Every year, I make goals to carry me through the year intentionally. Here are my 2023 goals for personal and spiritual growth…
One of my favorite parts of a new year is making goals. I love the intentionality of setting a plan for myself that will help me accomplish the things that I have wanted to do for some time.
Some years I succeed quite well, while other years get sidelined by life (e.g. 2020). But regardless of successes and fails along the way, setting new year’s resolutions and goals is really important because it sets the tone for the year. It helps focus our attention on what we want to get done, improve upon, and master.
If you’re making your own set of 2023 goals, I advise you to make a list and then let it sit for a few days. Revisit it, pray on it, and make sure that those goals are ones from your heart, not because of some trend or wish to change something that doesn’t need changing.
Trust me, I’ve fallen down the goals rabbit hole more than once and found myself resolving to change in ways that were wrong for me and my season on life.
I hope this list of goals for 2023 inspires you to write your own goals for the new year and guide your intentions in ways that will make your life better, more fulfilling, and help those around you. Here they are:
My 2023 Goals
Write a complete novel
This has been on my list for a while. I am 40,000 words into a novel and set myself a goal to write about 1000 words a day to finish it. This also allows for inspiration into another story that I might wish to write, giving me time to start from the beginning of an 80,000 word fiction novel. When it comes to writing, I let inspiration and creativity guide me.
Regular daily exercise
After having surgery and a cold spell here, I got out of the habit of daily exercise. I miss running very much. So this year, I plan to not only start running again, but to reincorporate strength training and yoga, too. I love feeling strong.
Give back to my church and community
This month began my first ever term as a church elder. I pray that I will be able to fulfill my duties well and make a difference in my church and in my community through this role. I also made a commitment to contribute more to World Vision, the organization through which I have sponsored a child in Ethiopia for the last 10 years.
Daily prayer and Bible study
It’s so easy to be sidelined in the mornings. But I want to make this my priority. First thing, I will sit down to do a She Reads Truth bible reading plan, read the Bible, and pray. I hope to begin a prayer journal as well.
Pay off all debt
After 2020, I got into a bad habit of using my credit cards instead of cash. But rewards or no rewards, keeping those balances at zero is important to me. So this year, I intend to pay them off and hopefully have my student loan zeroed out, too.
Healthy clean eating
Eating whole, unprocessed foods will not just be healthy. It will make my body feel better, and that makes my mind clearer. I have a huge sugar and salt addiction, but candy and chips make me feel sluggish. This year, I want to focus on more home cooking and less convenience foods.
Declutter by using up or donating
I am a bit of a hoarder when I think, “But what if I need this…” Or, I buy 3 of everything so I don’t need to go back to the store. Sigh. So for my 2023 goal, I want to declutter by using up stockpiles and also donating extras I am not using. This will free up storage space, which can then be used for other purposes.
Read 250 books
Last year, I read 230. This is not an impossible goal because I count audiobooks. Reading when I’m waiting in line, folding laundry, and running make it possible to read this many books and I’m going to do my best. There are so many great ones I am still waiting to read, I just wish I could read more. But life happens. 🙂
Create unit studies for the entire 2023-24 school year
So often I am stressed because I didn’t put together a full year plan. It’s a lot of work, but worth it. So I will be creating a lesson plan and unit studies for the following school year, averaging about 2-3 each month. This also helps me gather resources, especially free ones, because I have a plan.
Complete a Brene Brown course
Back in 2019, I was given two Brene Brown courses and I haven’t had a chance to do them. I would love to complete one this year. I find her work to be so brilliant into the emotions of people, and I know I will learn a lot about myself. It will also help me process my emotions in a way that can only benefit me and those around me.
Read all the library books on my shelves
This is no joke. I have a lot of library books sitting on shelves in my room, just waiting to be read. Without a sense of urgency, I just renew them and keep finding more. This year, my goal is to clear those shelves by either reading them, or seeing if they still interest me as much as they did when I took them out.
I hope this list of goals for 2023 was inspiring and helps you set your own resolutions for the new year. Planning is everything when we want to live intentionally. May your goals bring personal, spiritual, and healthy growth into your life this year.
Happy New Year!
Looking for more on resolutions and goals? Check out these posts:
How to Set Goals that Really Matter
New Year’s Resolutions: How to Make ’em and Not Break ’em
Leave a Reply