22 Achievable Goals for 2022

Are you looking forward to 2022? Ready to wave goodbye to 2021 and make your way towards new beginnings and goals?

Going into 2022 isn’t going to totally get rid of the crap that happened in 2021, but you’re much more likely to go into 2022 hopefully and refreshed if you have set intentional and achievable goals for the year ahead.

Goal-setting, for me, is very therapeutic and motivating, so I am very intentional about how I come up with goals. I don’t want them to be so achievable that I don’t feel challenged yet too unrealistic leading to unachievable goals. I focus on making them challenging, yet achievable goals.

 Why is planning goals for 2022 so important?

By establishing goals for a new year, it can help create a sense of directions for what’s to come in the following year. While you don’t necessarily have to wait for a new year to begin change, it can be easy to view a new year as the perfect opportunity for that necessary turning point in your life.

One thing I encourage everyone to do before establishing goals for the new year is to reflect on the prior years goals. If it was a challenging year, reflect on that and try to diagnose when and where things went wrong. What can you do this time around to make this next year better than the last?

That all said, here are 22 achievable goals for 2022.

1.) Reduce Monthly Spend by $X Dollars

Aim to stretch your paycheck further each month. This will positively impact your overall financial health.

Here are some ways to do this:

• Cut down on subscriptions. Determine what subscriptions you can cut out.
• Shop at Aldi’s, or other grocery stores, where you’re able to get more bang for your buck.
• Make your coffee at home instead of hitting the drive through.
• Consciously focus on spending less on groceries each week.

2.) Declutter your Home

This may be a large task, so try focusing on this when you have a day off. Sell items you don’t want or donate to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

3.) Pay off Some Debt

Determine which debt is the smallest, than consciously make efforts to make extra payments if you’re financially able to.

4.) Focus on your Diet

I love to try new diets, and I really focus on eating healthy in-between dieting. I focus on less snacking and not eating after eight, but being consistent about what you put in your body will allow you to finally see progress towards your diet and health goals.

5.) Read More

I had a goal of reading 25 books in 2021, but I didn’t take into consideration life. I was able to read 18 books, but by setting a goal I made time to read which was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of life. In 2022, I have a goal of reading 20 books which is much more feasible. I’ve even started working on creating a list of books I’d like to complete in the coming year.

6.) Spend Less Time on Social

Part of my job requires me to be on social, but I must make a more conscious effort to stay off of it when I’m bored. I need to use that extra time to work towards a goal or spend time with my family and friends. The less time I spend on social, the more time I have to put towards the things and people that matter most.

7.) Learn a New Skill

As a mother to a deaf child, I plan on really working on my sign language skills. Although speech is his primary form of communication, I do want him to know basic sign language. I also want to teach the rest of my family as well because our son is deaf at the end of the day without his devices, so it’s important for all of us to understand sign language.

Thankfully, the internet is a plethora of information. There are also local meet-ups and classes to immerse yourself in a new skill or language.

8.) Spend more time Outside

Focus on spending more time outside. Travel to new areas and explore them with those closest to you. I know my children love being outdoors. They could literally spend hours outside, so one of my main focal points for the coming year is to help them be more outside by going on more outside adventures.

9.) Create an exercise Routine

This seems to be a common resolution year after year. Set a realistic routine, not one where you’re requiring yourself to workout everyday, because that’s hard to stick too. Aim for every other day or 4 days a week.

Decide what you want that routine to look like whether that includes 30 minutes of running or strength training, yoga or stretching. Put it in a planner as a reminder to get active.

10.) Spiritual Growth

Grow closer into your spiritual faith/religion. I’m vowing to pray more often and feel closer to God. I vow to read my Bible more and truly grasp and digest what I’m reading. No matter your religion, you can focus on spiritual growth, meditation or more.

11.) Practice Mindfulness

Focus on taking a few minutes each day for mindfulness and meditation. This will help you feel centered and focused. Fortunately, there are a ton of resources out there including CALM and Headspace.

12.) Learn to Say No

Many of us are people-pleasers and because of this, we have a hard time saying ‘No’. This can lead to stress, overcommitment and more. Focus on saying ‘no’ more. Focus on saying ‘yes’ to the things you truly want to say ‘yes’ too.

13.) Prioritize Happiness

Consciously make efforts to put yourself first. Stop bearing the weight of other’s problems especially when you lack time to take care of yourself first. It doesn’t make you selfish by focusing on yourself. Make more time for the things that make you happy and fills you with joy.

14.) Stop with the Limiting Beliefs

More often than not, our own limiting beliefs are what hold us back. We compare ourselves to others and basically convince ourselves that we’re not “good enough”, “pretty enough” or “smart enough” as examples. Reframe those believes. Recognize your talents and abilities and make baby steps towards what you truly want.

15.) Let Go of the Small Things

Learn to let go of things especially those things that were only an instance in time. If you hold onto these things, they can cripple your future. Leave those things in the past.

16.) Strengthen and Nourish Relationships

Reach out to those friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. Focus on spending more time with those you typically only communicate with virtually. Spend more time with those who make you happy and nourish the friendships worth nourishing.

17.) Stop Impulse Buying

By creating a budget, you’re able to consciously make more of an effort to not impulse buy. Compare deals and use coupons codes to save and plan for big purchases.

18.) Reflect on Each Month

When a month comes to an end, choose to reflect on it each month. What were the highlights? What were the struggles? How did you feel? What can you do differently the next month.

19.) Listen to Inspiring Podcasts

I encourage you to listen to podcasts that will inspire and motivate you. Look at topics such as personal development, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, parenting tips, health and fitness or anything that truly speaks to you.

20.) Work Towards Self-Love

Focus on more positive self-talk. When you catch yourself thinking negatively about yourself, turn it around by talking yourself up! Even if it feels strange or awkward at first, eventually you’ll start believing it. Show yourself some grace and give yourself some time.

21.) Build the Habits to Help you Achieve Goals

Build the habits that will help take you to the next level. I’ve used habit trackers in the past to help me create the habits, so I recommend this. If you’re focusing on a few things each month, track them daily, because you’re much more likely to establish the habit this way making the long-term success of this goal a success.

22.) Show Yourself (and others) some Grace

If there is anything we have learned the past two years, partially because of COVID-19, it’s that we need to show yourself (and others) more grace. It’s been tough and challenging at times, and we need to take that into consideration. When things seem hard or you’re having an off day or maybe even a week, choose to give yourself some grace, get back on track and move forward. Not every goal will go according to plan. Accept that. No one is perfect.