Most of us desire a future that brings us peace, prosperity and happiness. If you were to visualise your future, what would you imagine? Living in that stylish duplex that you have always had your heart set on? Exploring new places on the other side of the globe? Bagging your dream job?

Instead of dreaming, why don’t you make them happen for you? It’s as simple as setting life goals that you would like to accomplish and then making sure they happen.

Here are nine life goals that will motivate you to succeed in life. No matter what age you are, it’s earlier enough to start.

What is a life goal?

Life goals are those accomplishments we want to achieve (rather than accomplish) to ensure we are satisfied with our future. They make our lives meaningful and allow us to lead a fuller life instead of merely going through life, performing our daily chores.

Life goals are personal goals that drive our behaviour and give us a sense of direction while holding us accountable as we strive to live the best possible version of our lives.

When you have at least one life goal to help you progress forward, you will experience personal development.

Listed here are nine life goals to help you build your best future.

1. Always be happy

Most people find happiness by leading productive, meaningful and authentic lives. Being truly satisfied with who you are as a person and enjoying the simple pleasures of life provide enjoyment. Here are some scientifically proven ways for you to stay happy most of the time:

• Think positively. Positivity raises energy levels, productivity and creativity and will directly affect your performance.
• Trash all negative thoughts.
• Treasure your life experiences more than your possessions because memorable experiences provide long-lasting happiness, unlike material goods.
• Write down why you are grateful, instead of merely feeling and thinking about these things. That is a fantastic way to build more happiness.
• Exercise more. Exercising releases feel-good endorphins that elevate your mood.
• Practice mindfulness and accept your present in a non-judgemental way.

2. Commit to improving your health

We all wish to be emotionally and physically healthy, but very few of us do anything about it. There are several steps you can take to ensure your body is healthy. Your goal must be to:

• Engage in physical activity for 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week.
• Eat a well-balanced, nutritious and low-fat diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Drink more water. Cut down on alcohol and sugary drinks.
• If you have harmful addictions, seek help.
• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Prioritise sleep.
• Stay out of the sun between 10 AM and 4 PM. That is when the sun’s rays are the most harmful.

3. Build relationships

Personal relationships are excellent for your overall well-being and give meaning and purpose to life. Your goal must be to:

• Build good and lasting relationships at home and work, and through social interactions.
• Call or text someone you have lost contact with or have not spoken to in months.
• Avoid isolating yourself – this can lead to loneliness and health problems like obesity, depression and hypertension.
• Expand your network of business contacts, so you have endless growth opportunities.

4. Be a continuous learner

Learning never stops. There is always something to learn for the rest of your life. Nurture the process of education so that you are always self-motivated to acquire knowledge and competencies. That will help you expand your skill set, improve your quality of life and provide you with future opportunities. Continuous learning prevents stagnation and helps you reach your full potential. Your goal must be to:

• Have a growth mindset. Don’t be afraid to pursue new ideas and seek more knowledge.
• Learn a wide variety of things and don’t limit yourself to knowledge related to your current role.
• Find new ways to do things and gain new experiences.
• Always be up to date on the latest and future trends and technologies.

5. Discover stability

You might consider yourself a free spirit, but some degree of stability is a must in life. Stability will give your life structure and make you feel in control.

Stability can take several forms, such as saving more money, purchasing a home, finding a long-term career and even settling down. Create small, doable goals that will bring stability to your life. Some ways you can ensure stability in your life are:

• Commit yourself to consistency – make stability a priority.
• Establish a routine – you can start with something as simple as waking up early and going to bed reasonably early.
• End bad relationships that can be destabilising.
• Live within your financial means, pay off debts.
• Find stable friends who make the right decisions. Their positive behaviour will rub off on you.
• Get help making decisions if you have a chronic habit of making bad choices.

6. Obtain financial freedom

Financial problems like unpaid debts, mounting medical bills and college loan payments can weigh on a person’s mind and cause severe anxiety and stress. One of the most satisfying life goals is to become financially free. Becoming financially free means to live without debt and still have enough money to pay all your bills, save and do activities you love the most.

