Setting Intentional Goals for the New Year: A Guide for Christian Moms
As a new year begins, it’s natural to reflect on what’s important and how we can grow in the year ahead. For Christian moms, goal setting is an opportunity to prayerfully align our priorities with God’s will and intentionally steward the time and resources He’s given us. Whether it’s deepening your faith, nurturing your family, or managing your home with greater peace, setting goals brings clarity and purpose to each area of life. This list of goal ideas is designed to inspire you to consider what truly matters and encourage intentionality in how you spend your days, knowing that small, consistent actions can lead to lasting transformation.
I gave up on goals for a while because I kept failing miserably to achieve them. But a few years ago, I began setting goals again, and actually managed to accomplish many of my goals. Here are a few things that helped me follow through on my goals and make progress.
- Limit the number of goals you’re working on at any given time.
- Write your goals down and look at them at least monthly.
- Focus on habit goals OR create a regular habit that supports the outcome goal.
New Year Goal Categories
You’ll find the following categories of goals listed below.
- Family Life Goals
Goals related to marriage, parenting, and family fun!
- Small Business Goals
Goals related to entrepreneurship, small business, and work-from-home moms seeking to balance work with family life.
- Personal Goals
Goals related to health and wellness or personal growth.
- Home Goals
Goals related to home management, household tasks and projects.
- Faith or Spiritual Goals
Goals related to spiritual growth and Christian living.
- Ministry Goals
Goals related to church ministry, volunteer work, service commitments.
- Homeschooling Goals
Goals related to home education—including academic, organizational, and social goals.
Family Life Goals
These suggestions are intended to inspire you to connect with your spouse and children, communicate well, and create shared memories.
- regular game nights
- one-on-one time with kids
- pray together daily or weekly
- volunteer together
- create monthly traditions
- monthly or quarterly family meetings
- regular date nights
- weekend away without kids
- do a family Bible study
- implement a screen-free night once a week
- enforce a screen-free meal time (no phones at the table)
- find a system of shared responsibility for household chores (get buy-in from everyone!)
- create a family mission statement or vision board
- create an intentional focus on teaching specific life skills each month
- allow kids to choose a fun family activity once per quarter
- start a “kind words” tradition—keep a list (phone notes are great for this) of positive characteristics or attributes you notice and share something with each family member at a designated time (e.g. first Friday of the month)
- do something active together once a month
- create a shared family playlist for everyone to contribute favorite music and learn about each other’s musical taste
- read a book together OR read the same book and discuss
- engage in fun competition—participate in the same online game (Wordle, perhaps?) and share your daily scores
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Small Business Goals
These goal ideas span systems, marketing, planning, and learning. Think about what you’d like to focus on in the first quarter of the year.
- set quarterly income or growth targets
- determine KPIs and set up a system for tracking them monthly
- establish a daily or weekly schedule that allows for flexibility in work, home life, and homeschooling
- create themed workdays (Mondays—client work, Tuesdays—marketing, Fridays—admin, etc.)
- make a list of tasks that would benefit from batching and create a schedule to do so
- review current income streams and determine if some are not profitable and should be let go
- create a shutdown routine to ensure you know what to start working on tomorrow
- do a weekly review (make sure tasks aren’t overlooked, plan for the upcoming week)
- learn something (new software tool, keyboard shortcuts, take a class, read a relevant book, etc.)
- create a social media strategy
- plan a content calendar
- start a monthly newsletter
- find someone to collaborate with
- set up a system for tracking something (customer testimonials, finances, promotions, inquiries)
- delegate a task to someone else (or automate it)
- create template email responses
- stay updated on industry trends and information
- write out SOPs (standard operating procedures for recurring tasks)
- set aside weekly time for marketing
- attend a networking event
Personal Goals
This category is broad and encompasses healthy habits, personal growth, and hobbies.
- set a regular bedtime
- drink water (set a specific amount goal, choose specific times of day, or replace other beverages with water)
- get outside at least 10 minutes daily
- read every day OR read a certain number of books
- set aside weekly time to spend on a hobby
- start a journaling habit
- get 8000 steps per day (or whatever number you choose)
- work out 3x per week (or some other fitness goal)
- make a plan to connect with a friend (weekly text, monthly coffee, etc.)
- start a journaling practice
- commit to a skincare routine
- become more educated about something specific (read everything an author has written, listen to the most well-known pieces of classical music, learn how to code, or study a particular period of history)
- plan a personal retreat
- limit a specific food type (added sugar, processed foods, soda, dessert, etc.)
