Illustration by Uy Pham

The text of this article was read aloud and recorded for your greater accessibility and viewing pleasure:

Audio voiced by d.l. adams and recorded and edited by Gren Bee.

If you’ve uttered the words “Well, that was not on my 2024 bingo card!” even once last year, you need to make a bingoal. I’m not saying this will change your life, but it might make things more fun. I’m a big believer in gamifying your goals and tasks. Life’s too serious.

I hadn’t seen my friends in a while. As it often does, life got in the way. But when my friend Ashley shared a screenshot for a sold-out “Mimosas and Collaging” event, we decided to make our own DIY 2025 collaging night.

We sat on the floor of my friend Jess’ craft room working our way through a box of magazines, setting aside images or words that caught our attention, and talked about our goals for the new year.

Jess stood up and reached for a top shelf, pulling down a homemade poster. “It’s a bingo card of my goals; 25 of them,” she said.

Arranged in a 5-by-5 grid were images that represented things she wanted to achieve or accomplish in 2025. They were all measurable goals, with clear indications of achievement. It struck me as a brilliant idea. The idea for the poster came from a trend on TikTok. A quick search of “2025 Bingo Goals” revealed loads of inspiration for a card.

Before long, I was writing my own list of 25 goals. There’s something satisfying about the symmetry of 25 goals in 2025. Here are a few of mine:

• Run a 5K (It can’t be that hard, can it?)
• Do a pull-up (These are hard; I want perfect form.)
• 100-day Duolingo Streak (Ooh la la, bonjour.)
• Write a screenplay (Course requirement!)
• Get my license (I forgot to renew it; whoops.)
• Attend 10 co-writing events (Body-doubling is a superior ADHD hack.)

And the best part? Making bingoals with friends will bring you closer together throughout the year. We decided that completing a row — or the entire card — would come with some sort of celebration together. Our house rule? Whoever gets five in a row, decides how we celebrate.

Now, I look forward to reveling in my friends’ accomplishments. I like ending my year on a good note, so I scheduled an appointment with my therapist. I couldn’t wait to tell him about “bingoals.” He said that New Year’s resolutions aren’t popular among therapists; they are often too strict and set a person up for failure. But these are not New Year’s resolutions. They’re more like tasks to accomplish and milestones to reach. It was all I could do not to ask him if he could list 25 goals so I could make him a bingo card.

We all need personal wins — moments where we feel successful. Setting and working toward goals has been proven to be good for self-esteem and overall mental health. Think of yourself a year from now and imagine the things you will have accomplished. Be aspirational, but realistic. It might seem hard to come up with 25 goals, but I think you’re up for the challenge.

Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Rather than setting a goal to learn to play the guitar, set one to learn one song on the guitar by the end of the year.

You can add things you need to get done to your bingoals, like filing taxes or completing your certification. Write down things you know you will likely do, like completing a big project or graduating. And don’t forget to write down things you want to do, like hosting a dinner party or riding on a plane.

For students at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, your goals will be more rooted in creativity. You might want to create a portfolio website, or finish the first draft of your graphic novel. Maybe you want to submit your work to 10 magazines or newspapers. You can add the Bachelor in Fine Arts Show to your bingoals if you’re participating in it. Getting a job after graduation might be a good goal to add to your bingo card.

You might want to add in some fitness goals. Movement is important not just for your physical health, but your mental health, as well.  “Do 20 perfect push-ups,” “attend 12 Pilates classes,” or “hike a cumulative 10 hours,” for example.

Hang your bingoals somewhere prominent: your fridge, a mirror, the empty wall space near your desk. When you accomplish a bingoal, cross it off. Use stickers, if you have them, or even better, a bingo marker.

Find some way to celebrate your wins, even if you’re doing it alone. Not everyone wants external accountability and support like I do. Go solo if it pleases you. Personally, I’m accumulating as many people as I can to celebrate accomplishments (add yourself to my list, please!). After all, attending social events is one of my bingoals.

In 2025, I’m working towards accomplishing my goals; I hope you join me!

How to make your own bingoal sheet:

• Create a list of 25 SMART goals.
• Arrange the goals on a 5×5 grid. Play around with the order so it makes sense to you.
• If you’re crafty, you can draw a representation for each of your goals. Or head on over to your favorite online graphic design tool. Search their templates for a bingo card. Find images that represent each of your goals.
• Print! You could do this at The Service Bureau at SAIC, your local library, or even a drugstore.