and interesting than you were 12 months prior.
First Actionable Step: Make a list of the first three books you want to read. Go to your local library or a bookstore in the first week of the year.
4. Goal: Create an “Opportunity” Fund
This isn’t just an emergency fund; it’s a “say yes” fund. The goal is to save a specific amount of money ($1,000, $5,000) that gives you the freedom to say “yes” to an unexpected opportunity—a last-minute trip, a career-changing workshop, or the chance to take a few months off.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: This fund is a direct investment in your own freedom and spontaneity. It transforms your relationship with money from one of fear and scarcity to one of possibility and empowerment.
First Actionable Step: Open a new, separate high-yield savings account. Label it “Opportunity Fund.” Set up an automatic weekly transfer, even if it’s just $20.
5. Goal: Intentionally Nurture Your “Inner Circle”
A fulfilling life is built on deep, meaningful connections. This goal is to move from passive friendship to being an active, intentional nurturer of your most important relationships.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: Strong social connections are a cornerstone of happiness. By consistently investing in your “inner circle,” you build a powerful, loving support system that will sustain you through life’s highs and lows.
Actionable Step: Make a list of your 3-5 most important people. Schedule a recurring monthly or bi-monthly one-on-one call or date with each of them for the first quarter of the year.
6. Goal: Complete a Physical Challenge
Choose a specific physical event to train for and complete. It could be a 5k run, a 25-mile charity bike ride, a long-distance hike, or a Tough Mudder.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: A clear, tangible finish line is an incredible motivator. The process of training for and completing a physical challenge builds discipline, resilience, and a profound sense of your own strength. It proves to you that you can do hard things.
Actionable Step: Find a local race or event that is 3-4 months away. Sign up for it. Now it’s real.
7. Goal: Start a “Passion” Project
Dedicate a few hours each week to a creative project that is 100% for you, with zero pressure for it to be a side hustle or to make money.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: A passion project is a playground for your soul. It’s a dedicated space for you to be creative, to play, and to connect with a part of yourself that is separate from your job title. It’s a powerful source of intrinsic joy.
Actionable Step: What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to create? (A blog, a series of paintings, a podcast, a garden). Schedule a one-hour “Project Time” block into your calendar for next week.
8. Goal: “Date” Yourself Once a Month
Schedule and go on 12 solo dates throughout the year. These are intentional, planned activities you do to get to know and enjoy your own company.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: This practice builds radical self-reliance and a deep comfort with solitude. You learn that you are your own source of fun and fulfillment, which is the foundation of true confidence.
Actionable Step: Plan your January solo date now. It could be a trip to a museum, a solo dinner at the bar of a nice restaurant, or a ticket to a concert.
9. Goal: Perform a “Digital” Deep Clean and Create a System
Don’t just tidy your digital life; transform it. The goal is to perform a major declutter of your files, photos, and social media, and then build a simple system to keep it that way.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: This reduces a massive source of modern-day stress and mental clutter. An organized digital life allows you to find what you need when you need it and protects your focus from the constant noise of a chaotic feed.
Actionable Step: Block out one weekend afternoon in January. Your only mission is to get your computer’s desktop to “zero” and to organize your documents into a few simple folders.
10. Goal: Practice “Radical” Generosity
Commit to one consistent act of giving back that you can maintain for the entire year.
The ‘Best Life’ Payoff: A fulfilling life is almost always one that includes service to others. This goal provides a deep sense of purpose and connection, shifting your focus from your own problems to the well-being of your community.
Actionable Step: Choose your act. It could be setting up a recurring monthly donation to a cause you love or researching and committing to one volunteer shift a month.
Your best life is not going to fall out of the sky. It is a masterpiece that you must consciously and courageously build, one intentional goal at a time.
Choose the one goal from this list that makes your heart beat a little faster. Make it your mission. This is your year.