This site is named after a real thing. The Good Life Goals are the personal-action version of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, seventeen targets the world agreed on for ending poverty, protecting the planet and improving lives. The UN version is written for governments. The Good Life Goals translate each one into something a single person can actually do on a Tuesday.
That translation is the whole point, and it is also the reason this site exists. Most goal-setting advice is about you: your career, your habits, your morning routine. That matters, and most of what we publish is exactly that. But the same skills that get you through a twelve-week personal goal are the skills that make any of these seventeen stick. You pick one thing. You define what done looks like. You build a routine that survives a bad week.
Below is all seventeen, with what each one actually means for your own life, four specific things you can do, and the single easiest place to start. Read the whole thing if you want the full picture. Or scan for the one that already bothers you and start there, which is honestly what most people should do.
How to use this list
Do not try to do seventeen things. That is the fastest way to do zero things. The people who make progress on any of these pick one, work it until it is automatic, then add another.
A useful filter: choose the goal where the personal benefit and the wider benefit overlap most for your situation. If your utility bills are painful, start with water or energy. If you feel disconnected from where you live, start with your neighbourhood. The overlap is what keeps you going after the initial motivation fades, and motivation always fades. That is not a character flaw, it is just how motivation works.
The seventeen Good Life Goals
1. Help End Poverty
United Nations goal 1: No Poverty
Money stress touches almost everyone, so getting sharper about poverty around you often starts with your own habits and community ties. Supporting local causes, buying from struggling small businesses, or helping a neighbor builds a support network that can come back to you later. People who stay connected to their community tend to have more resources to draw on when things get tight themselves, plus it feels good to know your money and time are doing something real close to home.
What you can do
- Buy groceries or gifts from struggling local small businesses this month
- Set up a small automatic monthly donation to a local charity
- Offer a skill you have for free to someone who needs it
- Pay a fair or slightly higher price for services when you can
Start with: Pick one local shop or charity and spend or give something there this week.
2. Eat Better
United Nations goal 2: Zero Hunger
Eating better usually means more energy, steadier moods, and fewer trips to the doctor, which matters way more day to day than any abstract food system. Planning meals and cutting waste also saves real money, since thrown-out food is thrown-out cash. Cooking more of your own food gives you control over what actually goes into your body instead of relying on whatever is fast or heavily processed. It is one of the few habits that pays you back almost immediately in how you feel.
What you can do
- Plan meals for the week before you go grocery shopping
- Cook simple meals at home instead of ordering takeout often
- Store leftovers properly so they get eaten instead of wasted
- Add one more vegetable or fruit to your meals daily
Start with: Write a simple meal plan for the next three days before you shop.
3. Stay Well
United Nations goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Feeling well physically and mentally changes everything else in your life, from your work to your relationships, so this goal is really about protecting the thing that makes everything else possible. Small consistent habits like sleep, movement, and checking in on your mental state prevent bigger problems down the road and save you from expensive, stressful health crises later. Staying well is not about perfection, it is about noticing early when something is off and doing something small before it becomes something big.
What you can do
- Schedule a basic health checkup you have been putting off
- Move your body for thirty minutes most days of the week
- Get consistent sleep by keeping a regular bedtime routine
- Talk to someone you trust when you feel overwhelmed or low
Start with: Book that overdue doctor or dentist appointment today.
4. Learn and Teach
United Nations goal 4: Quality Education
Learning new things keeps your brain sharp and often opens doors at work or in life that you did not expect, while teaching someone else something you know is one of the fastest ways to actually understand it yourself. This goal is really about staying curious and useful, which keeps life interesting instead of stagnant. Sharing what you know also builds real trust with people around you, whether that is a coworker, a kid, or a neighbor, and that trust tends to come back around.
What you can do
- Read one book or take one course on a new topic
- Teach a friend or family member a skill you already have
- Help a child with homework or a school project regularly
- Watch tutorial videos to learn a practical skill you lack
Start with: Pick one topic you are curious about and read one article on it today.
5. Treat Everyone Equally
United Nations goal 5: Gender Equality
Treating people fairly regardless of gender makes your own relationships, workplace, and friendships work better because resentment and unfairness quietly poison trust over time. When you notice and correct unequal treatment, whether that is splitting chores fairly or making sure everyone gets heard in a meeting, you build a home and work life that actually feels good to be part of. This is not about big statements, it is about small daily fairness that makes the people around you want to keep showing up for you too.
What you can do
- Split household chores and childcare fairly regardless of gender roles
- Speak up when you notice someone being talked over or dismissed
- Pay attention to who gets credit for ideas at work
- Encourage kids around you to try any activity they enjoy
Start with: Have an honest conversation at home about how chores are currently split.
6. Save Water
United Nations goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Cutting your water use saves you real money every month, since heating water for showers and laundry is a big chunk of utility bills. Fixing leaks and using less means fewer surprise costs and less time dealing with plumbing headaches. It also makes you more prepared if your area ever faces restrictions or shortages. Simple habits around the house add up fast, and you barely notice the difference in daily life once they're routine, but your wallet and your water pressure will.
