20 Emotional Goals That Are Easy To Set & Reach!

Self-development has boomed in the last couple of decades, and more people are focused on taking care of themselves on a much deeper level. Whether managing our mental health, improving our flaws, or working on our shortcomings, setting emotional goals can help us do this!

More often than not, the goals we set for ourselves are usually based on our external world. For example, we set goals to reach the level we want in our careers, get our dream car, and visit our most desired destinations worldwide.

Setting realistic goals is always a good thing; it enables us to identify what we want and how we will achieve it. It helps us focus on what is important and gives us clear direction and purpose. However, we mustn’t forget to set goals that focus on our internal world—mind, body, and soul—because if you take care of your emotional well-being, your external world will change for the better!

What are emotional goals?

Emotional goals are goals that we set that relate to our emotional well-being or even spirituality. Instead of achieving goals that focus on our external world, like getting our dream job or saving a certain amount of money, emotional goals concentrate on managing, improving, and regulating our feelings and mental health.

An example of an emotional goal may be not taking things personally, improving one’s attachment style, or controlling one’s emotions. It may even be to set boundaries or improve your mental health.

Why is emotional goal setting important?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself” – Leo Tolstoy

Our goals stem from our desires. We desire something, and then we set goals to achieve that desire. We genuinely think that these met goals will bring satisfaction, happiness, and a sense of achievement, and they usually do. However, this is generally not permanent, and the euphoria we feel when we meet our goals soon wears off.

Everything starts within, which is why setting emotional goals is so important.

Looking within and working on yourself is the key to happiness, joy, and success—not nice holidays, fast cars, and lots of money. When you grasp that there is nothing our external world can give us that we cannot already give to ourselves, we understand that taking care of emotional well-being is essential.

Below are just some examples of emotional goals that you could set yourself to improve your emotional well-being. Of course, not all of them would apply to you, but if you find some that resonate, then don’t hesitate to make them one of your goals!

1. Improve your attachment style

According to Very Well Mind, an attachment style is a pattern of behaviour in and around relationships.

There are four attachment styles: secure attachment, anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and fearful avoidance.

The healthy attachment style is ‘secure’, and so if we don’t fall within this category, then you may need to do a little work to develop a more secure attachment style.

 A healthy attachment style will help you improve your insecurities and relationships with others.

You can find out what your attachment style is here.

2. Have therapy

I remember a few years ago,  one of my New Year’s resolutions was to set an emotional goal to have some therapy. I had never done it before and figured since I was focusing on my well-being and growth, it would be good to relieve myself of some of the ‘emotional garbage’ I was carrying around.

According to Talk Space, therapy can change emotions and thought patterns, develop coping skills and increase self-awareness!  

3. Improve your relationships

Having strained relationships with those around us can impact our emotional well-being. It can cause an array of emotions, such as hurt, trauma, resentment, bitterness and anger.

Perhaps you are having difficulties with a family member, colleague, or friend, but improving your relationships with those around you can improve your emotional well-being and mental health.

4. Cut people off

Some people in our lives are toxic and harming us spiritually, emotionally and physically and to improve our emotional well-being,  so setting an emotional goal to cut these people out of our lives will benefit us gratefully.

Cutting people out of our lives can be easier said than done, and you may find this difficult, especially if you have built attachments to them. However, do what is easier for you; you may wish to do this gradually or immediately. It’s best to get support from those you trust or a professional if you struggle to do this.

5. Give up your need to control

We spend a great deal of time stressing and worrying over things we cannot control. It’s important to understand that you cannot control everything; trying to do so will only lead to disappointment and burnout and could impact your mental health.

Sometimes, you have to accept that some things are not within your power and that the only thing you can do is surrender to life. Doing so will relieve you of anxiety, stress, and worry.

6. Get more rest

Rest is vital for our health and well-being, and the best thing about it is that it’s not a particularly hard emotional goal to reach! You are no good to anyone if you are constantly exhausted, and more importantly, you are no good to yourself!

We are always on the go, working, tending to family, hobbies, and socializing; it can often feel like there is not enough time in the day; resting allows you time to recover, physically and emotionally, from our busy schedules and take time out for ourselves.

Resting also helps us to manage stress levels and regulate our health and well-being!

7. Let go of the past

I don’t have to ask if you have spent time ruminating on the past, wishing you could turn back the hands of time to change things or even relive a moment. Dwelling on the past will not change your future or the present moment. It can prevent you from moving forward and also affect your emotional well-being.

You can find helpful tips to help you let go of the past here.

8. Let go of the future

Much like dwelling on the past, living in the future can be just as harmful to our emotional well-being as focusing on the past.

