Right before January rolls around, you start seeing a dramatic increase in “goals” and “resolutions” content all across the web. Because it’s common to be thinking about that fresh start right about now. I have a lot to say about goals, but for this post, I want to focus on personal growth. Because goals come in all shapes and sizes for all the different pockets of your life. It’s easy enough to set vague goals like “eat healthier” or “read more” on January 1. But if you really want to experience personal growth in the new year, you’ll need to dig a little deeper, and set some concrete goals with tangible deliverables. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Set a reading goal

If you really want to grow in 2021, reading is a great place to start. Apps and websites like Goodreads often have options to set reading goals, to help you set your target and track your progress. You can decide if this includes audiobooks, short stories, etc. The parameters are up to you. But setting a reading goal with a palpable accomplishment will make it that much easier to hit your target.

Get a mentor

I am eternally grateful to my mentor for the things he has taught me. Depending on where you are in life, you might not want or need a business mentor, but maybe a creative one or a spiritual one. Whichever areas you want to focus on in the new year, finding someone older and wiser is a great goal to set. Not only will you gain knowledge from their valuable experience, but it will also help you grow your networking and communication skills, as well as providing another source of accountability for your personal growth.

Volunteer for a cause you’re passionate about

Notice the important part of this goal *a cause you’re passionate about. A lot of people set the ambiguous goal of “volunteer more” and then find themselves fulfilling it begrudgingly. Find a cause or an organization that you’re truly enamored with. For me, it was my local Urban Sharecrop. I love its mission of farming yards and schools all around the San Diego community to bring its residents organic, local produce while also mentoring and teaching about the soulful practice of gardening. I would deliver the sharecrop boxes every week as my way of contributing to the cause, and it was something I truly enjoyed.

Reduce your screen time

This one is easy to track if you have an iPhone! Each week you get that sneaky little report telling you just how much scrolling you actually did. If you want to reduce that amount in 2021, I would suggest designating one day a week as your “offline” day. Log out of your social media accounts, put an away message on your email, whatever you need to do to temporarily breakup with your phone. It might be hard at first, but the benefits are truly worth it.

Complete a certification program

You don’t have to go and get a whole new four-year degree to foster your personal growth. There are so many certification programs available that you can do from the comfort of your home in whatever area you choose. You can get certificates from universities like Cornell, Harvard and more! It will look great on your resume, and you’ll feel good about your accomplishment. Here are just a few ideas of the myriad certifications you can get:

• Brand Management Certificate
• Data Analytics Certificate
• Leadership Essentials Certificate
• Diversity & Inclusion Certificate
• Accounting Fundamentals Certificate
• Fitness and Nutrition
• Child Development
• Event Planning

Commit to eliminating one bad habit at a time

People often try to break a bunch of bad habits at once, especially in January of the new year. This can work for some things, like if you’re trying to quit your habit of staying up late and watching tv. But change isn’t easy, especially when it comes to habitual behavior. It can take about 60 days to replace an old habit with a new one, so try breaking it up over the course of the year. Make a list of five bad habits you want to break and just start at the top until you have that one under control.

Schedule a 20-minute “walk break” during your daily lunch

In line with breaking habits is also implementing new, healthy ones. Using your daily lunch break to leave your workspace for 20 minutes of fresh air is good for your body and your mind. And if you’re worried about productivity, don’t. At the end of the day, 20 minutes will not make or break your productivity success. You might even find yourself more productive for the second half of your day after your walk leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated from the morning grind. Create a reminder in your phone, block it out in your work calendar, whatever you need to do to make it a habitual, scheduled part of your day.

Build an emergency fund

An emergency fund should have a minimum of six months worth of expenses including rent, bills, student loans and any other extra expenses you repeatedly make over the course of a month. If you’ve already done this, double it. Because not only will you feel good having that cushion, you’ll feel even better the next time a global pandemic rolls around and you’re suddenly out of work and out of cash.

Main + featured image via our interview with Yossy Akinsanya