Do you want to improve your life but don’t know where to start?
If you want to change something in your life, it’s essential to start by setting goals.
By setting goals, you are encouraged to respect what you have set for yourself and you want to achieve your goals at all costs.
But these goals need to be small and realistic if you want to have permanent improvements.
In this post, I’m going to list 30 monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement that will make a difference at the end of the month.
But first, let’s look at why you should set monthly goals for self-improvement.
The importance of setting monthly goals
Think of the yearly goal like an entire anatomy book.
You know that book will open up new knowledge for you and you will learn a lot, but without dividing the pages and knowing how much to study per day, you will only be demotivated and you will not be able to complete the study.
The monthly goals are exactly the pages you have to divide to study little by little.
Monthly goal setting is the way to achieve more.
You must surely be wondering, aren’t the goals that you set yourself for the whole year already enough?
The answer is no. Yearly goals are important but they give you a broad view of what you would like to achieve in that year and it will be very difficult to work on it if you don’t have precise steps to follow.
This is where monthly goals come in. Let’s see what are the benefits of setting monthly goals.
It helps make your yearly goals achievable
The problem with yearly goals is that they are obviously big goals and can seem overwhelming when it’s time to work on them, with the risk of not knowing where to start.
For this, it is important to break them down by creating an action plan.
By setting monthly goals, you will be able to approach your yearly goal more easily and with less stress.
For example, if your big goal is to run 10k miles, you should break them into small monthly goals. This could be trying to run 1km the first month and 2km the second month and so on.
As you have noticed, by breaking down your big goal into actionable small steps, everything seems more doable and more organized.
It encourages you to explore and try new things
Monthly goals inspire you to try things you’ve only thought about doing but never had the courage to put into action.
For example, getting your nails long, dyeing your hair a flashy color, or even enrolling in a dance class for a month just to try.
In the end, you try many things and you never know that you might like an activity that you thought was not for you!
It reminds you of the priority for that month
What’s better than focusing on one goal at a time that can allow you to reap the full benefit of it?
Monthly goals have this powerful benefit.
For example, if you have a plan of reading an entire book for one month, then you know that you need to focus on this one before moving on to the next one.
You tend to concentrate on a precise task that slowly brings you closer to the final goal.
It motivates you to do better
How many of us have ever felt so good once we managed to complete a goal we set for ourselves?
Personally, once a goal is achieved I set another goal with the intention of improving even more.
And that’s exactly what monthly goals are for, to do better.
It helps you improve your habits in the long run
Did you know that introducing one new habit at a time helps you form positive and permanent habits that you won’t leave easily?
Unlike yearly goals, where you set big goals and you will only be motivated in the beginning, monthly goals have the power to form good achievable habits that you will be able to stick to in the long run.
Let’s take an example. If for this month you’ve decided to start drinking 2 liters of water a day, it’s very likely that at the end of the month, you won’t go back to your old habits, on the contrary, it will become natural for you.
It helps you track your progress
Monthly goals are a great way to track the progress that you’ve set yourself.
Whoever writes the monthly goals finds it easier for them to progress or get back on track if they fail to stick to the plan, compared to someone who doesn’t write them.
For example, if your yearly goal is to lose a few kilos, the monthly goals help you understand if you’re working properly and if you’re on the right track or not.
How to set monthly goals
When it comes to setting monthly goals, there are a few things to do if you want to make them successful.
Decide what are your yearly goals
Before deciding what your monthly goals are going to be, it’s important to first know what goals you would like to set for the year.
It is useless to write monthly goals if you don’t know exactly what you would like to achieve and how soon you would like to achieve them.
In fact, without yearly goals, you will never be able to develop your monthly goals and work on them.
So ask yourself what your resolutions for the year are and start from there.
Set clear and achievable goals
After deciding what your yearly goals will be, it’s time to break the yearly goals into monthly goals.
But be careful here. If you really want to reach your main goal, it’s important that you set goals that are clear but above all achievable, to avoid demotivation and giving up.
Take action
Now that you’ve written down your goals for the month, all you have to do is take action.
This is the hardest part when writing goals
If you are not motivated enough to achieve it or write goals that are impossible to achieve in one month, chances are that you will never be able to complete your goals.
This is why it is important that you set yourself goals that are achievable and that you are motivated for your goals.
If you have these two things, the road will be more comfortable and if you have divided your goals into steps, it will be much easier for you to follow them and reach your goals faster.
Track your progress
Last but not least, track your progress as you go along.
By tracking everything, you’ll be able to experiment with what works best for you and make adjustments to what doesn’t seem to work well.
You need this to know how you set your goals for the next few months.
Monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement
If you are motivated to improve yourself, below you will find 30 monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement that you can start right away.
You can choose as many goals as you want, as long as they are achievable.
I advise you to start with 2 or 3 goals per month or even just 1. The important thing is that you make progress and stick to your new habits.
1) Stay off social media
This is definitely the most challenging goal any person can set for themselves.
As much as social media can keep you connected with loved ones, it is also true that it is one of the things that can make you mentally ill and stress you out even more.
Taking a break from social media can be a way to connect with the real world, take time for yourself, and focus on building yourself as a person.
Currently, on a break from Instagram for 6 months, I feel much better and I can focus on more important things.
2) Do something good for others
It may seem obvious, but doing good to others is never an easy thing if it doesn’t come from the heart.
Even just a compliment, a smile, or a hand in difficult moments is enough. Not only will you help a person, but you will also be good for yourself.
3) Start volunteering
If you’ve never tried it in your life, now is the right time.
Volunteering opens up new points of view, makes you a more mature person and you learn a lot.
There are loads of volunteer opportunities, just search for the one that interests you the most.
If you are an animal lover, you can decide to volunteer at the kennel, if you love children, you can offer yourself as a playmate in a hospital, if you love cooking you could feed the homeless. The choice is huge!
4) Spend a good amount of your time with your family
Maybe this might seem like a natural thing, but I know people who don’t spend enough time with their families due to their busy schedules.
Reserving time to dedicate to your loved ones is important if you want to lead a happy life and they are moments that you will cherish in your heart and that will never come back.
This is why it is one of the most important goals to write on your list for the month.
5) Use a physical planner to schedule your activities
For those who are not used to using a planner for the organization of the month, I would wholeheartedly advise you to start doing so.
I’ve stayed the old-fashioned way, for most things I prefer using pen and paper instead of digital apps.
If we talk about organization, the planner must absolutely not be missing. Keeping yourself organized and scheduling your activities according to your busy schedule is a must if you want to improve yourself and have everything under your eyes.
I’ve written a post about 13 things to do at the start of a new month to help you stay organized.
6) Make your bed every day
Another interesting goal to set is to make the bed every morning.
Making the bed early in the morning and without leaving it unmade helps you stay organized and tidy, and it’s also a good habit if you want to become a morning person, as there’s no longer the temptation to throw yourself back into bed.
7) Use affirmations
Affirmations are all that series of aphorisms, short thoughts, quotes, and pills which, due to the way they are structured, are capable of motivating by inviting and pushing you to change, improve and believe in yourself.
You can use them in the morning as soon as you wake up, or at the end of the day, before going to bed and recharging for the next day.
8) Watch a documentary
I know that for many, documentaries may seem boring, but they are also so full of information and knowledge.
A documentary a month is more than doable and furthermore, your cultural baggage grows more and more month after month, with new knowledge.
You can choose documentaries about medicine, the genesis of the world, the history of different cultures, and much more.
9) Walk 10k steps a day for a month
10k steps a day is the right step that every person should take a day to stay healthy.
They are neither many nor few, but they are perfect for keeping you fit, especially if you don’t play sports or practice any other activity. My advice is to find something you like anyway and practice it together with the walk.
10) Start journaling
If you haven’t already started doing it, start it! Journaling is a form of self-care that is very important to your mind.
With journaling, you get to jot down all your thoughts and emotions, understand how you feel, how you spent your day if your day was good or bad, and much more.
11) Focus on your dream
One of the monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement that cannot be missed is to focus on your dream.
If your dream is to become a doctor, an entrepreneur, or a cook, always keep in mind the reason why you want to do it and do everything to get closer to your final goal day after day, eliminating all distractions that stop you from your path.
12) Read a book in a month
To improve yourself it is also useful to read a lot! Books are wisdom and can open up whole worlds you didn’t know before.
A book a month is an achievable goal, even for those who wouldn’t believe it. Get into the habit of reading a few pages a day every day, with a cup of tea, and you’ll finish the book in no time.
13) Start saving up or investing
Any month is a good month to start investing or start saving money.
Keep track of all your income and expenses with a notebook and save where you can.
14) Don’t procrastinate
This is definitely one of the hardest, at least for me.
Try not to procrastinate for a month, and get your task done for an entire month.
After this month, you will no longer have the habit of putting things off, on the contrary, you will be more organized and motivated and you will know how to be productive.
You can simply follow these 11 tips to increase your productivity and beat procrastination.
15) Listen to educational podcasts
Listen to educational podcasts whenever you can.
They are so packed with information, you get to stay updated with the latest news and learn more about what really interests you and there are so many to choose from.
Just choose one whose topic you like and would like to know more about and everything will be more fun.
