55 Good Monthly Goal Ideas For 2023

ByEric Owens Updated:

Monthly goals can be a great way to bring about the change you want in 2023. If you have something you’re working on each day of the month, by the end of that time, you’ll have made a lot of progress.

30 (or 28, 29, and 31) day objectives are nothing new. In the mid-2000’s, Morgan Spurlock popularized the idea of the 30 day challenge in the movie Super Size Me.  He ate McDonald’s for 30 days and showed the negative effects it can have on the body.

Other popular monthly objectives include the The Whole30 challenge, The 30 day minimalism game, and Matt D’Avellas 30 day experiments. It’s the small steps taken each day that slowly builds up the success you want. Very Well Mind wrote an article with research proving that setting goals for a month can help establish better habits.

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. – John C. Maxwell

Whether it’s John C. Maxwell or Tony Robbins, all the great motivational speakers believe in the idea of consistent effort to get what you want in life.

One particular concept that really resonated with me in life was the idea of systems. Scott Adams argues that practicing something regularly is better than focusing on one specific goal to achieve.

An example he gives is instead of setting a goal of losing ten pounds, learn to eat right every day. The more you know how to eat better, the more likely you’ll lose the weight you desire.

Another example Adams provided is instead of setting a goal to exercise three to four times a week, choose to be active every day. Continuous physical activity eventually leads you to the weight loss you want.

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How do you write monthly goals?

The SMART goal formula may be the best way to write your monthly goals. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound. For our purposes, let’s just focus on the specific and measurable aspects of this formula.

Specific monthly goals

Decide specifically what you want to achieve and set that as your clear goal. Examples of goals include:

Some will argue that these goals are too vague, but let’s think about this a little bit. Say you set a goal to lose x amount of weight by the end of the month. You get to the end of the month and you don’t lose that amount.

How will that make you feel? You not only spent the whole month failing at that goal every time you checked the scale, but then once you reached that moment you expected the success, you still failed.

It’s better to just set an objective that allows you to keep getting better every day. While the idea here is for you to do your goals for the month, hopefully you’ll be continuing to do them beyond that point and continue making progress.

Related: How To Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions in 2021

Measurable monthly goals

Make sure you have a way to track that you’re improving. Going back to the weight loss example, if you step on the scale and consistently see the number going down, you’re doing something right.

If you’re goal is to declutter your home, you can measure your success by observing how much clearer your space is appearing each day. The point is to keep seeing something get better or to keep feeling like you’re improving. That progress will motivate you to keep working hard at achieving the outcome you want.

Use psychological tricks to act on your goals

Another technique I learned from Scott Adams is to use psychology to influence your behavior. In order to help himself stay active every day; he would always put on his workout shoes.

It was a way to kind of condition himself into working out. He established the association in his mind that putting on his workout shoes meant he had to work out. It was hard for him not to do it every time.

It’s like the Pavlov experiment. Every time Pavlov rang the bell, the dogs in his experiment would start salivating. It happened because over time, he created the association in their minds that when they hear the bell, that means it’s time to salivate.

Acting on a goal is not merely just a choice of doing something or not doing something. Our habits have been created through years of conditioning ourselves to do something in certain moments.

In addition to conditioning, you can also choose to associate something positive with your new goal by giving yourself rewards for doing it.

After every time you choose to work on your goal for the month, give yourself a reward. James Clear does a good job of going into the science behind this, but it basically influences you to keep up the new habit.

Write your monthly goals for the month down

I’ve mentioned this in previous articles, but when you write your goals down, it makes you more likely to accomplish them. You can get a journal or a piece of paper, and just write down what you plan to do everyday to achieve your success. While some may recommend telling your family or friends your goals for support, some research shows you’re more likely to succeed if you don’t tell anyone.

How many goals should I set for a month?

The amount of goals you set for the month is entirely up to you. You could focus on one thing that really matters to you or focus on a variety of objectives you want to achieve.

