October Goals: 12 Ideas to Change Your Life This Month

Last Updated on September 30, 2024

Get ready to set your sights on some fantastic new goals! October is the perfect time of year to begin slowing down and settling into an intention-focused mindset.

Think about it: we’re getting prettyyy dang close to the end of the year. Remember those New Year’s resolutions you made 10 months ago? (No shame if you don’t, it’s pretty common to lose sight of those! This is why we’re checking in.)

Now’s a good time to revisit them and see where you’re at, see if you’ve pivoted into a different direction than expected, and tackle the rest of the year accordingly.

Think of your October goals as a chance to recalibrate your focus on what is most relevant to this season of your life. Chances are, things may have changed since the beginning of the year, and that’s totally okay!

Table of Contents

New Month, New Goals for October!

Approaching goal-setting on a monthly basis is more practical than anticipating how an entire year will go. So much can change from month to month, and tackling your goals one month at a time breaks them down into digestible steps.

This makes it so much easier to focus on the task at hand! Which only increases the likelihood of achieving the goals you set. (Research shows that goal setting is linked to higher achievement, after all!)

But maybe you’re asking “okay, but what monthly goals should I set for October in the first place?!” Don’t fret! I’ll share my personal goals as examples you can take from.

October Goals Examples: My Top Three Goals This Month

1. Reach 25,000 followers on Instagram

If you don’t work in social media, I bet you there’s some type of metric or number-based goal you can shoot for in your life too! Maybe it’s a goal to save $X amount of money or hit a certain quota at work.

I’ve had huge growth since starting my Instagram back up in January 2024. I genuinely can’t believe I went from 1k to 23k in just several months. Why not keep it coming?! 25k is such an exciting milestone! (Maybe it’s because it’s such a traditional increment?)

2. Schedule designated task days–and honor this system!

If you have a flexible work schedule, I highly recommend categorizing related tasks into specific days. I am fortunate to be self-employed full time, but work with what you can!

For example, Mondays are my “content filming days” where I try to knock out as much filming as I can. Ideally, about 10 days worth of content! Then we have…

Tuesdays = content editing

Wednesdays = other tasks like working on my course, coordinating brand deals, etc.

Thursdays = content planning

Fridays = writing Monday’s newsletter and any catch-up tasks I didn’t get around to.

You get the idea!

Now, this might not always work out perfectly each week. But I aim to honor this system because as someone with ADHD, task switching is the bane of my existence. I am far more productive when I can dedicate my focus to one area per day.

3. Do more for my inner child

Inner child work has been a major focus for me this year, especially as I’ve learned more about my needs in therapy.

Everyone (yup, you too!) can benefit from inner child work, regardless of childhood trauma. Why? Because adult life is freaking exhausting! Ask yourself: when’s the last time you did something for the pure, wholesome, childlike joy of it?

My goal is to incorporate more activities that tap into my inner child. Like coloring, celebrating Halloween and even trick-or-treating!, and practicing healthy emotion regulation skills like journaling when I’m overwhelmed.

If you’re interested in exploring your inner child and how it’s impacted the way you function in adulthood, you’ve gotta check out my printable Inner Child Workbook! This workbook helps you uncover all your unmet needs to give yourself the support you’ve always needed but never received.

Alright, and now for some of the best October goal ideas that likely apply to your life!

12 October Goals to Set: Best Goal Ideas You’ll Want to Jot Down

Don’t lose these October goals! Pin ’em to come back later!

Need some guidance on October goals you should be setting this month? Here’s my top recommendations for goals that every busy ambitious woman should set this month:

Professional Goals

Change something that will improve your efficiency
Master a new skill
Improve your work-life balance
Start or level-up your side business

Personal Goals

Declutter or re-decorate one area of your home
Increase your financial literacy
Invest more time into your relationships
Get more intentional about your screen time

Self Care Goals

Set up an easy, realistic morning and night routine
Start journaling in a way that actually works for you
Evaluate your skincare and haircare
Make time for FUN!

But don’t just read this quick list, only to set and forget these! Let’s dive into each goal and how to approach it more effectively so that you can actually achieve these October goals.

Professional Goals

1. Change something that will improve your efficiency

We can’t add more hours to our day, but we can buy ourselves more time with the hours we do have!

