By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified run coach

If you’re wondering how to set goals in 2024 that actually stick, these tips will help. Taking a moment to assess your life and learning how to set attainable goals will help you enter 2024 feeling more positive, grounded, and healthy. This doesn’t mean you have to be unrealistic and set out to run a marathon, pen a novel, and land your dream job all at once, but you can still pursue your passions and stay inspired, despite what 2024 may throw at us.

These tips on how to set goals in 2024 will help you create your own path in what may be a year of winding roads and speed bumps ahead. Keep in mind that if you’re struggling with mental or physical health, focusing on that area of your life should be a priority. Check out our mental health section for more tips, resources, and advice from experts on mental health.

How to Set Goals - The Basics

Before we begin setting 2024 goals, it’s helpful to look back at 2023 and assess how your goals went. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What worked or didn’t work with your goals in 2024?
Did you accomplish your big goals? If so, what helped you stay on track?
The goals that didn’t come to fruition have valuable lessons as well. What stood in the way of achieving your goals? Were they achievable goals or too big and vague? Did external circumstances impede your goals?
Are there goals from 2024 that you still want to achieve? How can you re-work these goals to be more specific and attainable?

Your past goals can help you learn and adapt and learn how to set goals in 2024 that you achieve. The next step is brainstorming your 2024 goals.

Brainstorm Your Top Priorities

Sit down and make a list of your top priorities for 2024. Is it personal health, fitness, family health, or financial security? The most important things to you will become apparent as you brainstorm. Now you can set goals based on these values.

Focus on One Big Goal

If your health is paramount, for instance, you may set a goal to lose weight, gain muscle, do a run streak, etc. If you lost your job in 2023, career may be your focus and you can set a goal to earn a new certificate or degree or transition to a new job or career field. The key is to focus on your biggest goal as your main priority.

According to researchers, setting too many goals can have negative effects on people and decrease your chance of achieving any goals, so it’s best to focus on only one big goal at a time. You may set smaller goals for different areas of your life, which we will cover in this article.

Set Smarter Goals

Once you have your main goal, it’s time to apply the S.M.A.R.T. test. Is your goal:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Use this S.M.A.R.T. goal test any time you set a goal. Your goal should be challenging but not unattainable. Also, it has to be something you can measure so you can track your progress and know when you achieve it. You also will need to set a deadline for your goal. It doesn’t have to be a whole year-long goal - it may be 3 months, 6 months, or 5 years.

Set Milestones

Milestones are smaller goals that are measurable and keep you on track for your big 2023 goals. If your goal is to lose 15 pounds, for instance, a milestone may be to lift weights 3 times a week and run 15 miles a week. Or you may set a milestone to track your eating for one month. If your goal is to find a job, you may set a milestone of sending out 15 resumes per week. If you’re working on your personal finances, you may set a goal to save $1,000, with a milestone of saving $20 per week to reach that goal in 2023.

Schedule Your Goals

Once you have your goal and milestones, you can schedule what you need to do in your calendar. Plan when you will be putting in the work to achieve this goal. Whether this means scheduling your workouts or blocking out study time, putting it on your calendar will help you take the actions you need to achieve your goal.

Balancing Your Goals

You don’t want to set too many big goals in 2024, but you may have different areas of your life where you have smaller goals. For instance, if your main goal is to run the NYC Marathon, then you won’t want to also set heavy weightlifting goals while you are training for your marathon. Instead, if you want to stay on track with strength training, set the goal of lifting twice a week - a smaller milestone goal. You may also want to improve your relationship or dating life and set a smaller goal of going on one date a month.

In my experience coaching people, they do best when they focus on one big goal at a time. It is helpful for a balanced life to also have some smaller goals in different areas of life, but don’t make them achievable. They can often be process goals.

Set Process Goals

If you want to learn how to set goals that you will achieve in 2024, it helps to have one big goal and some other smaller goals. Process goals are my personal favorite for smaller goals and they’re a top secret for self-motivated people everywhere. Instead of just focusing on one outcome, such as losing 15 pounds or landing your dream job, or winning a race, process goals focus on the journey.

Process goals are ones you have control over and, as the name implies, focus on the process, not an outcome you can’t control. A process goal may be sending out 15 resumes, seeing your family for an uninterrupted hour every evening, or running five times in a week. Process goals are great for uncertain times as circumstances may often be beyond your control, but you can still have direction and maintain your positive momentum.

Track Your Goals

Track your goals and share your progress. You can do this in your own personal spreadsheet or by using fitness tracking apps or task management and list apps. If you have running goals, check out our article on the best running apps to help you track your runs and stats. Choose a tracking system that works best for you and you’ll be more likely to stick to it. Follow Runstreet on Instagram for extra motivation, training tips, discounts, and events throughout the year, and we will be happy to cheer you on.

Finally, and most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself. The past year was a challenging year for many people, and it’s ok if you don’t conquer the world in 2024. Just don’t stop trying. 😊

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

How to Set Goals in 2024