As long as you don’t set too many for you to keep up with, you’ll have a good chance of making things work out. At the same time, don’t sell yourself short. There’s a lot you can achieve in a month.

List of monthly objectives

Similar to my article on personal goals examples, I’ll break down each of these ideas into different areas of life. I’ll also provide resources that can help you accomplish each of the ones you want to achieve.

Monthly goals for fitness

  • Do cardio workouts – Among the top benefits of doing cardio workouts include increased stamina and boosted mood. Starting a regular cardio routine can help make you feel your best.
  • Do strength exercises – Doing regular strength exercises can be good for things such as your mobility and athletic performance. Here’s a good article on how to improve your strength and flexibility.
  • Stretch daily – Stretching can be helpful for your posture and also managing your mental well-being.
  • Walk more – This form of cardio is pretty easy to start doing. All you have to do is get up and start walking somewhere.
  • Gain weight – Be sure to consult with your physician about how to properly gain weight.
  • Lose weight – Be sure to consult with your physician about how to properly lose weight.
  • Practice yoga – Many people have found yoga to be a relaxing activity. If you plan on trying it, it’d be good idea to have someone guiding you so you don’t injure yourself.
  • Practice weightlifting – When I got into weight lifting consistently, I found it helped to increase my confidence.
  • Be less sedentary – A sedentary lifestyle is something we all struggle with these days. Check out this article on 5 ways to spend less time sitting down.

Monthly goals for your finances

  • Lower your debt – Through proper planning, you can get your debt lowered and feel less financially burdened.
  • Save money – With extra cash saved up, you can use it to spend on something you really want, such as a new car or house.
  • Lower your bills – Some bills we pay can be lowered through being more conscious of our choices.
  • Track your expenses – Keeping track of your expenses can help you make sure you’re not spending too much.
  • Grow your emergency fund – It’s good idea to make sure you have enough saved up if you’re unable to work at any point.
  • Cut your expenses – Wherever you feel you’re making unnecessary purchases, try to cut it out of your budget or find a cheaper alternative.
  • Learn about investing in stocks – Learning about investing can help you make better choices when choosing a stock.
  • Eat out less – Eating out can add up over time. If you choose to cook more, you might be surprised how you’ll be able to save.

Monthly personal goals

Monthly goals for wellness

Monthly work goals

  • Develop your leadership skills – Learning how to be a better leader can potentially open you up to more opportunities. It could also help you get the most productivity out of the group you’re leading.
  • Expand your network – Good networking allows you to come across people who can introduce you to someone who could help you in your career.
  • Become a better coworker – Being a good co-worker can make it more likely they’ll help you out when you need it.
  • Achieve better work-life balance – Too much working can add too much stress in your life. Do your best to make sure you have time to enjoy your relationships and your favorite activities.
  • Improve your resume – Improving your resume will help you stand out more to potential employers.
  • Improve your Linkedin profile – Similar to improving your resume, improving your Linkedin profile could also help you get more noticed by potential employers.
  • Develop your interview skills – Knowing more how to impress in your interview can make it more likely you’ll get hired.
  • Apply for new jobs – Even if you’re not necessarily looking for a new job, applying for different ones can give you the chance to practice your interview skills.
  • Increase your productivity – Especially if you’re working from home, increasing your productivity can allow you to get through your work sooner and enjoy more free time.

Monthly student goals

  • Do your homework early – Finishing school work early can help save you from stressful all-nighters. It also allows you to have more down time to relax.
  • Practice good study habits -Good study habits can give you a better chance of doing well on your tests. Try to study the material in your classes consistently and make time to do practice work.
  • Develop your note-taking skills – Taking good notes means you’ll have the right material you need to know to do well in your classes.
  • Find your learning style – Some people are visual learners, while other people may be auditory or kinesthetic learners. Knowing what style works best for you can help you to learn the material for your classes better.
  • Do extracurricular activities – Participating in extracurricular activities can be good experience to highlight when applying for colleges or jobs.

Monthly couple goals

Inspirational video on monthly goals

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