Is there something in your work routine or habits that takes up a lot of your time? A point in your workflow where you routinely get stuck? Repetitive work that could be better-optimized?

If any of these apply, brainstorm what you can do to streamline the process.

Make use of templates, checklists, or explore better time management techniques like setting timers for dedicated focus time. Basically, use your tools and see where you can create more time for yourself!

Work smarter, not harder, friends 🤓

2. Master a new skill

Technology and skills are ever-changing and it’s always a good idea to keep up with the times! Is there something relevant to your field that can “up” your skill set?

Maybe it’s becoming more proficient in graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator, data analysis tools, project management skills, or anything that makes sense in your profession.

It’s never bad to get a leg up, and it might make your workday ten times easier!

3. Improve your work-life balance

I swear, doesn’t life just feel BUSIER every year?! Juggling all of your many obligations can easily turn into basically zero time for yourself! But we can’t let it be that way, unless we wanna be on the fast track to burnout.

Establish your boundaries. It’s perfectly reasonable to set the boundary that you will not be checking emails after work hours, for example. See where you can delegate tasks. Map out your daily breaks and always stick to them when possible!

4. Start or level-up your side business

Maybe you’ve always wondered about the independence and freedom of starting your own business. Maybe you already have one, but it’s taken the backseat to your day job.

If this interests you, set a practical, obtainable goal to start or advance your entrepreneurial endeavor in some way. It could be researching business ideas, taking action to finally start a business, increasing your revenue, or developing a new product. Anything that gets the wheels turning!

Personal Goals

5. Declutter or re-decorate one area of your home

Some of us make the mistake of being a little too ambitious and thinking we can give our entire homes a makeover all at once! Unless maybe you don’t work and don’t have kids…that’s gonna be pretty impossible.

Instead, just focus on one area of your house to declutter or re-decorate.

It might just be swapping out the summer decor on your fireplace/mantel for fall decor. Or, organizing your pantry and throwing out those stale snacks you forgot existed. Baby steps!

6. Increase your financial literacy

With more women feeling less knowledgeable about finances compared to men, we’ve gotta take matters into our own hands! And this starts with being proactive and educating ourselves.

Make one of your October goals to become wiser about one aspect of financial literacy.

This could be learning the difference between stocks, index funds, and mutual funds. Or how to budget more effectively. Or how much you should put into an emergency fund.

Luckily, there’s tons of amazing resources for these on the internet!

7. Invest more time into your relationships

Another thing that tends to fall by the wayside in our busy lives is our relationships. Maybe it’s been a while since you had a date night with your significant other. Maybe you haven’t been so great at responding to your friends’ texts.

Happens to the best of us! But our relationships are our support systems and a major source of fulfillment, so prioritizing them is a must.

So text your bestie to schedule a hangout. Plan a date night to enhance quality time spent with your partner. Be more present with your loved ones and practice being an active listener when you’re around them!

8. Get more intentional about your screen time

I know, I know. You’ve heard this suggestion a million times before and it’s always the hardest habit to break. But when I say get intentional with your screen time, I mean becoming more aware of your scrolling habits as they happen.

You know how we absent-mindedly pick up our phones? And how before you know it, an hour has passed and you’re 100 videos deep into Tik Tok? Aim to catch yourself and notice this behavior before it spirals.

Each time you pick up your phone this month, I challenge you to ask yourself why you picked it up in the first place.

If it’s because you’re bored, procrastinating, or wishing to distract yourself, explore why that is and re-route your behavior into something more helpful!

If you’re sick of setting goals only to lose motivation and never reach them, you need this planner!

Science says 92% of people don’t achieve their goals. After using this goal planner, it’ll be crystal clear why. (And how you can be the 8% who does!)

My Printable Goal Planner gives you the best strategy to brainstorm, plan, AND effectively achieve the right goals for your life!

GET THE GOAL PLANNER

Self Care Goals

9. Set up an easy, realistic morning and night routine

Forget the super elaborate 10-step morning routine that you drop after a few days because it wasn’t sustainable. Less is more when it comes to routines.

Make a routine for yourself that involves no more than 3 actions each morning and night. If it’s just 1. Get out of bed within 15 minutes of waking, 2. Do your morning skincare, 3. Meditate for 5 minutes, that is PERFECT!

Keep it simple and you’ll still be amazed at the difference it can make, I promise.

