Even if you have a wonderful family and a dream job, setting long-term goals can be a powerful tool for growing in every facet of your life. Whether you want to visit the moon or simply become a master of baking cookies, you have so many potential long-term goals. The hard part is getting started or even having an idea of where to start.
Long-Term Career Goals
Gone are the days of sticking with one career your entire life. Technology, globalization, and increased connectivity mean you’re just a click or two away from gaining new career skills. Some long-term goals for improving your career might include:
- Aiming to meet five new people in your field every year
- Creating a plan to start a business of your own
- Encouraging others as a mentor
- Reaching a leadership position
- Leading a training program or seminar in your field of expertise
- Asking for a promotion or raise
- Helping to grow your company to X size
- Transitioning to a remote environment
- Retiring early
Long-Term Education Goals
Contrary to popular belief, you can teach a dog new tricks. It’s simply never too late to learn something new, whether that’s on your own time or with an official education program. Some long-term education goals can include:
- Obtaining a college diploma
- Going to graduate school
- Getting a certificate in a relevant skill or field
- Fully mastering a different language
- Learning to code
- Becoming well-rounded as a student
Long-Term Financial Goal Examples
A lot of people have the basic goal of “saving money,” but that lacks specificity or intent. What are you going to do with all those savings? Some examples of long-term financial goals include:
- Paying off all your student loans
- Paying off your car
- Setting up a detailed plan to save X amount of money by the time you retire
- Aiming to keep your credit score above 700
- Purchasing your first home
- Building a college fund for your kids
- Saving for a vacation to a foreign country
- Saving for a year-long road trip across the United States
Long-Term Health Goal Examples
Health is wealth, and the good news is that it’s never too late to build toward good long-term health. That can mean different things for different people, whether that’s building up your strength to lift your own body weight or getting thighs as thick as tree trunks. Some long-term health goals to keep in mind include:
- Finding a regular exercise routine that works for you
- Entering and training for a marathon
- Eating three balanced meals every day
- Committing to sleeping at least eight hours every night
- Scheduling routine health checkups, including physicals, dental visits, and eye exams
- Looking into options for mental health therapy or counseling
Long-Term Personal Goals
Of course, personal improvement exists outside of your finances, career and health. Setting personal goals is essential to exploring all the amazing things this life has to offer, and those goals can include:
- Expanding your worldview
- Practicing mindfulness
- Getting recognized for your art
- Becoming more emotionally intelligent
- Caring less about others’ opinions
- Being a better parent (or spouse)
- Volunteering with an organization or cause that you care about
- Making a difference as an activist
- Visiting every major national park in the U.S.
- Getting married and starting a family
- Learning more about your family and making time to visit relatives
- Visiting your faraway friends as often as possible
- Creating a legacy that you’re proud of