Yearly Goals Planner
Some things need to be done. You know the daily tasks: getting out of bed, answering emails, eating, and all the rest, whether within work or without. But that can't be all; everyone has goals and dreams, and you need to make small incremental steps towards that goal, or life will become meaningless. This template is for those goals. I use this at work to shape my career journey and outside of work to define where I want to go next.
This template is a simple one. It is deliberately restrictive.
There's a small box, so you can write the year. There's a goal box where you describe where you want to be in 12 months. The template's core is 4 rows, one for each season of the year or quarter, you do you.
Each row has a space for a "What" and a space for a "How".
The "What" box is for setting incremental goals that speed you toward your primary goal. For instance, if your primary goal is to become a novelist, your first "What" box could be "learn to write." This might seem vague, but that's where the "How" box comes in.
That's where the "How" box comes in; these are concrete steps that take you to your seasonal "What". In this case, take a writing course at the local college or write for 10 minutes daily. You get the idea.
The boxes are meant to be small; I assume you have a life outside your long-term goals. Overloading is a sure way to get disheartened and give up. The process is simple:
¡One "What" per season, and no more than five "Hows"!
It's better to make slow, steady progress than to overload yourself and burn out.
If you're efficient and get all 5 hows done, add more.
Finally, at the end of the year, fill in the "summary" box. Where you reflect on how things went, the progress you made, and any changes in direction. This isn't useful in the short term. Still, if you're like me, what you want changes every 2 weeks, the summary is a great way to keep focus and find the repeating patterns of what you care about.
Yes, it will take a few years to get to that point. But, when you want to do everything, it provides perspective. It helps show the progress that you have made, even when it feels like indecision is keeping you stationary.
Celebrate each step forward, no matter how small.
