Large and ambitious goals such as buying your own house or opening your own business are great, but can sometimes have the opposite effect of your intentions.
Big goals can sometimes seem insurmountable and unattainable, which can demotivate you and sometimes even be depressing.
The key to fixing this negative impression is to break down the goals into smaller bite-sized yearly, monthly or weekly goals.
These smaller milestones will be much easier to achieve, giving you a sense of accomplishment every step of the way.
Why are Goals for Weekly Focus Important?
Let’s start with weekly goals first, as they are easier to reach. A weekly goal can keep you focused and on-task for the entire 7 days.
Having a goal can prevent distractions and keep you from getting overwhelmed by life’s demands. Not to mention, good weekly goals are a way to have fun and learn new things!
Picking the right activity can set the tone for the entire week. We would recommend picking something realistic, and not something like “scale the Eiffel Tower”.
Maybe there is a dish you have always wanted to make at home or a new skill you’d like to master over time. Whatever it is, it’s important to keep it reasonable but pick something you would enjoy.
How to Set Weekly Goals
Okay, so we have your attention and you’re ecstatic to get started, but how do you set a weekly goal? How do you determine what are good weekly goal ideas and which ones will add more pressure?
Don’t worry, we’ll get you through this with a quick but comprehensive guide on how to set your weekly milestones.
Make Sure They are Goals and not Aspirations
Goals and aspirations – there is a difference. Aspirations are things we strive to do or be, but there is no definitive path to get there.
For example, “I want to be healthier”, this statement is more of an aspiration than a goal. The aspiration can be a long-term target, but a weekly branch off of it would be “I will have 4 salads this week”.
A goal has to be something you can achieve and the steps to do it are very clear. It’s easy to confuse the two since they do overlap, but just keep in mind that goals have clear steps.
Write Them Down
Humans are more likely to achieve their goals if they can visualize them. If you write down your goals and keep them within your field of vision, it gives your brain the impression that your goal is tangible, making it ever-present and easier to attain.
Weekly Goal Checklist
- Is the goal measurable?
- Is the goal realistic?
- Is the goal attainable in the timespan?
- Is the goal something I would enjoy?
Weekly Goals Examples
Now let’s finally dive into some great weekly goal examples to jog your brain and help you get started! We hope they can lead you to discover your own passions or you can take our ideas as is and start right away!
Fitness Weekly Goals
I will drink ____ cups of water a day
Instead of simply stating that you will “drink more water”, quantify that statement by outlining exactly how much you will commit to drinking each day. It definitively lays out your goal each day making it much easier to follow.
I will exercise for at least 3 hours a week
Instead of allocating a certain number of hours to each day, you can abide by a culmination of hours per week. In the case of this example, we have outlined 3 hours.
You then have the freedom to choose if you want to spend 30 minutes a day over the course of 6 days or an hour a day spread out over 3. Get creative and the choice is yours, but just make sure you hit that 3-hour mark by the end of the week.
I will try ________ this week
Try incorporating a learning opportunity into the mix. Fill in the blank with any new activity you have always wanted but have yet to try.
Maybe you have always wanted to ride a bicycle. You can try it one week and if you’re successful, you can build upon that goal with something like “I will make it down the block this week”.
The physical activity you pick can be a goal you can improve on a week-by-week basis until you become a master!
I will repaint the bathroom this week
You can also combine physical activity with work that needs to be done. It’s almost like you’re killing two birds with one stone – tackling physical labor and completing a chore. It will also make it more fun!
Of course, you don’t have to repaint your bathroom, so feel free to replace this task with anything you need to get done around the house, such as a top deck revamp.
Another example is cleaning, which can be a great pain for many, so breaking it down into smaller daily goals to achieve the weekly house cleaning can be very helpful.
Creative Weekly Goals
Trying New Arts and Crafts
We love creative goals! They are fun learning experiences that can blossom into useful skills. For example, creating your own DIY wood wall art can get your creative juices flowing and you can pretty up the house with the finished result.
How about finger knitting?
