There’s a pretty good chance that right now, the spirit of the new year is upon you; you’re feeling good and trying to squeeze the best out of the coming 12 months.

And, naturally, we support you.

But, having the ginger doesn’t mean you know exactly what you want or how to do it; one of the reasons many fail to achieve their goals (no matter how many “Positive thoughts only” they put on their WhatsApp statuses) is that the goals they set aren’t theirs.

It is easy to set goals based on convictions and expectations that aren’t your own, but the problem shows up in the long term, as you try to keep up with goals that aren’t from the core of who you are.

Sounds very deep and all, but you should go and read our goal-setting guide for 2024 (if you haven’t) for the full scoop.

We will wait

Now that you’re back, and you know how to set goals that matter to you, let’s get into some goals you can set for yourself in 2024.

We’re going to dive into four areas we think might interest you, gentle reader; Relationships, Professional growth, Self-care, and Health and Fitness. Under each segment, we’ll give tips and examples on how to clearly define, measure and achieve goals within each area (it’s no secret we’re close padis with the SMART system).

Then, we’ll leave you with our beloved index with resources (products, businesses, services and even people) we think will help you achieve your dreams in 2024 – and beyond.

Of course, these examples are not to be followed to the T, but we hope they at least inspire you to set actionable goals that you can work towards achieving.

So, feel free to scroll down to whichever part interests you the most, or read through the article entirely.

Relationships

(Just kidding, just kidding)

What is life really, without relationships? And by relationships, we don’t mean just romantic ones, we mean friendships and all the other ships you can think of too.

Adulting comes with many advantages (debatable), but many setbacks as well; your time is spent running around both figuratively and literally to shoulder responsibilities and wear all your caps. While this is key, it also means that relationships take a backseat for many.

After a long day at work, maybe going out for drinks with friends isn’t what you need. When your phone rang that time, you shot a hasty “In a meeting, I’ll call you back” text to your friend, but you never did, did you?

Improving and maintaining your relationships isn’t always going to be easy, because, like most other things, it does take effort from both parties.

How can you be better, you ask?

Well, first of all, thank you very much for this question, now let’s get into some examples that you can use;

Sample goal #1

I want to see my best friends every quarter of 2024

This goal is Specific because it explains clearly what you want, it’s Measurable because the number of times you see your friends can be counted, it’s Achievable because (maybe) your friends live a couple of towns away, and you only have to embark on a small road trip to get to them (or, if you’re balling, you could plan a whole get away with Wakanow), it’s Relevant because its something that matters to you and (maybe) you’ve been a poor friend in the last year, and its Time-bound because you have a “deadline” of sorts for these meetings or trips.

Sample goal #2

Get in a romantic relationship by year’s end.

Now, while getting into a relationship is somewhat more open-ended than some other goals (no one can guarantee that you’ll get into a relationship – sorry), it is something that can defined and worked towards, like so;

Go on at least one date every month (or two weeks – whatever works for you, really).

Whether you’re meeting people on dating apps like Bumble, Vybe or Afro Introductions, or you’re hitting it off with people organically, going on regular dates is a way to significantly up your chances at love.

The revised goal is Specific because it outlines that you’ll be going on regular dates, it’s Measurable because those dates can be counted, it’s Achievable because you’re putting yourself out there via dating apps and word of mouth, it’s Relevant because you too you want to do “I married my best friend” some day, and its Time-bound because it’s monthly or weekly (or maybe even quarterly) till year-end.

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Professional Growth

Whether you’re a fresh graduate or an oil magnate, professional growth is always a welcome, but sometimes difficult thing to facilitate.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 33% and rising – so if you have a good job, hold am tight o.

To remain relevant in today’s job market, you have to stay on your toes, which is why growth in your career is important.

People go about professional growth in different ways, as it’s sometimes unique to career paths or even personality types, so, what works for Aki may not work for Pawpaw.

But here are some (mostly) generalisable examples;

Sample goal #1

I am going to take three professional (or not) courses relevant to my career this year.

This is a straightforward enough goal; it’s Specific because it notes the number and the type of courses you want to take, it’s Measurable because you can count your progress, it’s Achievable because (for example) you’re going to take a Jobberman soft skills course and you’ll dedicate four hours a week to work on it, it’s Relevant because they tie back to your career and you’re interested in career growth, and it’s Time-bound because you must finish all three courses by the end of 2024.

Sample goal #2

Network with more people this year.

We know, we know, no one likes a boot licker, but networking is a way of fostering relationships within your field that can pull you up when you need it.

According to this Jobberman article; “No one can achieve success alone. People are considered resources for a reason and are usually determinants of success or failure. This is why it is important to know how to get the best from your relationships, especially the ones in the workplace.”