Many of us can get so caught up in what we want the future to look like that we forget to live in the present moment, and the only thing that truly matters is the here and now, as it’s the only thing we have.

Being fixated on the future can lead to stress, anxiety, fear and worry, not to mention we forget to live in the moment.  

9. Control anger

Perhaps you have anger issues. While anger is a normal emotion, it can become an issue if you cannot control it. Learning to control your anger will improve your relationships and your emotional well-being.

10. Participate in positive thinking

Positive thinking can change our thought patterns and give us a more optimistic outlook on life, improving our emotional well-being.

According to Very Well Mind, positive thinking links to better resilience, increased immunity and reduced stress.

11. Practice positive affirmations

We all want to feel good and be well-rounded individuals. Positive affirmations can help you foster a positive self-image and reinforce beliefs that support self-acceptance and compassion.  

The more you practice positive affirmations, the more you notice positive changes in your thought processes.

Practicing positive affirmations is a super easy emotional goal to set and doesn’t require much to achieve it.

You can easily find positive affirmations online or make up your own to suit your needs.

12. Let go of expectations

Expectations can cause us emotional issues, so it’s beneficial to set an emotional goal to let go of them.

This is because when expectations are not met, they can cause hurt, pain, anger, disappointment, and other negative emotions. In contrast, we could not be disappointed if we didn’t have expectations in the first place.

13. Take social media breaks

Social media can be a dark and toxic place, a place where we compare ourselves to others, where we are trolled and bullied, and where it can cause us to think we are not good enough.

Harvard explains how social media breaks will improve your sleep, improve mental health and reduce anxiety.

14. Don’t take things personally

Taking everything personally is emotionally exhausting, so if you take things to heart, this may want to be on your list of emotional goals.

Taking things personally means giving others the power to make you feel bad. This can affect your self-esteem and self-worth.

Very Well Mind explains how taking things personally is normal occasionally, but if you get upset or offended by other people’s comments often, that will affect your mental health.

15. Meditate

Meditation is excellent for quietening the mind, listening to your inner voice and regulating your emotional well-being. It can also help you be more mindful and reduce stress.

16. Ensure you have a good work life balance

Having a good work-life balance should be an emotional goal that everyone prioritizes, especially since we are probably all guilty of letting work interfere with our personal lives, which can lead to burnout and stress.

A healthy work-life balance will benefit your self-care, mental health and overall wellbeing.

17. Read more self development books

The ‘self-help’ industry has boomed over the last few decades, so you will not struggle to find a book to help you work on your personal development and achieve your emotional goals.

18. Put boundaries in place

Establishing boundaries will help you define what you are comfortable with in relationships with friends, family, and loved ones. Without them, people can overstep the mark, causing us unnecessary anguish and pain, and putting boundaries in place protects our emotional well-being.

20. Show empathy

It’s so easy to stay in our comfort zone. It’s what’s familiar to us, what we know. Doing anything different can be scary and unpredictable. They say great things happen when you leave your comfort zone. You will open yourself up to new experiences, be able to make positive changes, and grow as a person.

Setting emotional goals is no different to setting a goal to meet a desired weight, or work toward your dream career. Your goals should be SMART.

• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Attainable
• R – Relevant
• T – Time-bound

For example, if you wish to improve your mental health, then a smart goal may be for you to have therapy over the next 6 month period.

Decide what you want

Decide what you would like to achieve. You know yourself better than anyone. If something has been bothering you that you feel deep down you need to improve on, or if certain things you need to work on are negatively impacting your relationships, then that’s an indication that it should probably be an emotional goal.  

Make a plan of how you are going to achieve it

A goal is nothing without a plan for reaching it. You know what they say: fail to plan, plan to fail. For example, if your goal is to learn to control your anger, your plan of action might be to research some techniques that help with anger issues and apply them, and/or enrol on an anger management course.

Break your goals down into smaller goals if needed

Big goals often need to be broken down into smaller goals. The bigger the goal, the harder it is to achieve, and you could feel overwhelmed or defeated.

Making smaller goals to achieve the bigger goal, will mean you are more likely to succeed.

Take action

This process involves doing. To achieve your goals, you will have to put the work in. If you are struggling with this (and we all do from time to time), find ways to motivate yourself, and don’t forget why you want to achieve your emotional goals in the first place!  

Track your progress

There is no better satisfaction than seeing how far you have come; even if you have not yet met your goal, reflection on your journey can provide you with further motivation to keep going and will give you a great sense of achievement.  

Reward yourself

Don’t forget to reward yourself for making progress, every achievement deserves a celebration!