SOTA can be many things to many people. For me participation has been a wonderful motivator to get up small and large peaks that otherwise would have just been part of the passing scenery. Some easy, some hard. I have been most interested in using the activity to get out and explore different areas and regions and even countries and continents. I set for myself a goal of 250 unique ascents and 2000 points, along with 29 Explorer Associations, which I reached last week. This is neither the smallest achievement nor the largest when looked at in relation to the impressive efforts and totals so many participants have. But for me it does show how you can set your own goal to achieve within the structure and aim for them. Its a wonderful activity made unique in the number of incremental totally personal goals you can set.
Great work.
I always set foolish yearly goals for myself and end up making most of them.
Malen
VE6VID
Joe @OE5JFE mentioned an interesting goal recently although the idea was originally suggested by @HB9DQM. This was to activate all the 001 summits in your own country.
This is achievable for me although because of the distances it may take me a few years just to do England (G). 
It’s slightly complicated by one region not having a 001 summit and only a 002. But I’ve already activated the summit which used to be 001 before it was pushed over the border into Wales so if I can also activate G/WB-002 I will have covered all options.
Now there’s a challenge. None of our 001s in ZL3 have been activated yet - I’ve been spying out a couple. But a good excuse to take a look at the full list!
Reckon I could do 4 out of 7. Well 3 out of 7 alone, and 1 with some more experienced mountaineering company (just got to convince them to hang around on the summit whilst i activate!).
ZL3/OT-001 - Mt Earnslaw - Grade II 1 - relatively easy mountaineering. Overnighter
Mt Earnslaw Pikirakatahi East Pk | ClimbNZ | climbnz.org.nz
ZL3/CB-001: Mt Cook - Grade V 3+ - mountaineering
https://climbnz.org.nz/nz/si/aoraki/kirikirikatata-mt-cook-range/aoraki-mt-cook
ZL3/SL-001 - Jane Peak - grade 1 - day trip or overnighter
Jane Peak, Eyre Mountains | New Zealand Tramper
ZL3/TM-001 - Mt Franklin - grade 1 - 3 day trip
Mt Franklin | ClimbNZ | climbnz.org.nz
ZL3/FL-001 - Mt Tutoko- Grade VI 5 7 - mountaineering
Mt Tutoko | ClimbNZ | climbnz.org.nz
ZL3/MB-001 - Tapuae-o-Uenuku - Grade 1 - overnighter
Tapuae-o-Uenuku | ClimbNZ | climbnz.org.nz
ZL3/WC-001 - Mt Tasman - Grade 3+
Mt Tasman Horokoau | ClimbNZ | climbnz.org.nz
I was looking at the W7M/SF region in the US today after reading a story of a 4 year old boy climbing an 11,000ft+ mountain there. Virtually all of the 10 point peaks in the Wind River range (where he was) are unactivated - with the exception of W7M/SF-001, Granite Peak, which has been activated only once.
Scope for new activations you might think - but check out photos of the summits - they are remote and seriously steep! The screenshot below shows the eastern edge of this region with peaks from W7M/PS included
This is the story about the boy. It is behind a pay wall but you might be able to see the start of the story.
Most of that Wind River Range needs a major commitment in terms of backpacking and camping. Not a lot of close access. In addition it is a very steep craggy range requiring advanced mountaineering skills in most cases, so it really reduces ones eligibility. We have very similar conditions here in SW Colorado. It looks like a lot of peaks — but can you get close — can you get up – its pretty wild country.