The best winter arc goals are small enough to do on your worst day and specific enough to check off. Pick 3 to 5 from the lists below, and take them from different areas: one each for body, mind and work holds up better than five gym goals.
Fitness
Train 45 minutes, 5 times a week
10,000 steps a day
100 push-ups a day, split however you like
Run 3 times a week
10 minutes of mobility or stretching
A 2km walk after dinner
One outdoor workout a week, whatever the weather
Take the stairs, always
Food and water
Hit a daily protein target
No added sugar
No takeaway, cook at home
Two litres of water a day
No eating after 9pm
A vegetable with every meal
No alcohol until January 1
Meal prep every Sunday
Mind
Journal 5 minutes a day
Meditate 10 minutes
Write down three things that went right today
A cold shower every morning
15 minutes outside in daylight
No social media before noon
One hour a day with no screens
Learning and career
Study 2 focused hours a day
Solve one coding problem a day
Read 20 pages a day
20 minutes of a new language
One hour on a side project
Apply to a job or reach out to one person a day
Watch one lecture or course lesson a day
Write 300 words a day
Money
Log every expense
Five no-spend days a week
Save a fixed amount every week
No impulse buys: wait 48 hours before any purchase
Cancel one subscription a week until you've reviewed them all
Make lunch instead of buying it
Sleep and phone
In bed by 11pm
Wake at the same time every day, weekends too
No phone in bed
Screen time under 2 hours
No phone for the first 30 minutes after waking
Charge the phone outside the bedroom
People
Message one friend or family member a day
One phone call a week to someone you've drifted from
One hour of undistracted time with your partner or kids
Say yes to one plan a week
Do one thing a week for someone else
Big goals to finish by December 31
Read 10 books
Run 300km in total
Lose 5kg, or reach a target weight
Save a set amount
Ship the side project
Run a 5k under a target time
Write 30,000 words
Hit a new personal best on a lift
Finish an online course
Clear a debt
Complete 100 hours of practice at something
Pass an exam you've been putting off
How to choose
01Start with what you want to be true on January 1, then work back to the daily habit that gets you there.
02Keep it to 3 to 5 daily or weekly habits, plus one or two big goals.
03Pick at least one habit you're already half doing. An early win carries the harder ones.
04Write each one as something you can answer yes or no to every night.