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20 Goals To Set in 2020: Get Inspired To Achieve More

This post is sponsored by Lexington Law.


Goals To Set In 2020

As the year (and the decade) comes to a close, I’m starting to reflect on what I’ve accomplished this year and what I want to accomplish next year. I’ve been brainstorming goals to set in 2020.

For the past few years, I’ve been writing a goals post for the upcoming year. You can see 2019’s version here, 2018’s version here, and 2017’s version from Rachael here if you want to look back on inspiration from the past.

These goals are meant to help inspire us to to take actions towards living the life we want to live. This year, I’ve separated the goals into financial goals, self-development goals, wellness goals, and career goals. Even if these are not perfectly in-line with what you want to accomplish, I hope you look at them and find some ideas to help you aim higher and end 2020 ahead of where you hoped to be. 


20 Goals To Set in 2020: Get Inspired To Achieve More

Financial Goals To Set In 2020

Save 15% more than you did last year.

I am a huge proponent of saving and investing money. I think of it as paying your future self.

When you are reviewing your budget for the year, do you ever think about the money that you spend on items you no longer use? I do. Instead of being particularly regretful, I try to use that feeling as a learning experience and come back to it the next time I’m tempted to buy something that I know won’t last me a long time.

Looking at your savings rate for the previous year, how much did you save? Turn this number into a percentage. Then add 15% to that number. This is the number to set as your savings goal for next year! 

And you know what? Even if you fall short you’ll still have money in the bank. 

50/30/20 Budget Guideline50/30/20 Budget Guideline

Make a “treat yourself” fund with an automatic transfer.

I’ve been saving $100 a month for a future “treat yourself” purchase. I never knew what it was going to be but I wanted that money to be there for when I came across something I wanted to buy guilt-free. 

After automatically transferring $100 a month into that account for three years, this year I bought myself a Gucci backpack. I knew as soon as I saw it that that was what I wanted to buy. This particular bag is no longer made so I was able to buy it second hand at even more of a deal. 

Knowing I had that money stashed away for a luxury purchase allowed me to buy it without worrying about the rest of my finances that month. I wasn’t going to go over budget to buy it and I didn’t have to scrip and save last minute to make it happen. 

Whether your “treat yourself” transfer is $10, $20 or $500, you won’t regret having saved the money for when the time comes. 

Set up identity monitoring.

With data breaches happening frequently, identity monitoring is more important now than ever in my opinion. I had my identity stolen in 2008 and was so lucky to have caught it almost immediately. 

Over the years, I’ve also been the victim of many big well-known data breaches. When your information is stolen, it’s forever  available for someone to use for nefarious purposes — there isn’t a time limit on when something might happen. 

If you haven’t already signed up, make 2020 the year you begin to actively monitor your identity. I’ve been using Lex OnTrack exclusively since June to monitor my credit and couldn’t be happier. You can read about my experience with the service here in my Lex OnTrack Review.

To get started and signup yourself, visit the Lex OnTrack website here. 

Related: Lex OnTrack Review: Why You Should Monitor Your Credit

Check your credit report.

Did you know that you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year at annualcreditreport.com? Additionally, you can also purchase your report directly from each of the three credit bureaus if you need to. And a hot tip: a copy of your credit report is frequently included when you sign up for an identity monitoring service like Lex OnTrack.

To check your credit report, go through your report line by line. Is there anything suspicious or incorrect? Make note of everything that is incorrect or unsubstantiated. 

If you do find there are unfair items on your credit report, don’t panic! Now that you’ve identified potential mistakes, it’s time to take the next step and deal with them.

We recommend working with a credit repair service like Lexington Law. With a consultation, you can learn what can be done to remove those items and establish a game plan where their consultants will advocate on your behalf. You have rights as a consumer when it comes to your credit and it’s important to make sure you’re being treated fairly. Credit is a catalyst to a better life. Sign up for your free consultation here.

Related: Credit Repair: Why It Matters With Lexington Law

girl holding computer with Lexington Law website open

Make $100 extra within a year from side hustle.

This is actually a goal my husband set for himself in 2018. He’s employed full-time at 9-5 so his extra income had to come from various side hustles he took on throughout the year.

Yes, it was challenging for him. He really had to be strategic about how to bring in that income and how we has going to spend his time to do so. 

To set this goal for yourself, you only need to figure out how to make an extra $100 in a year. We have plenty of side hustle ideas in our Ultimate Guide To Making More Money

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Self-Development Goals To Set In 2020

Set boundaries and practice sticking to them.