Here are some ways to work toward obtaining financial freedom:

• Understand where you are. It is impossible to achieve financial freedom if you don’t know your starting point.
• Don’t overspend. Your income must be higher than or equal to your expenses.
• Avoid using credit cards. Use cash or a debit card for all your purchases.
• Create an emergency fund of about $1,000. Set this money aside in a savings account for a rainy day. If you are debt-free, increase these savings to about five months’ worth of expenses.
• Pay off all your debts – even if it is a little at a time every month.
• Increase your retirement savings up to 15% of your income.

7. Pursue your passions

Pursuing a particular hobby, spending time with family, taking off alone for a month every year, horse riding, community services – all these are just a few of a thousand other passions that people have. Everyone has a passion in their life – something that lights up their life, feeds the soul, takes away the stress of everyday life, helps them relax and makes life worth living. Unfortunately, in this dog-eat-dog world, it’s easy to allow our passions to take a back seat.

Here are some ways you can make your passion(s) a priority in your life:

• Grasp little periods of alone time to help you reconnect with your passions and get your creative juices flowing. If you don’t know what your passions are as yet, use this time to discover new interests.
• Once you reconnect with your passion, explore opportunities to bring that passion into your life.
• Be realistic about what you want to achieve – will this be done solely because it is a passion or do you intend to turn it into a money-making venture.
• Have a support system in place. Friends and family can support you and encourage you to follow your passion.
• There will be times when you might feel the need to shelf your passions. Sometimes they don’t turn out the way you expect, or you come across hurdles. You must be persistent if you want to make your passions your goal. Once done, you will find that your life is healthier, happier and more balanced.

8. Volunteer for a charity

This is one of those activities that best-meaning folk intend to do but somehow never get around to doing. If, on the other hand, you do manage to achieve this goal, it can be life-changing and very fulfilling. When you volunteer for a charity, you get a glimpse of the life of those less fortunate than yourself. The experience can provide you with a new perspective of your own life and all your blessings and leave you with a feeling of profound gratitude.

Supporting a charity enables you to connect with something meaningful and make an impact for good. But the charity work that you do must be meaningful to you, which is why some charities will suit you better than others. When choosing a charity, ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to support? Identify a cause that you care about, and that is important to you. There might be specific issues you see the world is facing today that you feel strongly about. It could be something like hunger, homelessness, or no access to education. Or, you might choose to support the arts or fund medical research.
• How do I want to help? Ask yourself what kind of impact you would like to have on the charity you choose. There are several ways you can get involved. You might decide to be an anonymous donor, help organise events, provide resources, or offer your own experiences to support the charity.
• What kind of charity should I look for? Make a list of potential charities and then decide on the critical qualities you would like your charity to have. Next, research each charity on your list using those qualities as criteria.

9. Maintain a work-life balance

It’s effortless to get carried away with work when you are at your productive best. The problem is that work piles up just as quickly as you complete the tasks, and before you know it, you are swamped in work without a life. There is far more to life than just work, and it’s essential to maintain a healthy work-life balance to reduce stress, be healthier and happier. Here are some tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance:

• Prioritise your time.
• Make way for personal time.
• Have set work hours and keep them.
• Manage your time – create a timeline for all your activities.
• Focus on your strengths, and don’t be afraid to outsource to others.
• Use technology to make the most of the time you have.
• Take time to do what you love.
• Be realistic about tasks you can take on and complete.
• Take regular breaks throughout the day.
• Make time for a holiday every quarterly.

Final thoughts

While all these goals can lead to greater personal success, you don’t have to pursue all of them at once. Choose goals that make you come alive and inspire you. Then stick with them until you accomplish them, and they become a part of you. By setting clearly defined life goals, you can measure your progress regularly and continue to motivate yourself to work toward fulfilling each life goal that you choose to accomplish.