What you can do
- Fix dripping taps and running toilets as soon as you notice them
- Take shorter showers instead of baths most days of the week
- Only run washing machines and dishwashers with a full load
- Install a low-flow showerhead to cut water use without losing pressure
Start with: Check every tap and toilet in your home this week for leaks.
7. Use Clean Energy
United Nations goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Switching to clean energy at home usually lowers your electricity bills over time, especially with solar or efficient appliances. It also protects you from price spikes tied to fuel costs, since renewable sources don't swing the same way. Cleaner energy in your home means less indoor air pollution from gas appliances too, which is better for your family's health. Once you make the switch, you stop thinking about it, and you're simply paying less for power that works exactly the same way.
What you can do
- Ask your energy provider if they offer a renewable electricity plan
- Switch old light bulbs to LED bulbs throughout your home
- Unplug chargers and devices when they are not actively being used
- Get a home energy audit to find where you are wasting power
Start with: Call your electricity provider this week and ask about renewable options.
8. Do Good Work
United Nations goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
How you work and who you work for shapes your daily mood, your finances, and your long term security. Choosing fair employers, negotiating decent pay, and supporting workplaces that treat people well makes your own working life better too. It also means your money supports businesses that won't collapse under scandal or bad practices. Good work isn't just about ethics, it's about building a career and income you can actually rely on and feel proud of when you look back.
What you can do
- Research a company's labor practices before accepting a job offer there
- Speak up if you notice unfair treatment of coworkers at work
- Support local businesses that pay their staff a fair living wage
- Negotiate your own pay and conditions instead of accepting the first offer
Start with: Look up one company you're curious about and check their employee reviews.
9. Make Smart Choices
United Nations goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Choosing well made products and smarter services saves you money because things last longer and break less often. It also means less clutter and fewer trips to replace things that fail fast. Supporting companies that invest in better infrastructure and technology usually means better customer service and fewer headaches for you as a buyer. Being a smart, informed shopper protects your budget and your time, and it feels good to know your money is going toward things built to actually work.
What you can do
- Buy durable products instead of the cheapest disposable version available
- Research a company's reputation before making a large purchase decision
- Support local infrastructure projects like community broadband or recycling programs
- Choose repairable electronics over ones designed to be thrown away quickly
- Fix instead of replacing items
Start with: Before your next big purchase, read a few reviews on durability.
10. Be Fair
United Nations goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Living in a fairer world benefits you directly because unequal societies tend to have more stress, crime, and instability that touch everyone, not just those at the bottom. Treating people fairly at work, at home, and online also builds you a reputation as someone trustworthy and easy to deal with. Standing against unfair treatment protects you too, since today's bystander could be tomorrow's target. Fairness isn't charity, it's the foundation of communities and relationships that actually work well for everyone in them, including you.
What you can do
- Speak up when you witness discrimination or unfair treatment in public
- Pay and treat household staff or freelancers the same as anyone else
- Support businesses and brands known for fair and inclusive hiring practices
- Listen to and include people whose backgrounds are different from your own
Start with: Notice one small unfair moment this week and choose to say something.
11. Love Where You Live
United Nations goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
A neighborhood you actually enjoy makes daily life easier and less stressful, from shorter commutes to knowing people you can call on. Getting involved in local decisions, supporting nearby shops, and pushing for better parks or transport means you get a place that works for you, not just developers. It also builds real connections, so you're less isolated and more likely to have help nearby when you need it. Loving where you live starts with small, doable steps, not moving away.
What you can do
- Walk or cycle your neighborhood and note what needs fixing
- Attend one local council or community meeting this year
- Support small local shops instead of big chains when possible
- Report broken streetlights, potholes or unsafe spots to your council
Start with: Take a slow walk around your block and list three things you'd change.
12. Buy Better
United Nations goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Buying better saves you money over time because well-made things last longer and cheap junk needs replacing constantly. It also cuts down clutter and decision fatigue, since you stop mindlessly restocking things you don't really need. Choosing quality over quantity means your home fills with stuff that actually works and that you like using. It's a practical way to spend less overall while still getting things that serve you well, not a lifestyle overhaul.
What you can do
- Check product reviews and durability before buying anything expensive
- Repair items first instead of automatically replacing them
- Buy secondhand or refurbished for electronics, furniture and clothes
- Choose fewer, better quality items over cheap disposable versions
Start with: Before your next purchase, pause and ask if you can repair or borrow instead.
13. Act on Climate
United Nations goal 13: Climate Action
Taking action on climate at home often saves you real money, through lower energy bills, cheaper transport, and less waste. It also gives you a sense of control instead of feeling helpless about a huge problem, because your choices about heating, driving, and food do add up over your lifetime. Many of these changes make your home more comfortable and your routines simpler too. This isn't about guilt, it's about small adjustments that quietly benefit your wallet and your daily life.