Setting boundaries is one of those ever-evolving, ebbing and flowing kinds of things. We never enforce them as much as we want to and struggle to define them in our weak moments. 

Most of us have all types of boundaries. We have hard, firm ones. We have ones that we waver on as if they were a squiggly line. Then there are those lines in the sand we wish we could get to stick but get washed away when the tide comes on.  

Setting boundaries can be hard, but enforcing them can be even harder. If one of your boundaries is not going out on week nights, practice by saying “no” and making a plan for another time. The more you do it, the easier it will become to flex the muscle for that boundary when you need to really enforce it. 

Develop a productive morning routine.

I love a good morning routine. Having my list of things I accomplish every morning helps me feel set up for a productive day. 

When I get things I need to do out of the way first, I’m able to ease into my day feeling prepared and not rushed.

I don’t have a structured morning routine persay, but I do have a list of things that I can do each morning to set me up for success. Most typically, I do my heaviest “brain” work in the morning. In fact, I started writing this post at 7 am! I also do things like put away clean dishes, make breakfast, and get ready for the day. Read at least two new self-development books.

My morning routine is supported heavily by my nighttime routine. At night, I wash dishes, do a 10 minutes clean-up, put away any miscellaneous things that didn’t make it all the way back home, lay out my clothes and pre-pack my diaper bag if we’re going somewhere, and write out my to-do list for the next day. This process takes about 30-45 minutes to do depending on the day and the demands. It keeps me organized and less-stressed overall. 

Schedule time for a hobby on your calendar.

In my moms group, we recently talked about having more fun. I wrote a book about that exact topic — it’s available at Barnes and NobleTarget or Amazon! But having fun isn’t something we always make time for in our lives.

This year, I think it’s a great goal to find a hobby that you love and actively make time for it in your schedule. Some of my friends are deeply involved in book clubs. Some go to fitness classes. Others go to cooking classes. Some go hiking regularly. One of my friends even goes to trapeze class three times a month because she loves it so much! 

I think it’s really important to nurture the part of ourselves that loves to have fun. Happiness and laughter are so good for the mind, body, and soul.

Donate or sell anything you haven’t touched in a year.

The vast majority of us are so guilty of hanging onto things we no longer need. It’s not that we necessarily hold onto them consciously — it’s more that we never make a major effort to get rid of them. 

Take a few hours each month to tackle a new room in your house. You might spread the time over a couple of days or maybe you’ll just dive in one Saturday afternoon. Go through all of your cabinets and be honest with yourself about what things you never think you’ll use again.

There are plenty of places to get rid of gently used things. You might even sell things that have a higher value on ThredUp or Poshmark. Not only will you be ridding yourself of unnecessary clutter, but you will put a little money in your pocket! 

Goals To Set In 2020

Teach yourself that comparison is a tool.

Over the past few years I’ve done a lot of internal work to stop comparing myself to others. It took a lot of effort to retrain my brain, understand my triggers, and react appropriately.

Now, I don’t compare myself to other people. And if I start to do so, I recognize that it’s likely because I see something that I wish to have for myself. Recognizing that the way I feel has nothing to do with someone else was a powerful switch for me. It meant I could have true joy for the other person while wanting to achieve more for myself. 

Turning comparison into joy made all the difference.

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Wellness Goals To Set In 2020

Give yourself five minutes to worry. Then move on.

Easier said than done, right? Our worries can take over our day from the moment we wake up. We worry about whether or not the dream we had last night has any base in reality. We worry is we’re being a good friend/partner/parent. We worry if we’re good enough.

But worrying gets us nowhere. 

Give yourself five minutes to stress and worry as much as you can. Set a timer on your phone and go down the rabbit hole. Write all of your worries down if you need to.

But when that timer goes off? It’s done.

Your worry time is over.

And it’s time to move on. 

Find a physical activity that you love enough to do 5x a week.

Moving your body has so many positive benefits for both your body and your mind. It’s recommend to have about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week to keep your heart and organs healthy. Exercising can help increase your energy levels, reduce the risk of chronic disease, improve your sleep quality, and more

Even if the activity is just walking, do it! It’s not too hard to fit 30 minutes of exercise into your day. Whether it’s some yoga before bed, a lunchtime stroll or a fitness video first thing in the morning, start the new year by making physical activity part of your daily routine. 

Get a facial.

I recently got a facial for the second time and wow do I regret not doing it sooner! I don’t have bad skin necessarily but truth be told, I don’t know much about my skincare needs. I never would have classified my skin as dry but my skin care specialist said my skin was in desperate need of hydration. I walked out of my appointment feeling like my skin looked better than it had in months.

