Goal punch cards

It is no surprise to anyone that I love a goal. I fill out my PowerSheets prep work each new year, I post my goals each month without fail, and I genuinely love to make progress on the projects and habits that matter to me.

But sometimes a goal doesn’t quite fit in a monthly, weekly, or daily format, you know?

Enter: the goal punch card.

Made popular on TikTok, I think, goal punch cards are unabashedly aesthetic — and that’s part of the point. But beyond their good looks and the fun of making them, I’ve actually found them to be a really helpful addition to my goal-setting arsenal. For me, they fill a distinct need: tracking something that I want to do a certain number of times, but that doesn’t need to fit in a particular time period or happen in a regular or structured way. Yes, I want to have game nights with my family or invite friends over for dinner, but they don’t have to happen once per month.

I made the ones above at the Articles Club retreat last month and they’ve been hanging on my kitchen bulletin board ever since, a hole punch ready and waiting in the drawer nearby. Should you be inspired to create your own, I thought I’d share the list of ideas I brainstormed and brought to the retreat…

Goal Punch Card Ideas:

— Read x nonfiction books
— Write x handwritten letters
— Try x new drinks at the coffee shop
— Go on x one-on-one parent dates with each of my children
— Shoot x rolls of film
— Try x new veggies
— X solo dates
— Try x new recipes
— Finish using x beauty products I already own
— X weeks of no Amazon
— Try x new hobbies
— Watch x new movies
— Host x dinner parties
— Have people over for dinner x times
— Host people x times
— Compliment a stranger x times
— Organize x areas at home
— Buy x new plants
— Wake up for x sunrises
— Go to x concerts
— Go on x flights
— Try x different cookies
— Pet x dogs
— Pay off x debt
— X no-screen days
— Donate x to charity
— Shop at x new small shops
— Donate blood x times
— Take x naps
— Volunteer x times within my community
— Buy x items of thrifted clothing
— Try x new restaurants
— X date nights
— Try x new workout classes
— Buy fresh flowers x times
— Do x puzzles
— Call my local reps x times
— Go on x hikes
— Try x new board games
— Paint my nails at home x times
— Donate x items
— Give away x items
— Pay for the order behind me x times
— Try x new shapes of pasta
— Buy x books from my local bookstore

Does everything have to be tracked to be meaningful or to “count”? Certainly not. But if a pretty card in a prominent place helps me to do more of what matters, then I’m all for it :)

I’d love to hear: Have you ever made a goal punch card? If not, which card would you be most likely to make?

P.S. I bought the cards we used at a local craft store, but these ones look similar! Alcohol markers appear to be the implement of choice amongst the TikTokkers.