
Happy New Year! I know just a year ago, we had no idea what was ahead. In fact, I think a lot of us expected 2020 to be the best year ever and that was a mistake. No matter the circumstances, we shouldn’t expect the year to be great. We need to expect ourselves to be great. Even if this year has obstacles ahead, we need to be set up to handle them and be the best we can be regardless.
This year, I plan on making a whole series on how to be the best you, you can be. But for now, let’s focus on the 10 goals you should strive for to kickstart 2021. These are goals that I’m also setting for myself, so we can keep each other accountable! I want to know each of you outside the blog so comment below and make sure to follow my socials listed below so we can connect!
Keep A Planner and Use It Daily!
Even if you’re staying at home often these days, I cannot stress getting a planner enough. I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I’ll be honest, when I was first furloughed, my first thought was “well, what do I put in here now?” Then a lightbulb went off. You should always have something to put in your planner. Even if it’s a simple, “clean kitchen.” It’s very motivating knowing there’s something to always check off for the day.

Of course, if you juggle multiple projects and businesses as I do, go get a planner right after you read this. I promise you, your year will become just a little bit less stressful and more organized. Personally, I have an Erin Condren planner and highly recommend it. There is also a detailed post about the planner on my blog if you want to check it out!
Focus on Your Mental Health
If I learned one thing in 2020, it’s that it’s so important to focus and improve our mental health. I know this topic is a bit vague and it’s more complex than anything I can fit into a couple of paragraphs but I’m going to go into more details on each of the bullet points listed below. Mental health is something I’m passionate about for personal reasons but here are some ways you can get started on improving your mental health!
- Practice positive affirmations daily
- Start a gratitude journal
- Drink more water
- Stay active
- Find your strengths
- Take a break
Make Friends and Connect With Others
This will sound so Gen Z of me, but I cannot imagine going through this pandemic without the internet. Because of the internet, we’re still able to stay connected and make friends. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, I highly recommend going on social media and following topics you’re interested in, and connect with others.
Facebook:
The easiest place to do this is Facebook! There are groups for almost every interest out there. And the chances of you connecting with people are better than the two other options below. I’m part of plant lovers, dog lovers, blog tips, and more various groups on Facebook! I’ve connected with people personally and even for business-related things!
Twitter:
You can search for accounts related to your interests and follow them! What I love most about Twitter is how nice everyone is. Depending on who exactly you follow anyway. Although, I’ve made so many friends on Twitter who engage with my posts and chat with me regularly!
Instagram:
A feature that I love on Instagram is that you can follow certain hashtags and then posts with that hashtag will pop up on your timeline! For example, I follow the hashtag #beauty so occasionally I’ll get posts related to beauty and end up finding awesome accounts to follow! Depending on the account size, that account may or may not see if you try to connect with them but it’s always worth a shot.
Start A Side Hustle
In the past year, so many people have discovered how easy it is to start a side hustle but most importantly, from home! Whatever it is you enjoy doing, you most likely can turn it into a money-making side hustle. I will also be blogging about this topic a lot this year, so keep an eye out!

Here’s a list of side hustles I’ve done and recommend trying this year:
- Blogging (Click to read 5 things you should know before starting your blog – will be updated soon but still educational!)
- YouTube Whether it’s just vlogging your day or educating your audience on something you’re good at, YouTube is a fun and creative way to eventually make some money.
- Online Store (I’m opening my own store very soon so I’ll have lots to share on my blog about the experience!)
- Selling your used clothes on apps like Poshmark. I actually did this for a couple of years and made some extra money!
Put money in your savings – keep it there!
Becoming financially stable is always a smart goal to have. A very important step to this goal is to put whatever you can in a savings account and don’t touch it unless it’s an emergency. Even if you start out putting $5 in your savings, you’re starting good money habits and that’s totally better than nothing.

Learn a new skill
What’s something you’ve been wanting to get better at or start learning? Whether it’s a new language or something creative, we should never stop learning. Expanding your skillset is exciting and can be rewarding.
Start by making a list of skills you want to learn or improve on. Then pick one or two that you want to make your priority for the year. Next, start googling online courses you can take for that certain skill. I’ve taken multiple blogging/social media courses in the past year that has helped me greatly.
Do something out of your comfort zone
You know what they say, necessary change happens outside of our comfort zone. We all have fears that we know we should overcome. The biggest reason why we stay inside of our bubble is that we’re afraid of failure. First, accept that nobody is perfect and there’s going to be mistakes made but it’s part of learning and growing.
Identify something that you want to overcome this year. Let’s start with just one thing. For me, it’s going live on social media. I know it’s small but I really want to connect with my audience more.
Drink More Water
It seems like drinking water is always something I’m working on. If you think about it, it’s kind of silly that something so simple seems so hard to accomplish. Our body needs water to function but it’s often always being put on the back burner. Here’s a list of a few common problems a majority of us suffer from and it’s likely due to dehydration.
- Dry skin
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Sugar cravings
- Frequent illness

