25 monthly goals and challenge ideas, from January to December

January challenge ideas, then February and March

January has two named challenges: Dry January, a 31 day break from alcohol from Alcohol Change UK, and Veganuary, a charity that asks you to try vegan for the month.

• Drink no alcohol for all 31 days of January for Dry January.
• Eat vegan from 1 to 31 January with Veganuary.
• Buy nothing but food, bills and must-haves for the 31 days of January.
• Do 1 push-up on 1 February, 2 on the 2nd, and so on up to 28: 406 push-ups in the month.
• Walk 100 km in March. That is about 3.2 km a day.

Monthly goals ideas for April, May and June

May has its own challenge for people who make their clothes. In Me-Made-May, each person writes their own pledge, and one handmade piece worn a day is a common one.

• Read one book a week in April: 4 books by the 30th.
• Wear clothes you made yourself through May, as often as your own Me-Made-May pledge says.
• Cook a dish from a different country each week of May: 4 countries.
• Learn to juggle 3 balls by 30 June, with 10 minutes of practice a day.
• Swim 10 km in June: 2.5 km a week.

Monthly goals examples for July, August and September

Plastic Free July, from a charity based in Australia, asks you to refuse single-use plastic for a day, a week or the whole month. The same month can cut something else, like the minutes on your phone that screen time goals count.

• Say no to plastic bags, bottles, straws and cups for all 31 days of Plastic Free July.
• Keep your phone out of the bedroom every night of July.
• Mend one broken thing a week in August instead of buying new: 4 repairs.
• Cycle 300 km in August. That is about 10 km a day.
• Walk or bike to work or school on 20 days in September.

October, November and December challenge ideas

The last three months of the year have several named challenges. If you would rather make the end of the year one long push, see winter arc goals.

• Give up alcohol for the 31 days of October with Sober October, and raise money for Alcohol Change UK.
• Make one ink drawing a day from 1 to 31 October for Inktober, or one a week if daily is too much.
• Run or walk 60 km over November for Movember's Move challenge: 2 km a day.
• Give away one thing you no longer use every day of November: 30 things by the 30th.
• Do one kind thing a day from 1 to 24 December, like opening an advent calendar.

Monthly goals for work and for students

A month is about four weeks, so a monthly goal at work or school gets four check-ins, one at each weekly review.

• Write 3 goals on the 1st of the month and mark each one done or not on the last day, for 6 months.
• Finish 4 modules of an online course this month, one a week.
• Clear one old task off your to-do list every workday this month.
• Hand in every homework task and project on time for a whole month.
• Study 20 hours this month: 5 hours a week, logged after each session.

What is a good monthly goal?

A good monthly goal is one thing with a number in it, sized to fit 28 to 31 days. The month hands you the dates: you start on the 1st, and the last day is the finish line. One goal a month is plenty. Twelve of them make a year.

The 1st is also a natural start. A study of Google searches, gym visits and goal sign-ups found that all three rose after new starts like a new week, a new month or a new year. Searches for "diet" were 3.7% higher at the start of a month, and gym visits dropped as each month went on. So you do not have to wait for January. Every year has 12 new starts.

Named challenges come with their organiser's rules. For challenges that fit any month, start with these 30 day challenge ideas. A no sugar challenge has no organiser at all, so its first step is writing your own rules.

How to track monthly goals

Log it on the day you do it. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and the effect was larger when progress was written down.

Most monthly goals are a day count: 31 days without alcohol, 31 ink drawings, 30 days of juggling practice. Others are amounts that add up: 60 km for Movember, 406 push-ups in February, 300 km on a bike in August.

When the month ends, start the next one on the 1st. A picture that fills a little with every day you log shows each month, from the first day to the last.

Frequently asked questions

What are some examples of monthly goals?

Drink no alcohol for the 31 days of January. Walk 100 km in March. Read one book a week in April. Cycle 300 km in August. Run or walk 60 km over November. Each one has a number, and each one ends on the last day of its month.

What are good November challenge ideas for adults?

Run or walk 60 km over the month with Movember's Move challenge, which raises money for men's health. Give away one thing you no longer use each day: 30 things by the 30th. Or keep your phone out of the bedroom for all 30 nights.

Should a monthly challenge start on the 1st?

It is a natural day to start. In a study of Google searches, gym visits and goal sign-ups, all three rose after new starts like a new week, month or year. If the 1st is far away, the next Monday is a new start too.