- establish a weekly planning routine
- reduce social media consumption (delete apps, set time limits, ask for accountability from family)
- plan fun leisure activities (make a watch list of movies, a list of touristy places to visit in your city, or a list of restaurants to try)
- make a photo album (physical or digital) to look back on at the end of the year
- set specific times to check email each day (maybe once in the morning, once before lunch, and once before the end of the day)
- join a group or take a class (book club, running club, garden club, sewing, cake decorating, art, etc.)
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Home Goals
These goals focus on creating household management systems or choosing a project that will improve the way you feel about your home.
- create a meal planning system (make a list of favorite meals or meals to try and schedule a weekly time to plan)
- declutter a space (or choose one area per month)
- set up a whiteboard calendar to track family schedules
- create a monthly budget
- establish daily and weekly cleaning routines
- make a checklist of occasionally recurring tasks (seasonal tasks, annual or quarterly cleaning tasks)
- set up or clean out a filing system for paperwork
- create an emergency binder or household planning binder
- set financial milestones (savings goal, investing goal, no-spend month, debt pay-down goal, etc.)
- update a room or space
- reorganize a space that doesn’t function well for your current needs
- add decor (create a gallery wall, add plants, switch out pillows or lighting)
- organize a closet
- hold a garage sale (or sell items online)
- utilize a shared digital calendar (Google calendar, Cozi, etc.) with family members
- purge the pantry—old spices, canned goods, etc.
- set up a storage system in the garage
- declutter or clean out holiday decorations
- set up a system for purchasing household staples like beauty supplies, cleaning supplies, or pet food (Amazon subscribe ‘n save, post a checklist to check off when using the last item)
- clean out the refrigerator and freezer weekly or monthly
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Faith or Spiritual Growth Goals
This section of goals provides suggestions for growing your faith and building spiritual disciplines into your life.
- commit to a Bible reading plan
- schedule a daily prayer time (morning before breakfast, in the shower, on a walk, while driving, etc.)
- keep a prayer journal
- find a prayer partner
- create a weekly prayer routine (assign specific groups or people to certain days of the week)
- memorize one Bible verse each month
- join a Bible study group
- do a Bible study with another person
- study a specific book of the Bible
- do a topical Bible study
- trade out a time you normally spend on other media (social, TV, podcasts) for Bible reading
- listen to sermons or Biblical teaching on podcasts
- write out scripture in a journal
- create a worship playlist (or multiple playlists for specific circumstances)
- learn about specific theological terms or ideas
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Ministry Goals
These goals relate to commitments in service to your local church or other groups of people.
- volunteer in a church ministry position
- donate to your local church, missionaries, or other ministry organizations
- sponsor a child through Compassion International
- teach a Sunday School class
- spend time with a younger woman (and/or an older woman)
- attend church events (prayer meetings, community outreach events)
- make new attendees feel welcome at church (engage in conversation with someone)
- develop friendships with neighbors
- pray for church leadership
- pray for specific groups of people inside or outside the church (Sunday School class, high school students, widows, teachers, police officers, government leaders)
- participate in a small group
- serve the community (food bank, pregnancy resource center, homeless shelter, clothes closet, etc.)
- bring meals to new moms or those going through medical issues
- practice hospitality—invite people over for a meal or coffee
- find an accountability partner
Homeschooling Goals
This category of goals brings focus to creating a home education that fits your family and spans academic, social, or organizational objectives.
- create a system for storing and tracking homeschool curriculum
- establish a daily or weekly routine (independent work, group work, checking work, planning ahead)
- incorporate hands-on learning activities weekly
- find unit studies that align with your child’s interests
- add monthly fun learning activities
- develop a recommended reading list for students to choose from
- research field trip ideas—plan for one field trip per month
- give students options to demonstrate learning in a creative way
- add life skills instruction on a regular basis
- expose students to art, music, and media from a variety of genres and time periods
- find local enrichment opportunities (homeschool coops, college campus programs, museum classes, nature clubs, etc.)
- emphasize useful tech skills (typing, coding, Google suite, graphic design, etc.)
- encourage competition (debate, writing, math, or science contests)
- make a plan for the unexpected (when mom is sick or has a last-minute work deadline)
- create a flexible plan for homeschooling high school
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Goal Setting Inspiration for Christian Moms
That’s 125 goal ideas for you to consider. Hopefully you found a few that inspired you to set intentional goals for the new year, or even mid-year.
As you consider the ideas shared in this list, take time to pray and reflect on your season of life. Remember, progress comes through small, faithful steps taken consistently over time. May this new year be a season of grace-filled growth, where each goal draws you closer to the life God has purposed for you and your family.
Visit my homeschool resources page for monthly unit study ideas, projects, and homeschool planning help!
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Ideas for Your New Year Goals