What you can do
- Turn down your thermostat by a couple of degrees in winter
- Walk, cycle or use public transport for short trips when possible
- Unplug devices and switch to energy efficient bulbs at home
- Air dry clothes instead of using the dryer when you can
Start with: Lower your thermostat by one or two degrees today and see how it feels.
14. Clean Our Seas
United Nations goal 14: Life Below Water
Clean seas mean healthier seafood, safer beaches, and better swimming and fishing wherever you live near water. Plastic and pollution in oceans eventually show up in the fish people eat and the beaches people visit, so keeping seas cleaner protects things you personally enjoy. Simple habits around plastic use and waste disposal cost you nothing extra and often save money by cutting down on single use items. It's an easy way to protect places you might swim, fish or relax at.
What you can do
- Cut down on single use plastic bags, bottles and straws
- Join or organize a local beach or river cleanup day
- Dispose of fishing line, nets and hooks properly, never dumped
- Choose reef safe sunscreen when swimming or snorkeling in the ocean
Start with: Swap one disposable plastic item you use daily for a reusable version.
15. Love Nature
United Nations goal 15: Life on Land
Spending time in nature and protecting green spaces near you genuinely improves your mood and gives you a place to relax, walk or exercise for free. Healthy local land also means cleaner air, better food growing conditions, and fewer pests around your home. Getting involved in protecting nature, even in small ways, connects you to your surroundings and often to other people who care about the same places. It's less about saving the whole planet and more about keeping the outdoors near you worth visiting.
What you can do
- Plant native trees, shrubs or flowers in your garden or balcony
- Support local parks and green spaces instead of paving them over
- Avoid pesticides and harmful chemicals that damage soil and wildlife
- Volunteer for a tree planting or habitat restoration day nearby
Start with: Plant one native plant in your garden, pot or windowsill this week.
16. Make Peace
United Nations goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Living with unresolved arguments quietly drains your energy, whether it is a family feud, a workplace grudge, or a neighbor dispute. Making peace in your own circles gives you back headspace and better sleep, and it often improves your reputation as someone people trust. It also builds a habit of fairness and calm problem solving that spills into how you handle stress everywhere else. You do not need to fix the world, just the friction closest to you, and that alone makes daily life noticeably lighter.
What you can do
- Reach out to one person you are in conflict with this week.
- Apologize first even if you think you are only half wrong.
- Report scams or corruption you witness instead of shrugging it off.
- Support fair treatment at work by speaking up when you see bias.
Start with: Pick one ongoing conflict in your life, big or small, and reach out first.
17. Come Together
United Nations goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Trying to do everything alone is exhausting and slow, whether that is a goal at home, a project at work, or a change in your neighborhood. Teaming up with others gets things done faster, splits the cost and effort, and makes the work more enjoyable because you are not carrying it solo. It also builds a network of people you can call on later, which pays off in ways far beyond whatever you are working on right now. Partnership is simply the efficient way to get real things done.
What you can do
- Join a local group already working on something you care about.
- Share useful skills, tools, or contacts with someone tackling a similar goal.
- Ask for help on a project instead of struggling through it alone.
- Introduce two people you know who could benefit from working together.
Start with: Message one person or group this week and offer to team up on something specific.
Picking your one
If you read all seventeen and felt slightly overwhelmed, that is the normal response. Here is the shortcut.
Ask which of these you have already thought about more than once in the last month. Not the one that sounds most impressive or most urgent globally, the one your brain keeps returning to. That recurring thought is the best available signal that the goal fits your actual life rather than your idea of who you should be.
Then shrink it. Take the "start with" line from that goal and do only that for two weeks. No system, no tracking app, no announcement. If it survives two weeks, it is real and you can build on it. If it does not, you learned something cheap and you pick a different one.
When you are ready to turn one of these into something with a finish line, our free 12-Week Goal System walks through choosing a single goal, defining what done means, and running the weekly review that keeps it alive. There is also a printable goal setting worksheet if you would rather work it out on paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Good Life Goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
They cover the same seventeen areas. The Sustainable Development Goals are written as targets for governments, institutions and businesses. The Good Life Goals restate each one as personal actions an individual can take. Same structure, different audience.
Do I have to work on all seventeen goals?
No, and trying to is counterproductive. Pick one that overlaps with something already happening in your life, make it routine, then consider adding another. One goal done properly beats seventeen done badly.
Which Good Life Goal is the easiest to start with?
For most people it is one of the household goals, saving water or using less energy, because the actions are small, immediate and visible on a bill. You get feedback quickly, which makes the habit easier to keep.
Can small personal actions really matter at this scale?
An individual's direct footprint is small, and it is honest to say so. What personal action does reliably do is change what feels normal in your household and your circle, and it makes you far more likely to support bigger changes when the chance appears. Start with the version you control.
Where do I go next on this site?
If you want the goal-setting skills that make any of these stick, start with the science of goal setting or how to write goals you will actually finish.