What are Mad Goals: 55 Mad Goals Examples to Set in 2024

Learning a new language within the next 3 months and paying off your debts in one year are challenging goals to set – That’s why we set mad goals. Here is a list of 55+ mad goal examples.

How to set mad goals?"Image depicting a list of 55 mad goals examples for 2023.

Have you ever set your monthly, daily, weekly, or yearly goals and fallen off the bandwagon just before starting?

Do you spend time listing goals but fail to achieve them?

That’s because your goals are not measurable, achievable, and deadline-driven.

And when your goals are not MAD, they become “wishes on paper” or in your heart.

Although writing a goal on paper seems super easy, as many people do this often, especially at the beginning of the year – You know your ‘New year, new me” goals.

Including monthly goals and weekly and quarterly goals. Or career, relationship, and personal or life goals they never achieve month in and year in, year out.

Goal setting can be daunting, so you need to set mad goals. After reading this blog post, you’ll know what a MAD goal, how to set MAD goals, and a list of examples of mad goals to use as inspirations for your goal setting is.

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What are Mad Goals?

A MAD goal is a thoughtful approach to goal setting system where you set seemingly impossible or highly ambitious aspirations and goals that pushes you beyond the boundaries of what is considered achievable.

The acronym “MAD” mean Measurable, Achievable, and Deadline driven. I like to tag “D” as Difficult and deadline driven.

Setting and achieving mad goals require much effort, creativity, and perseverance.

These goals push you beyond your limit and can serve as motivators to take on big tasks and accomplish big feats either personally, career, in business, or society.

Mad goals are the kind of goals that may appear crazy to understand and sometimes unrealistic. But if you’re full of determination, you can take on these goals and achieve them.

For Instance, I run three businesses, including this new blog, and my goal is to have this site in an Ad network by Q-4, which means I need 10k sessions to get into the Shemedia and 50k sessions for Mediavine or 100K page views for Adthrive.

My target is Mediavine. I’m not breaking the Guinness record (lol because many bloggers have done it, and in most cases, they outsource content.

But it’s a huge goal, as it requires much effort and time, which I don’t have.

For blogs to grow, you need traffic; to get traffic, you need content.

I’m currently on a content creation challenge where I write 2 blog posts a day for the next 10 days.

Although, this goal is challenging and pushes me beyond my limits, as creating quality content takes time.

Your Mad goal may be losing 10 kg of weight in a week or receiving promotions that would take you a long time by regular standards.

MAD goals may seem difficult to attain, but the journey towards achieving these goals is transformational and brings breakthroughs.

55 MAD Goals Examples to Set Today

Ready to set mad goals and break out of your comfort zone? Here are 55 mad goals examples to help you achieve that.

Set a Guinness World Record.
Learn to play a musical instrument and perform in a band.
Start a new
Write and publish a book within 2 years.
Start a new business within 3 months.
Learn and master a new musical instrument within 6 months.
Save x amount of money in a year (make sure it’s a number that requires effort).
Loose X amount of weight in a month.
Read 50 books within a year.
Learn and master a new language within a year.
Write 100 blog articles within the next year.
Meditate for 30 minutes daily for the next three months.
Start a nonprofit organization within a year and make a positive impact.
Complete a 365-daily gratitude journal within one year.
Quit smoking within the following year.
Start a Blog a week.
Complete a 30-day minimalism challenge within the next three months.
Declutter your home in a day.
Start a podcast and reach 1,000 monthly listeners in 2 months.
Complete a 30-day social media detox within the next three months.
Publish 100 episodes in your podcast within a year.
Achieve 6-figures in your small business within a year.
Become a digital nomad and travel around in 2 years.
Complete a marathon within six months.
Become a martial a black belt in a martial art within three years.
Complete a marathon within six months.
Become drug or alcohol-free in 1 year.
Pay off your debt within 2-years
Take a photography course and have a solo exhibition within one year.
Improve your skills, become relevant, and get promoted within 2 years.
Volunteer for a charitable organization for 100 hours in six months.
Cut down on monthly expenses and live frugally while saving money.
Save 30 percent of your income within a year.
Achieve financial stability in 2 years and get married.
Challenge yourself to Skydive from 15,000 feet.
Run a successful marathon for a charitable cause.
Complete a solo backpacking trip on 2 continents within 2-years.
Get a MasterMasters’s or Ph.D. within 2 years.
Participate and speak in a TED Talk.
Build a sustainable off-grid cabin in the mountains.
Learn to do a full split in a month (Crazy fun goal).
Eat only homecooked meals for a year (No take-outs, junk, or fast foods).
Start a side hustle grow it within 2 years, make enough money and retire from the corporate world (I know this is a dream for many people)
Learn a digital skill in 6 months, and start working from home.
Set new boundaries about “X things” with loved ones.
Build the habit of going to bed before 9 pm, and waking up at 5 am daily (this is healthy, lol).
Learn real estate and become a successful realtor in 5 years.
Learn to dance professionally in 6 months.
Practice and participate in a Talent show within a year.
Learn a new hobby next three months.
Set up an Etsy shop and make 100 sales in 6 months (this is a lot of work – speaking from experience).
Become an influencer and build a successful brand in 18 months.
Exercise 3 times a week consistently for a year.
Buy your dream house within 2 years.
Take 10,000 steps a day.