Our skin is something we should probably be taking better care of. Knowing your skin intimately takes time but it’s something worth doing.

Do what only you can do.

This is an important lesson I’ve had to learn this past year. In a world where our to-do lists can become a mile long (or more literally, about a foot long), it’s hard to learn to prioritize what must get done. Sometimes it feels like everything must get done.

But something I’ve learned this year is to go all in on what only I can do. For example, only I can breastfeed my son. So only I do that. Only I can write articles under my name for GenTwenty. Only I can be my husband’s wife and my son’s mother. Only I can shower myself (ha). 

Everything else like random household chores need to get done of course, but we can spread them out among our family members. I don’t need to do everything. So my focus has become on doing only what I can do and figuring out the rest as a team with other people in my life. 

Goals To Set In 2020

Read more.

The one habit I have that I think makes me the most productive person is reading. I never seem to accomplish as much in my life when I don’t read at least a few pages of a book per day. 

There’s something about the way reading helps you escape from everyday life, learn how to improve yourself, and keeps you working towards a goal that all meshes together in a powerful and wonderful productivity device. 

If you consider yourself a reader, try to pick up a few more books this year than you ever have before! And if you don’t consider yourself a reader, try just committing to one book a month. You never know where those stories might take you. 

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Career Goals To Set In 2020

Negotiate a raise.

I will never not tell you to at least ask for more money when it comes to negotiations. Making more money has a ton of benefits including:

  • financial freedom
  • financial security
  • less debt (and more money to put towards debt repayment)
  • building up your savings account 
  • more money to put towards retirement
  • less stress in your daily life
  • the ability to improve your credit (and your life)

Negotiating and asking for more money can be scary and intimidating. But if you never ask, you’ll never know. People who do not negotiate their compensation make over $1 million dollars less over the course of their careers than those who do. 

Earning more money can often be about asking but you can also lay the groundwork for earning a raise or promotion. You can find more information along with our tips and tricks here.

Nurture 20 new career relationships.

Relationships are truly the basis of our careers. Many times it’s who you know that helps you land your next position or the next client. Of course, being a contact worth knowing like proving your worth and reliability is important too. 

Starting 20 new relationships boils down to about two people per month. Make a new LinkedIn connection, have someone you know introduce you to someone else or simply reach out to a co-worker you haven’t built a strong relationship with yet. 

After your meetings, make a note to check in with them in 4-6 weeks. You can do this by setting up an alert on your Google calendar. It’s a simple thing but connecting with others is an easy thing to let slip through the cracks — but it’s essential to growing your career.

Learn a new skill.

Your skills make you a valuable member of a team… so why not invest some time into learning something new. Consider what skills are important to the level above you in your career and dedicated 2-3 hours per week to working on that specific skills.

Not only will this make you more valuable now, but it will help in your compensation negotiations down the road.

Make a 5-year career plan.

Have you thought about where you want to be with your career in five years? I have a loose idea in my head of what I want to accomplish but I’ve never actually written it down and strategized how I’m going to accomplish that.

Think about where you want to be in the future. Then working backwards, write down how you got there. Consider it writing your resume in advance.

Not only is this technique a good way to see you path more linearly, but it’s an excellent way to help you figure out your next steps.

To take it one step further, connect with people who are where you want to be in a few years and ask them for their feedback. Informational interviews can be scary to ask for but are worth the effort! 

Alternatively, you can also start taking more initiative at work. Not only will this improve your reputation and help you propel yourself forward in your career, but it will give your significantly more experience than always being under someone else’s direction. 

Goals To Set In 2020

Update your LinkedIn Profile

How long has it been since you’ve updated your LinkedIn profile? I know I’ve neglected mine longer than I care to admit.

But my friend Erin recently invited me to an event through someone she met on LinkedIn. Her network is expanding rapidly and with it she is gaining more clients and traction than ever in her business. Her content on LinkedIn resonates significantly there are people who are using LinkedIn are very career-focused. 

It’s also a first touchpoint when people are looking you up. You want to make sure you’re making your most up-to-date information available. 

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Related: 10 Home Goals To Set In Your 20s


And there we have — 20 goals to set in 2020!

These are just some ideas and starting points to help inspire you to set your own goals.

Writing down your goals and making a plan for them will help you be more successful in achieving them. Time passes so quickly, don’t let another year go by without doing the things you desperately want to do! Go after it, friend.

About the Author

Nicole Booz

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com