16) Create a morning routine and stick to it
One of my monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement is to create a morning routine that can be productive, relaxing, and motivating.
You can use the start of a new month and try waking up early and sticking to a routine. To start the day right, you have to start right in your mornings.
Becoming a morning person brings so many benefits, but if you want to have a perfect morning, you should also avoid some morning habits that can ruin your day.
17) Declutter your social media
To better yourself, it’s essential that you also clean up your social media.
This doesn’t mean closing it or not using it, but it means unfollowing accounts that don’t share your same ideals, eliminating toxic and negative people, and unfollowing accounts that don’t help your personal growth.
Trust me when I tell you that by not having these things in front of your eyes, you will immediately feel better about yourself.
18) Step out of your comfort zone
This is definitely a big goal for those who are not used to experimenting with new things, and for those who are afraid of uncertainty and how things can change.
But to improve yourself, it’s important to try everything, even what seems inconvenient. You never know what it could lead to.
A negative experience can teach you so much, a positive one could change your life forever, so get out of your comfort zone and try everything.
So why not set yourself this monthly goal?
19) Try meal prepping
Meal prep is a way to save money and save time.
Meal prep consists of deciding what to eat during the week and buying only what is needed to prepare those foods.
So you don’t buy things you don’t need and you don’t arrive at mealtime not knowing what to cook.
20) Eat breakfast every morning
Breakfast is super important when it comes to starting a day full of energy. Yet not everyone does it, either due to lack of time or because one is not used to it.
The body needs food after hours of fasting, and to make it work well, we must give it all the nutrients.
This is also part of self-care, so take the time to prepare yourself a healthy and filling breakfast.
21) Donate unnecessary items
If you no longer need some clothes, instead of throwing them away, donate them to a charity. Many people don’t have clothing to wear, so you’re doing a wonderful thing.
If you no longer need items, books, or furniture, donate them to a friend or someone you know who needs them.
22) Choose a new topic to learn about
A new month gives you the motivation to do something new, like learning a new subject, a new language, or a new instrument.
Take advantage of a month to dedicate yourself to a new topic to learn and improve yourself.
23) Complete a 30-day challenge
This is definitely one of the funniest monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement.
Deciding which challenge to take for a month can be fun but at the same time, you get to reflect on what is most important to you right now.
Whether you want to improve your body with a month of squat challenges or become a morning person by always waking up at a specific time, starting a 30-day challenge will be challenging and fun.
24) Start a new productive habit every week
Starting a productive habit every week will definitely make you a more productive person.
You could start by following these 11 tips to increase your productivity and beat procrastination.
25) Exercise 3 times a week
One of the monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement concerns practicing physical activity to always stay fit.
Practicing physical activity at least 3 times a week is an easy way to keep yourself fit and healthy.
You can choose what you like best. For example, I love to dance, so I practice that and I feel good about myself, so choose one that makes you enjoy yourself.
26) Try a new side hustle for 30 days
Have you ever wanted to earn a little extra to save for a trip or to quit your job?
One goal would be to try to initiate a side hustle.
If you like writing, you could start a blog, if you are more creative, you could create digital products such as templates or Printables to sell.
Find your passion and turn it into a profitable business!
27) Go to bed 1 hour earlier
Plan to go to bed 1 hour early.
The benefits of not going to sleep late are many, including better rest and a more productive and energizing morning.
For tips, you could read these 10 things you should do every night before bed for a productive morning.
28) Don’t check your phone in the morning
For a month, try not to use your cell phone early in the morning when you wake up.
Instead of using it, spend your time on more productive things and dedicate yourself to your self-care and mental health and avoid toxic morning habits that can ruin your day.
29) Read for 30 minutes every day
If you want to improve yourself, it goes without saying that dedicating at least 30 minutes to reading is a must.
By reading you learn new things, have a more open mind, increase your creativity, improve your level of attention and concentration, reduce stress, and train your memory.
In fact, if you’ve noticed, all successful people include reading in their day.
30) Give up a bad habit for 30 days
Give up a bad habit for 30 days and you’ll see that after 30 days, you’ll struggle to get back into the bad habit.
For example, if you have the habit of buying things you don’t need, for a month try to organize yourself and make a list of the things you really need.
You can read more about the 20 toxic habits to quit immediately for a blissful life, and see which bad habits you practice and that you want to get rid of.
Conclusion
That’s all.
If you want to challenge yourself and improve yourself, all you have to do is try these 30 monthly goal ideas to set for self-improvement.
Remember to always be kind to yourself if you fail to complete a goal, and to try again.
This is why I advise you to choose a maximum of 2 or 3 goals to be able to concentrate only on these and make the most of your month.
With love,
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