So these are examples of mad goals that you can set.

However, goals differ among individuals. So, think about those areas of your life that need improvement and set a mad goal to improve one.

Why are MAD Goals Important?

Maybe you’re tired of setting SMART goals and want to set Mad goals. Here are some reasons why mad goals are essential and why you should set them;

Mad goals serve as a motivation and inspiration
It stretches your limits and takes you out of your comfort zone.
It helps you build resilience and perseverance
It pushes you to achieve big wins and break out of your limitations.
Mad goals usually have huge benefits once you reach them.

We should all set and achieve at least one MAD goal year.

For Instance, realistically, if I want to stick to my content-smart goals for the year.

But, due to my schedule, I can only write 4-5 blog posts monthly.

However, because I decided to set and achieve a MAD goal this month, I have created 25 blog posts in a month. Crazy right? But how do you set mad goals?

Best Tips for Setting MAD Goals in 2024

Ready to set and achieve your mad goals? These are realistic steps for setting and achieving your goals.

1. Be Specific and Clear About Your Goals

Mad goals are ambitious and may seem overwhelming and challenging to accomplish. And that’s why you should clearly define your goal and be precise.

Unlike other types of goal setting where you just set a goal, meanwhile, with Mad Goals, you’ll state precisely the goals and the time you want to accomplish them, even though it seems big.

So, be specific, avoid vague statements, and instead, create a clear vision of what you want to achieve.

For example, I will lose 10 pounds a week in 2024. Instead, I’ll lose 1 pound this week by dieting, going to the gym, taking regular walks, and intermittent fasting.

2. Make Your Goals Challenging

Mad goals test your perseverance and abilities and take you out of your comfort zone.

You’ll have to work two times harder to achieve them than the regular goals.

So set goals that require more effort but are measurable and add a timeline.

Because when you achieve a mad goal, it serves as a motivator and helps you develop skills to overcome obstacles.

PS: Your goal is not a MAD goal if it doesn’t test your limits and push you outside of your limitations.

You can borrow inspiration from my list of mad goals examples if you need help starting.

3. Break Down Your Mad Goals

Break down your mad goal into smaller, actionable steps.

Create a roadmap and outline every step you’ll need to accomplish them.

When you break your goals into actionable bits and milestones and outline all you need to do to hit that goal, your goal becomes clearer, and you wake up each day knowing exactly what to do.

For Instance; assuming your MAD goal is to read 50 books a year; that means you’ll need to read one book a week and 4 books monthly to achieve this goal.

Breaking your goal makes it less overwhelming and allows you to focus on actionable steps while making daily progress.

4. Define Your Why and Purpose

Having an undefined purpose is the biggest reason people lack motivation and fail to achieve their goals.

Therefore, before setting your MAD goals, ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly;

Why am I setting the goals?
How will it improve the quality of my life, business, relationship, or whatever reason why you are setting that goal?
What happens after I achieve this goal?
If I don’t accomplish this goal, what happens?

When you answer these questions truthfully and are firmly convinced why you’re setting a mad goal, you can build resilience and perseverance to push through.

As you already know, MAD goals are designed to be difficult and test your limits.

5. Avoid setting Too Many Mad Goals at a Time

Okay, you may not expect this, but avoid setting too many MAD Goals.

This is because Mad goals differ from your regular smart goals and require much more effort.

Instead, focus on achieving one Mad goal at a time with as many Smart goals as possible.

Additionally, both SMART goals and Mad goals can co-exist together. So, make one MAD goal you want to achieve and set other goals.

For example, I want this blog to make at least $1000 monthly within its first year.

But I need traffic as a stepping stone to do this. Because this sits in new 0Here is a simple road map; Quality content = Traffic and Traffic + Conversion = Money.

And that’s why my mad goal is to create at least 60 quality content before Q4. While working on my other business, personal and relationship goals.

6. Visualize and Be Consistent

Creating a crystal clear mental picture of you achieving your mad goal helps you stay persistent, build your confidence and motivate you to take on your goals.

You can use a vision board to visualize your goals and keep them where you’ll see them daily.

This helps you to imagine how you’ll feel when you finally achieve your goal.

Additionally, be consistent because every little action you take towards achieving your mad goals counts.

And instead of waiting to take one big action yearly, start by breaking down your goals into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily actionable bits.

7. Set a Deadline and Track Your Goals

Avoid setting a goal without a deadline and a system for measuring and tracking them.

Because without a deadline, your goal is a wish on paper.

Let’s say you want to walk 20000 steps a day- how would you know how many steps you’ve taken in a day without a smartwatch?

Or you want to make X amount of money from your business a year.

To do this, you’ll track your monthly earnings, set budgets, and have a specific amount you’re setting aside monthly.

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Final Thoughts on 55 Mad Goals Examples

Setting at least one mad goal a few quarters a year is a good practice, and I encourage you to do this.

But remember, while it’s essential to set ambitious goals, keep a flexible mindset, review and tweak your goals where necessary, and consistently track your progress.

Remember, be open-minded, embrace your journey, be persistent, and stay focused on achieving your goals.

Over to you! What are some MAD Goals you’ll be setting? Let me know in the comments.

What are Mad Goals: 55 Mad Goals Examples to Set in 2024