Personal goals in life are specific objectives that give direction and motivation. They can span areas like fitness, travel, finance, and personal achievement. Leslie McDermid’s list of 101 goals includes running a marathon, visiting all seven continents, becoming debt-free, and writing a book. Creating a categorized bucket list helps turn aspirations into actionable steps that lead to a fulfilling life.
Leslie McDermid published a list of 101 life goals on November 1, 2019, offering a practical framework for anyone wanting to structure their own ambitions. Her list, influenced by principles found in works like The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, demonstrates how breaking down large aspirations into concrete, categorized items makes them more attainable.
Fitness and Health Goals
Physical well-being is often the engine that drives every other life goal forward. Without energy and health, pursuing travel adventures or career milestones becomes significantly harder. Leslie McDermid’s fitness targets for the 6 to 12 months following November 2019 included exercising three times a week and walking each day. These foundational habits reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and build the stamina required for more extreme physical challenges later on.
Structured Fitness Challenges
Ambitious physical goals transform a vague wish to get fit into a measurable, terrifying, and ultimately rewarding journey. Leslie McDermid’s list includes a progression of triathlon distances, culminating in a full Ironman. Working through these events requires years of disciplined training, yet each finish line provides a tangible sense of accomplishment.
- Participate in an Olympic Distance Triathlon: A 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, and 10 km run that serves as a demanding entry into multi-sport racing.
- Finish a Half Ironman Triathlon: A 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and 21.1 km run that tests physical and mental endurance at a new level.
- Finish a Full Ironman Triathlon: A 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a full 42.2 km marathon—a pinnacle test of human endurance.
- Finish in the Top 5% in a Half Marathon: Moving beyond completion to competition requires strategic pacing and speed work.
- Run a 10k Race: A shorter, accessible distance that still demands structured training for a strong finish.
- Run 14 Miles in Less Than 3 Hours: This pace target focuses on building consistent speed over a long distance.
- Run a Mile Under 6 Minutes: A raw, all-out speed goal that requires explosive power and efficient form.
- Perform 100 Days of Consecutive Running: A consistency challenge that builds the unbreakable habit of daily movement.
- Train for a Marathon in 4 Weeks: A high-intensity block of training reserved for those with a strong existing base who need a compressed schedule.
- Perform Yoga for 40 Days in a Row: A flexibility and mindfulness streak that transforms a practice into a non-negotiable daily ritual.
- Learn Muay Thai Boxing: A martial art from Thailand that builds striking skill, cardio, and mental toughness.
- Achieve Single Digit Body Fat Percentage: An advanced body composition goal that demands precise nutrition and training discipline.
Daily Health Habits
Small, repeatable actions often create more lasting change than any single grand gesture. Leslie McDermid’s short-term healthy living goals included starting snowshoeing, a low-impact winter activity that maintains cardiovascular fitness when running trails are iced over. A daily goal might be as simple as drinking a set amount of water or stretching for 15 minutes. These micro-commitments stack up, creating a baseline of wellness that supports larger fitness challenges without feeling overwhelming.
Travel and Adventure Goals
Travel goals anchor a bucket list in curiosity and the promise of shared memory. Leslie McDermid planned to save for a family trip to Costa Rica in 2020, grounding her long list of global ambitions in a near-term target. Her travel objectives spanned all seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica. Adding a trip to your list shifts it from a collection of tasks to a vision of a life fully lived and explored.
Global Travel Destinations
A specific destination name carries far more motivational weight than a country or region alone. Leslie McDermid’s European travel goals include visiting Italy, France, Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Moving beyond Europe, her list touches some of the most iconic landmarks and natural wonders on the planet.
- Walk Across the Great Wall of China: A multi-day trek along a structure spanning over 13,000 miles, connecting directly to ancient history.
- Take an Alaskan Cruise: A journey through fjords and past calving glaciers, with wildlife sightings from bald eagles to humpback whales.
- See Machu Picchu: The 15th-century Inca citadel in Peru, perched high in the Andes, reachable by train or a multi-day hike on the Inca Trail.
- See the Taj Mahal: The white marble mausoleum in Agra, India, best viewed at sunrise when the crowds are thin and the light is soft.
- Visit the Grand Canyon by Helicopter: A descent below the rim offers a perspective on geological time impossible to grasp from the overlook alone.
- Explore the Great Barrier Reef: A marine ecosystem off the coast of Australia, visible by snorkel, scuba, or glass-bottom boat.
- Experience the Northern Lights: The aurora borealis, best viewed in high-latitude regions during dark winter months under clear skies.
Adventures and Events
Life goals should also list the shared rituals and events that mark a culture. Leslie McDermid aims to attend the Super Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and the Olympics, turning broadcasts watched on screens into in-person memories. Her adventure list moves from spectator to participant by including becoming a certified scuba diver.
- Become a Certified Scuba Diver: Earning an open water certification unlocks silent, weightless exploration of shipwrecks and coral walls.
- Snorkel in Hawaii: Accessible without certification, this still places you face-to-face with sea turtles and tropical fish in clear, warm water.
- Explore All 5 of Hawaii’s Islands: Each island—Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Molokai—offers a distinct landscape from volcanic deserts to rainforests.
- Attend the Super Bowl: The annual championship of the National Football League, combining elite sport with a massive cultural spectacle.
- Attend the Rose Bowl: A New Year’s Day college football tradition in Pasadena, preceded by a parade of flower-covered floats.
- Attend the Olympics: Watching the world’s best athletes compete while moving through a host city transformed by the games.
Financial Goals
A list without money goals ignores the reality of how life is funded. Leslie McDermid’s financial objectives tie directly to independence, starting with the concrete target of becoming debt-free within 6 to 12 months from November 2019, at which time she was renting a small cabin. Clearing the ledger of debt removes a weight that slows every other goal. From that clean foundation, she builds toward ownership and income diversification.
- Buy a Home Within 6 to 12 Months: Moving from renting a small cabin to owning property establishes stability and an appreciating asset.
- Have Zero Personal Debt: Full elimination of consumer and student debt, freeing up cash flow for savings and investment.
- Have $10,000 or More in Savings: A liquid emergency fund large enough to absorb a job loss, major repair, or medical event without borrowing.
- Generate $1,000 from Online Sources: The first proof that a side income stream works, and the initial step toward scalable revenue.
- Generate Monthly Recurring Passive Income: Income that arrives without direct hourly labor, from digital products, rental properties, or dividend stocks.
- Diversify Income from at Least Five Sources: Multiple revenue streams ensure no single loss of a client or job is catastrophic.
- Build a Six-Figure Business: Crossing the $100,000 annual revenue mark signals a business that can support a full-time operator.
Personal Achievement and Career Goals
Achievement goals speak to legacy, career, and the mark you leave. Leslie McDermid intends to start a new podcast within a year, moving from consumer to creator. Her list also reaches toward major publishing milestones, including writing a bestselling book and a children’s book, and the staggering volume goal of publishing 100 books over a lifetime.
- Write a Best Selling Book: A book that achieves enough sales velocity to hit a major list, validating the message and expanding influence.
- Write a Children’s Book: A shorter, illustrated work that communicates a core value or story to young readers.
- Publish 100 Books: A volume target that demands consistent creative output and a system for production, not just one hit.
- Start a New Podcast: Launching a show within one year to build a direct audio audience around a chosen topic.
- Give a Talk to 10,000 People: A large-audience keynote that shifts a speaking career to a new tier of reach and impact.
- Make One Million Dollars in One Year: A high financial threshold that tests business scalability and personal capacity.
- Donate $100,000 in One Year: Giving at a level that makes a measurable difference to a chosen cause or charity.
- Appear on the Cover of a Magazine: A recognition marker that places you in front of an audience as an authority or story of note.
- Learn to Speak Spanish Fluently: Achieving conversational and professional proficiency in a second language, expanding travel and connection.
- Own a Vacation Home in Hawaii: A tangible asset in a location of deep personal significance that also serves as a retreat.
- Golf 18 Holes Under 90: A skill milestone that represents consistent, competent play across a full regulation course.
- Attend the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee: Experiencing a long-running stage show that represents the heart of country music history.
- Attend the Country Music Awards: Being present at a live awards broadcast celebrating the genre’s top artists and songs.
- Attend the Oscar Awards Ceremony: Witnessing the Academy Awards in person, placing you inside one of the most famous live broadcasts globally.
- Meet a U.S. President While in Office: A rare opportunity to interact with a sitting head of state in a formal or greeting setting.
Spiritual and Community Goals
A complete life-goal list carves out space for stillness and service, not just achievement. Leslie McDermid’s spiritual objectives include volunteering at a hospital—an act of direct, often difficult, service that puts personal complaints into immediate perspective. She also listed making 20 or more donations in a year, shifting charity from an impulse to a planned, consistent practice.
- Participate in a Meditation Retreat: A structured period of silence, often lasting several days, designed to deepen mindfulness practice.
- Complete 60 Days of Meditation: A streak goal that installs a daily mental stillness practice as solidly as a physical training routine.
- Complete 30 Days of Helping Others: A month-long commitment to daily service, from small anonymous gestures to scheduled volunteer shifts.
- Volunteer at a Hospital: A long-term commitment to showing up for patients and staff where the need is visible and constant.
Conclusion
Leslie McDermid’s published list of 101 goals demonstrates that a life plan gains power from its specificity and its spread across fitness, travel, finance, achievement, and community. The entries that grip you are not the easy ones—they are the ones that feel a little out of reach, forcing you to either grow into them or let them sit unclaimed. Pull out a notebook and write 101 of your own.
Borrow freely, but adapt each line until it matches your actual desires. A list written stays a list. A list worked reshapes a life.
FAQ
Q: What are personal goals in life?
A: Personal goals are specific objectives that give direction and motivation across areas like fitness, finance, travel, and personal achievement. Leslie McDermid’s list of 101 goals offers a categorized template to inspire your own.
Q: How do I start creating a life goal list?
A: Start by identifying categories that matter to you, such as health, finances, travel, and career. Use examples from Leslie McDermid’s list as inspiration and set both short-term and long-term goals with clear timelines.
Q: Why use a categorized approach for goals?
A: Categorizing goals helps ensure balance across different life areas. It prevents over-focusing on one aspect and makes it easier to track progress, as seen in Leslie McDermid’s structured 101-goal list covering fitness, travel, finance, and more.