10. Start journaling in a way that actually works for you

An intensive 30-minute journaling routine every single night probably isn’t realistic for most people. Instead of feeling intimidated by lengthy journal sessions, keep ‘em short and sweet!

Can’t do 15 minutes of journaling? Do 5 minutes in the morning before you start your day.

Feel stuck staring at a blank page? Use guided journal prompts instead of trying to write from scratch.

It’s not that you don’t have the time, it’s that there’s a hurdle making the journaling process unclear and unstructured for you.

Make it a goal to create this structure, keeping it as simple as possible. Seriously, even if you journal for 60 seconds using the classic “3 bullet points I’m grateful for,” that act of self care will always be better than nothing.

If you could use help specifically on how to journal for self care, helping you better identify your personal needs so you can feel your best, The Busy Woman’s Self Care Journal will be a game-changer for you!

11. Evaluate your skincare and haircare

This year, I started taking my skincare and haircare seriously. I hit my mid-twenties and realized I gotta be a little more proactive in this area. No matter your age, it’s better to start now than never!

For skincare, all you truly need is a good old fashioned moisturizer and SPF. You don’t need 10 different products and honestly, using a ton of random serums on your skin can do more harm than good.

If you have any skincare concerns like acne, I highly suggest seeing a dermatologist for stuff that will actually work!

As for hair care, I started recognizing what my hair type needs. I have a seriously oily scalp, naturally, so I learned that I needed things like a clarifying shampoo to de-gunk everything. And that I need to use it like, way more often than what everyone suggests.

At the very least, ditch the random shampoos you pick up just because they’re on sale. Research what products are most compatible with your hair type! You’ll eventually learn what your hair needs through trial and error.

12. Make time for FUN!

Last but not least, you deserve some fun!

With so many different things we’re expected to focus on, this one’s tough. You’re probably in serious-mode the majority of your day in order to accomplish things. But being stuck in serious-mode is what we don’t want.

Make it an October goal to do at least one fun activity a week. Don’t be afraid to seek out childlike fun–it’s good for your inner child! Get out of your comfort zone. Explore new exciting things.

This is what makes life fulfilling, after all. So make it a priority!

Why Set Monthly Goals?

It’s easy to flow from one month to the next without any rhyme or reason. When this happens, life can feel dull. You may feel unmotivated or disengaged when you don’t have anything that fires you up.

So you know what…we’re gonna change that! Starting with your October goals.

When you set monthly goals, you…

Feel rewarded, accomplished, and confident – that amazing feeling of a “win” can be highly motivating. When you have something to look forward to and feel a sense of accomplishment when you get there, you fuel yourself with determination to do bigger and better things.
Make it easier to focus – with a shorter time frame, it’s easier to concentrate on your goals. It also forces you to set just a few goals, instead of 100, knowing that you can only accomplish so much in a month.
Get into the habit of being consistent – people don’t just say it for no reason–consistency really is key to success! Setting monthly goals will help you establish regular habits and routines to reach those goals.

Monthly Goal Setting Tips

Don’t go through the effort of writing your goals, only for them to never be seen again!

Your ambitious, proactive, and goal-oriented self deserves better than that 😉

These tips are key for a monthly goal setting strategy that will help you achieve your October goals, for real.

First, brain dump! Let your mind do its thing and follow wherever it takes you. Jot down everything that pops up in your mind that you’d like to accomplish this month. If you’re stuck, these brain dump tips will make things so much easier!
Only prioritize what’s actually urgent – it’s super easy to get overly ambitious and sign yourself up for too many goals. On your brain dump list, just keep the things that are most urgent or that you’re dying to achieve ASAP!
You’ve gottaaa get specific – vague goals like “get in shape” or “save money” tell you NOTHING! How can you reach a goal when you don’t even know where to start? Goals like “sign up for yoga classes 3x a week” or “transfer 15% of every paycheck to my savings account” tell you exactly what you’re going to do.
Keep your goals visible – how many times have you written your goals down in a notebook, only to never open it again? That’s a great way to completely forget your whole game plan. Use your tools. Create a vision board, keep a checklist on your desk, or anything that will create a visual reminder!

You don’t have to be hard on yourself to become a goal-achieving superstar. Making consistent progress and enjoying the journey are what really count! As long as you stay accountable, you’ve got this.

Let me know in the comments below: