If you’ve landed on this page, you’re likely in that annoyingly stressful but exciting phase of life where you’re juggling career aspirations, personal growth, and the quest to figure out this whole “adulting” thing. Fear not! In this blog post, I’ll share my personal insights and practical tips on how to set and achieve personal growth goals that’ll help you thrive in your 20s and beyond whether it’s career moves, finding new friends, or simply being independent.
What is a Personal Growth Goal
A personal growth goal, or self-improvement goal, is a specific and deliberate objective that you set out for yourself to enhance your personal qualities, skills, knowledge, or overall well-being. These personal growth goals are typically centered around self-improvement, self-discovery, and personal development rather than strictly professional or external goals. The focus is on individual internal growth, not external achievements or outcomes.
Examples of personal growth goals might include improving your communication skills, learning a new language, developing emotional intelligence, cultivating a growth mindset, building self-confidence, managing stress more effectively, or enhancing your well-being. These goals are unique to you and reflect your personal aspirations for self-improvement and self-fulfillment. It is not about what society thinks you should be achieving or what you think you should be achieving because of societal norms.
Soul-Searching and Goal-Setting: Crafting Your Path
You are freshly out of college and have no idea what to do next. There are too many new changes happening all at once, and you are feeling like you have to do everything to stay ahead. These pressures are overwhelming and can distract you from what you really want in life. So, let’s take the time to reflect on what we hope to get out of life.
Getting Cozy with Your Journal
Imagine your journal as your trusted confidant. Pour your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations onto those pages. Ask yourself questions like, “What excites me the most?” and “What are my talents and passions?” This journal is your safe space to explore and get to know yourself better. Write down whatever comes to your mind, whether they are thoughts, feelings, ideas, or dreams. You’ll start to see a pattern of what really matters to you.
The Power of Clarity: SMART Goals
Now, let’s turn those dreams into actionable personal growth goals. Read through your writing and create some summary points. What are the key thoughts from your writing exercise that excite you about life? Ever heard of SMART goals? They’re Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This acronym became my best friend when it came to setting goals. For example, instead of saying, “I want a great job,” try something like, “I’m landing my dream marketing gig within a year.” For my blog, I want to increase viewership and will measure my success by seeing the number of average views I get each month within a specific time period. In the next three months, I hope to get 1,000 page views a month on my blog. This is a specific goal that is easy to measure and is within reach. Think about your goals in this way to make them less overwhelming and more tangible.
{Related Post: How to Be More Productive in Your 20s: 11 Ways to Take Control of Your Day}
Putting It in Writing: Making Goals Tangible and Easy to View
Goals are like dreams – they’re real when you put them in writing. Scribble your SMART goals on paper or type them up digitally. Then, stick them up on your wall or around your house. You want them to be in a place where you’ll see the personal growth goals at least once a day so you can have a constant reminder of what you are working towards. This will also serve as your foundation and guiding path in the decisions you make related to your goals.
Creating a Vision Board
Want to add some fun or take it a step further? Create a vision board as a complete visual of what you are aiming towards! Collect pictures, quotes, and inspiring visuals that resonate with your goals. Think about colors, themes, and elements that you really want to showcase. Add them to a board and put it somewhere you’ll see them daily. In the digital age, a great way to do this is by creating a piece on Canva and saving it as your desktop or lock screen background. Whether you prefer something handmade or digitally created, this is a great way to have a visual for your personal growth goals.
Break Down Your Goals Even Further
Even through SMART goal setting, these aspirations can be a bit large and daunting. Wherever you can, break the personal growth goals down into smaller, more doable steps that can be done in a shorter timeframe. This way, not only will you be working towards achieving your ultimate goal, but you’ll have set up milestones that constantly remind you that you are getting one step closer.
Here’s an example related to my blog:
I hope to create a personal brand for myself through my blog, a place where I can share my experiences and help other individuals my age, while hopefully, also earning some money from the website. I want to stick this out for at least a year before deciding if it is worth continuing. To do this, I will focus on creating a posting schedule and rhythm in the first three months. The next three months will focus on creating content within my niche and establishing my online presence. In the following three months, I will work on collaborating with brands and networking. Finally, the last three months will be focused on growing my blog.
Here, I took a big goal for myself and broke it down into tangible, three-month sprints to help keep me focused, motivated, and excited to write on my blog. On each milestone, I am layering something bigger that will help me reach my ultimate goal.
Find Accountability
Being accountable for your goals is the best way to see them through. Without accountability, these are simply words on a piece of paper. With accountability, these aspirations become tangible goals that you are working towards.
There are a few ways to keep yourself accountable. The first is to find someone you trust and share your goals with them. Sharing your personal growth goals with someone makes it feel more real and creates a sense of responsibility around achieving the goals because you are no longer the only one who knows about them. Another option is to create a progress tracker to keep track of the progress you have made. Remember that it is easier to do something 100% of the time than it is 99% of the time. That 1% of wiggle room allows us to make excuses and find loopholes. So create a plan and stick to it.
Conclusion
So, here we are, friends, you can now navigate your 20s by setting personal growth goals and growing into the person you want to be. Your goals will change, and that’s okay. Remember to be flexible, and keep thinking about what really matters to you. Take it one step at a time, and enjoy the journey. There’s a lot to learn from the entire experience and not just the goal. So, grab your journal, dive in, and embark on this thrilling journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Your future self will high-five you for it. Here’s to chasing dreams and thriving in our 20s – we’ve got this!
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.