If any of those symptoms sound familiar, ask yourself when the last time you drank enough water was. Trust me, I’m guilty too.
Create A Workout Routine
Get in the habit of working out and you’ll reap the benefits, I promise. Even if your body doesn’t start changing right away, the way it makes you feel is worth it. Did you know that exercise has been scientifically proven to help decrease anxiety and depression? Among other mental benefits. Even if you do a simple workout for a half-hour a few nights a week, you are doing something good for your body and mind.
Try New Recipes Each Week
I’m going to be honest here. I got into a nasty habit of ordering food very often during the pandemic. We’re talking multiple times in one week. Although, I felt good about supporting local restaurants, we have to start cooking meals again.

My favorite place to look for new recipes is Pinterest. That is the only place I really look for food ideas anymore. You can create a “Dinner Ideas” board and pin all of the recipes that intrigue you. Then just try at least one new recipe each week. You’ll be sure to find a new favorite dish!
Like it? Pin it!

Let’s Do This!
Will you be working on any of these goals in 2021? I hope you found a little bit of inspiration to make this an awesome year full of growth. Just remember that the biggest goal you should have in 2021 is to just be the best you, you can possibly be. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss all of the helpful content coming your way! We’re in this together.
Let’s connect!

Amanda Burnett is a 25-year-old content creator. Growing up with a disability, she wanted to prove to herself that she was capable of accomplishing her dream life. Today she is helping her audience realize their potential as well! Her goal is to motivate as many people as she can through her lifestyle, beauty, and self-improvement content.
This is a great list! I definitely need to work on the friends and the water haha
I love all these wonderful suggestions! I will be definitely using my planner more in 2021 for my Gifted Wreath Blog and look forward to staying on track with my small shop goals in the new year!
I love how you said we shouldn’t expect the year to be great, we need to expect ourselves to be great. So true.
I don’t have a planner, but I do have a journal, and I’m going to try to make it a habit to write in there daily again.
And actually, I’m going to start tonight by writing your above goals at the start! They’re all ones that I’d choose myself, and I’m looking forward to getting started 🙂
Happy new year!
These are great goals! I agree that keeping and using a planner is a great way to get motivated and stay organized. I didn’t use mine much last year, like you I felt like there wasn’t much to put in it. This year I’m changing that mindset and using my planner.
Thanks for sharing. I will definitely be working on some these goals this year.
These are great ideas for New Year’s goals. One of my goals this year is to be able to learn Korean and hopefully be able to understand it so that I can watch Kdrams without subtitles 😊I’ll also definitely be prioritising my mental health this year as last year was particularly tough.
Some fantastic ideas here! I particularly love the idea of writing even the smallest of tasks in your planner – I’ll often schedule in a shower so I don’t forget! And learning new skills is always a good one – I plan on learning as much as I can over the course of 2021.
I am hoping to use my planner more myself! There are some great suggestions.
Thanks for the list!
Learn new skills is on my list.
I do drink a lot of water and have a virtual workout group with my female volleyball friends.
Learning a new skill is an awesome goal! I definitely need to get better at drinking water but I’m so happy to hear that you’re on it!
What a great list! Drinking more water is always in my resolutions! haha
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
After this pandemic, connecting with others is a huge goal of mine!
Excellent ideas for making some goals that will really improve your life. I used to think a planner was useless because I’m always at home, but then I decided to try it one year and I was surprised at how often I use them. It really helps with my productivity bother around the house and with my blog.
Yes, I use my planner for all of my blogging/social media tasks as well and it helps SO much.
Great tips! I am really focusing on my mental health this year as well. 2020 was really hard on all of us. And also drinking more water!! Omg, I always forget to drink water!!
I love this list! Its been super weird staying home so I pretty much try and do something fun everyday 🙂 I either try out a long recipe, bake, learn a dance, create a craft, go for a bike ride or walk etc. I can never keep up with my planner! I know just use my google calendar and so far so good! Fingers crossed that this will be the organizational tool that sticks! xo
http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Great ideas! I love starting the year with a set of personal goals – thanks for sharing these tips!
Thanks, Lydia! I’m happy my post was helpful!
Great list! And reminders for self care. I always feel better when I keep a daily journal, even if my entries are really short. And I am definitely doing a new recipe each week. As a Chef I set myself a goal to recipe test and document at least 2 of my recipes every week.