This is one of those useful skills we were referring to. There are so many things you can create with your fingers and some yarn. You don’t necessarily need the knitting needles to produce amazing crochet pieces, attire, decor, and toys!
Learning a New Language
We know there is no way you can learn a new language in just 7 days, but you can surely learn a word or two and some new phrases.
Again, this is another example of creative activities that can turn into useful tools. Start by just memorizing one or two basic phrases, mastering the pronunciation and understanding the grammatical structure.
As the weeks progress, you can add to your vocabulary and phrases until you have a repertoire large enough to have a basic conversation!
Cooking A New Dish in the Kitchen
Maybe there is a dish you have always wanted to try in your kitchen. Well, this is the time to do it! Give yourself a week’s time to try or master the dish in question. Who knows, maybe this attempt could ignite a passion you never knew you had for food!
Mental Health Weekly Goals
Practice Giving Self-Affirmations Every Week
You should be your own biggest motivator and supporter. We know it can be difficult at times because we are also our own harshest critics. You can take steps to change this by repeating affirmations to yourself every week.
Limiting Screen Time
Social media can be very toxic depending on what you’re browsing. Maybe you can’t vacation in the Maldives every weekend then head over to Dubai during the week like your favorite influencer.
Repeated exposure to social media can cause depression, not to mention it could mess with melatonin production which affects your sleep.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Write down something you are thankful for each week. It can be about yourself, your family, friends, work, anything you can think of. You can also incorporate ideas into the journal about how you can better spend time and improve these areas.
For example, you can note down game suggestions for your next family get-together.
Health-Related Weekly Goals
Getting 8 Hours of Sleep Each Day
Life can sometimes get the better of us and we let daily stress overcome our need for sleep. We think striving to get 8 hours of sleep each day for a week is a great way to ensure that you get the rest you need.
No Late-Night Junk Food Snacking
Clean eating is a broad term, but why not narrow it down with “no late-night snacking”? Junk food can lead to unhealthy weight gain and do a number on your health.
Financial Weekly Goals
No Extra Spending This Week
We’re always thinking of creative ways to get a handle on our purse strings, and maybe you may like some tips in this area as well. Set a weekly challenge to not spend money on anything excessive. This means aside from necessities such as bills and food, no extra money is spent.
Keep a Spending Journal
This next weekly goal can be used in tandem with the first one. It’s easier to narrow down unnecessary spending when you have it written down. You can go over and analyze what expenditures you can cut in order to meet your financial goals.
Put away $100 a Week
Compounding on the first and second points, you can try to put a certain amount away each week for savings or investments. The $100 is a placeholder, feel free to set an amount realistic to you.
Spiritual Weekly Goals
Start a Meditation Journey
Meditation helps calm the mind, which is something many of us need during the daily grind. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life, but you can combat that with a few minutes of silence and internal reflection each day.
Enjoy Nature
It’s amazing what nature can do for us. You don’t have to do a hike or partake in an extreme sport to get the benefits of Mother Nature.
Simply sitting out in the sunlight can do wonders for our mood. If you’re often stuck in an office building, heading out for some fresh air can help you de-stress.
Self-Care Weekly Goals
Implement a Skincare Routine
It’s important to take care of yourself. You often see motivational quotes mentioning being kind to yourself, but we also remind you to practice self-care.
Treat yourself right. Start a skincare routine to give your skin the nourishment it needs to glow. You feel great about yourself, so why shouldn’t it shine from the inside out?
Set Aside Relaxation Time
It’s hard for some of us to get off the hamster wheel and relax. It’s great that you’re so focused on work, but relaxation time is equally as important.
Everyone needs downtime to recharge and stay motivated for the next day. Take a certain amount of time each day of the week for relaxation. It can be with a good book, a good movie or show, or a nice hot bath with candles and music.
Final Thoughts
You want to stay motivated and focused so you have the will and energy to do your best work and be your best self. You can do that by breaking down lengthy goals into more attainable weekly ones.
If you find weekly goals too easy to achieve, extend them to monthly ones or scale them back to daily milestones if they get too difficult. The point is not to stress out about these goals, but to gain more clarity, focus and motivation.