If this is one of your goals, a better (but not the only) way to set it is,

I want to expand my network, so I’ll go to at least 5 professional/networking events in 2024

This goal, unlike the previous one, is Specific as it outlines exactly what you want to do – expand your network, and how you’ll do it – by attending 5 events. It’s Measurable because of the number of events attended (or, you could measure it by how many useful connections you forge by the end of the year, it’s up to you), it’s Achievable because (maybe) your field is social and there are naturally lots of events happening yearly, or because you plan to post on LinkedIn and Twitter that you’re open to attending these kinds of events – again, up to you. It’s Relevant because maybe you want to start your own business someday, or you want a promotion, and it’s Time-bound because of the end-of-year cap.

See how many ways you can tweak these goals to suit you (or even make new ones)?

You’ve got the power.

Self-Care

According to Zikoko, Nigeria is seriously playing tinko-tinko with your mental health.

And they couldn’t be more right.

Yet another side effect of adulting is not having time for yourself (maybe we need to come together and abolish adulting, hmm…).

In America, only 30% of people set aside time for self-care, now imagine what that figure will be in Nigeria.

Yeah, not pretty.

According to Psychreg, taking care of yourself can help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood and self-esteem, and improve your overall quality of life.

It doesn’t have to be taking a trip to the Bahamas whenever you get a headache, it can be small things, like eating a balanced and hearty breakfast or blocking all work notifications during the weekend; Self-care is you remembering yourself in the smaller moments of life as well.

Sample goal #1

I want clearer skin by year-end, so I will be consistent with my daily skincare routine.

This is a Specific goal because you know what you want – clearer skin – and how to get it – by being consistent with your daily skincare. It’s Measurable by how clear your skin is at the end of the year and how consistent you are, it’s Achievable because you’re willing to invest in your skincare regimen (try tulipbodycare or buybetter on Instagram – tell them we sent you) or maybe you have a friend who’s a skincare consultant and can help you out. It’s Relevant because (maybe) you’ve always had problematic skin and it’s affected your self-esteem, and it’s Time-bound because you have a set time to look back and evaluate – end of year.

Sample goal #2

I want to reduce the time I spend on social media.

This goal, while it can be relevant, lacks specificity, measurability, and time-binding factors; It’s not actionable.

A better way to set it would be;

I want to reduce my daily social media use by 25% in 2024.

Now this is a Specific goal – you want to reduce daily social media use. To make sure it is Measurable, you have to understand and measure your social media use now, then deduce how much time is 25% of that (most phones have an inbuilt screen time feature that tracks how long you spend on your phone and doing what), then work on cutting that back. It’s Achievable because you have the tools of measurement, it’s Relevant because (maybe) you have a social media addiction you want to curb, and it’s Time-bound because again, you have an end-of-year cap.

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Health and Fitness

According to Medical News Today, the word health refers to a state of complete emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

Starting the gym is arguably one of the most popular health-related New Year resolutions, which is understandable, but, it’s not the only way to achieve a healthier you.

Health is something you may not value till it’s absent, so, here are some goals that will help you take care of your health – mental and physical.

Sample goal #1

Keep track of my physical health by getting full body tests every three months.

The goal is Specific – you want to keep track of your physical health by getting tested regularly. It’s Measurable because you have equal space in between each test – three months. It’s Achievable because (maybe) you use services like Healthtracka that allow you to schedule affordable at-home health tests and receive your results online. It’s Relevant because you care about your health, and it’s Time-bound because, at the end of the year, you want to have gotten tested at least four times.

Another great service for overall health tracking is Healthlane - they provide comprehensive health checkups and simple plans for nutrition, exercise, stress management and supplements.

(You’re welcome).

Sample goal #2

Start going to the gym. 

Bland, unspecific and daunting.

As we mentioned in our Secrets to Achieving Your Goals article (shameless plug), another one of the reasons why people fail at their goals is trying to do too much at once. Be honest with yourself and your body.

What is possible for you?

Whatever that is, start there, then slowly work up to where you want to be. Even if that’s only going to the gym once a week, maybe do that for a month, then uptempo to twice a week, and so on.

And it doesn’t even need to be going to the gym; it can be any physical activity – walking, running, at-home workouts, skipping, dancing, etc. The goal is to be healthier, and there are many paths to a healthier you.

Always remember that.

So, a revised version of that goal could look like this;

Be more active in 2024 by being physically active for at least 30 minutes weekly.

This goal is Specific because you know what you want to do; be active for at least 30 minutes every week, but it’s not too specific that it becomes restrictive – you can decide on any activity you want to do. It’s Measurable because you know you have to do it for at least 30 minutes per session. It’s Achievable because as long as you have some amount of space, you can be physically active pretty much anywhere, or maybe, you just subscribed to iFitness (go, you!). It’s Relevant because you want to take your health seriously, and it’s Time-bound because (again) of the end-of-year cap.

Conclusion

Of course, there are many other goals out there, many of which we didn’t cover here, but we hope you can take some inspiration from this article and march into 2024 with vim and determination.

No gree for anybody o, not even yourself.

You didn’t think we’d leave you without giving you another one of our resource-rich indexes, did you? Certainly not!

Make way for The “New Year New You” Index.

The New Year New You Index

Now that we’ve given you some inspiration, what are your New Year’s resolutions? Or are you planning on winging it?

Whatever it is, drop a comment for us below, we like gist too.