A life goal of mine: how to answer it (with examples)
By the bestsideofyou teamLast updated
“A life goal of mine” works best with one specific goal, big or small, that says something about what you care about. Name it concretely and add a detail about where you are with it. Specific goals invite questions; vague ones invite nothing.
What this prompt reveals about you
What you're working toward and what you value. A good answer shows ambition, curiosity or warmth without sounding like a LinkedIn post. It also tells someone whether your future could overlap with theirs.
8 example answers
Illustrative examples written by us, not real profiles.
Learning to make my grandmother's dumplings before she decides I'm ready. Current status: not ready.
Run a marathon in under four hours. I'm at 4:12. Someone needs to cheer at mile 20.
Own a house with a porch big enough for two rocking chairs and one very loud opinion.
Visit every national park in the US. I'm on 14 of 63. I keep a map with pins.
Open a tiny bookshop with a café and a cat. I already have the cat.
Finish a novel. I have 40,000 words and a title I keep changing. Currently it's “Untitled 7”.
Be the kind of neighbor who has spare eggs and knows everyone's dog's name.
Learn to sail and take a boat from Lisbon to the Canaries. I've done the course. Now I need a crew.
Common mistakes
Be happy.
Have a dinner table big enough for all my friends and a lasagna recipe good enough to feed them.
Everyone wants to be happy. Show what happy looks like to you.
Travel the world.
See the northern lights from a cabin in Tromsø, with a thermos of hot chocolate and someone to wake up at 2am.
“Travel the world” is a cliché. One trip is a goal.
Be successful.
Start a small bakery in my neighborhood. I've been testing croissants on my coworkers for a year.
Abstract goals sound like a job interview. Give the real one.
Pair it with
If you've started working toward your goal (the running bib, the half-written book), a photo of it makes it real.
- This year, I really want to
- Together, we could
- I'm looking for
- A photo: doing the thing you mentioned. Turns a prompt claim into proof: the climbing wall, the pottery wheel, the pizza oven.
- A photo: a place that matters to you. Your local café, your allotment, your Sunday route. Gives someone a first-date idea.
More on building the whole profile: How to improve your Hinge profile.
Questions people ask
Should my goal be big or small?
Either. Specific matters more than size. A small, vivid goal can be just as attractive as a big one.
Is it okay to mention a career goal?
Yes, if it's personal and specific. Avoid anything that sounds like a CV.
Should I mention marriage or kids here?
You can, but it's usually better in a prompt about what you're looking for, said warmly.