5 January Goals to Improve Your Life in the New Year
Kickstart the new year with purpose! Discover 5 life-changing goals for January to boost your productivity, faith, and overall well-being.
January is like the ultimate reset button—the calendar equivalent of a clean kitchen counter (you know, the kind that doesn’t happen often but feels glorious when it does).
The holidays are over, the New Year’s Eve glitter is mostly vacuumed up, and we’re ready to tackle new challenges and set new goals.
This month practically begs us to pause, reflect, then, face the new year head-on. It’s a blank page, a fresh start, and let’s be honest, the perfect excuse to finally use that fancy planner you bought last year but abandoned by February.
In this post, I’m sharing five practical, life-improving goals you can tackle this January to set yourself up for a stellar year.
Let’s dive in and make the most of this built-in opportunity to level up—no glitter required.
Getting Ready for the New Year
Before you jump into setting goals, let’s talk about preparation. Think of this step as warming up before a workout—you wouldn’t sprint straight into January without stretching your mindset, right? (Okay, maybe you would, but let’s save those metaphorical pulled muscles.)
Getting ready for the new year starts with a little reflection. Take a moment to think about the highlights and hiccups of last year.
What went well? What didn’t? What goals did you absolutely crush, and which ones got left in the dust? Be honest with yourself—this is a no-judgment zone.
Next, clear the clutter—mentally and physically. Declutter a drawer, organize your calendar, or just take five minutes to write down the thoughts swirling in your brain. A tidy space and a clear head make room for fresh ideas and motivation to flourish.
Finally, decide what kind of year you want to have. Are you chasing peace? Productivity? More family time? Less screen time? Knowing your priorities will help you set goals that actually matter instead of ones that sound impressive but fizzle out by February.
Now that you’re mentally prepped and ready, let’s dive into those goals and start making January your launchpad for an incredible year!
5 Goals for January
When setting your goals for January, it’s vital to keep it simple. If you start with a long list of things you want to change, improve or stop, you’ll end up giving up before you ever start.
These five goals are broad enough so that you can make progress and see real change. Yes, even in the first thirty days of the year.
January Home Reset
During December, we sometimes lose sight of the goals for our homes. Our neat(ish) and tidy(ish) homes get buried beneath pine boughs, Christmas candy and gift wrap.
Putting away your Christmas decor offers you a great opportunity to reset your home. Ask yourself, “How do I want my home to feel in this new season?”
Maybe you want your spaces to feel cozy, peaceful, or cheerful. Now is the time for you to weed out decor, clothes, and even furniture that don’t fit your goals.
Now is also a good time to reset your homemaking routines. The last week or so of the old year usually leaves us wandering around trying to figure out what day it is and how long we’ve worn these same pajamas.
Start the new year with new routines for cleaning, meal planning, and even hobbies. Start small and build your new routines throughout the month.
Practice Self-Care
The holidays leave us feeling stressed and out of sorts. January is an opportunity for a refresh and learning to take care of yourself again.
Self-care can take different forms. Sometimes, it means putting the kids to bed a little early and taking a bubble bath with a favorite book. Other times, self-care looks more like tackling a chore you’ve been putting off for a while.
We tend to think of self-care as indulging ourselves in something fun. But the truth is, it’s often just doing things that help reduce stress and improve your mood.
While sipping hot chocolate in peace improves my mood, organizing the pile of mail on my desk helps, too!
Try Scripture Journaling
As Christian moms, we know that spending time with the Lord is a vital part of growing our faith and raising kids who love Jesus.
In my faith journey, I have found that Scripture journaling is a powerful way to spend time with God every day. Scripture writing allows you to intentionally read and study your Bible in just a few minutes each day.
I love using themed Scripture-writing plans to help me focus on different aspects of my spiritual life. Your Scripture journal doesn’t have to be fancy. All you need is a notebook where you can write verses, reflections, and even prayers.
Related: How to Start Scripture Writing in 2025 (free printable plan)
Go Outside
January usually starts with cold weather, and it makes me want to curl up inside with coffee and a blanket.
But our bodies need time outside–even when it’s cold. Studies say spending just 20 minutes outside each day can lower stress levels.
You don’t need to start playing extreme sports; just take a walk, or sit on the porch. Vitamin D from the sun will improve your mood, and the fresh air will help clear your mind and lungs.
Start Moving
Many of us want to lose weight or get healthier in the New Year. And while exercising might not be your favorite thing, it’s important to get at least a little bit of movement into your days.
You may want to start using exercise videos to workout a little bit every day. But just taking a walk or working to get thousands of steps in each day is great, too.
You can even “kill two birds with one stone” and start moving and go outside at the same time. I’ve found that taking a walk in the morning helps me meet my exercise goals as well as clearing my mind to start the day.
New Habits in the New Year
You probably put a lot of pressure on yourself on January 1. It’s tempting to want to completely overhaul your life on day one.
But not only will that just make you feel stressed out, it’s pretty much impossible. Instead, try making small changes.
Think about your New Year’s Resolutions and goals. What are some small steps you can take daily or weekly that will make that goal a reality?
Create new habits around these goals that will help you reach them easily. No, you won’t lose twenty pounds overnight. But you can get outside and do some exercise every day.
You won’t wake up one morning with a better knowledge of the Bible. But you can Scripture journal ever day for a month, and become more familiar with God’s Word.
Over time, those little changes will add up. Slow and steady wins the race.
Conclusion
New year, new you. It’s our mantra every January. Instead of trying to make a new you all at once, try monthly goals. Start with some simple January goals that will help you make small changes.
What are your January goals? Drop them in the comments for me!
