How I Finally Started Making Consistent Progress on My Goals
A simple planning method that turns big goals into small, manageable actions you can actually follow through on.
If you're like most people, you've probably promised yourself you'll finally start working toward something important. Maybe learn a new skill, launch a side project, improve your health. Maybe even change careers.
And yet, somehow, those goals keep getting pushed to "next week" because life gets in the way.
You know the ones: work deadlines, housework, appointments, unexpected problems, family responsibilities - all the "little" things that demand your attention and then leave you exhausted to do anything else but lie on a sofa and scroll through social media.
And contrary to what most people might say, in many cases this might not be a motivation problem. You can be the most motivated person, but if you're exhausted, you simply won't have enough energy left in you to pursue anything you want. That's the reality. But with some planning, we can solve it. Or at least make it better.
Over the years, I've realised that if I don't intentionally make space for my important goals, my urgent responsibilities will happily fill every available hour. That's why I started using the planning system below. It helped me make consistent progress on the things that truly mattered to me, and it's still the framework I come back to whenever I want to build something new.
One important note: I try to set goals that depend on me showing up, not on outcomes I can't control. I can't control whether thousands of people buy my product, but I can control whether I publish it, improve it, and tell people about it.
Start by defining your goals
First, write down the goal (or goals) you want to achieve. Make sure these goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART). For example, if you want to start a side passion project, your goal could look like this:
Create project X, earning at least £X per month by the (date).
If you're working toward several goals, write them all down, leaving enough space between each one.
Break each goal into actionable tasks
Some of the goals can be quite complex and require a ton of work to achieve them. If that's the case, you'll need to break each goal into as many small, concrete tasks as possible. The collection of these tasks, once done, should naturally lead you towards achieving the goal, so work backwards from the goal.
For example, if we use the above example and your goal is to start a side passion project, then, if you’ve already done some groundwork for it, some of your tasks might be:
Decide what you'll offer.
Research similar projects for inspiration.
Validate demand.
Choose a name.
Create a simple brand identity.
Build a website.
Plan your launch.
If you're just getting started with everything, then your tasks might even include things like:
Brainstorm project ideas.
Research potential users.
Read one book about starting a project.
Complete an introductory course.
Create your first sample.
Write down as many tasks as you can think of - the more specific they are, the better, too.
Give every task a place
This is the step that changed everything for me.
Most people make lists, but few of them decide when those tasks are actually going to happen.
I personally like to set realistic deadlines for my overall goals first and then figure out where I need to place my tasks to achieve them on time. You can use a planner, a calendar, a spreadsheet, or simply several sheets of paper. Let's say you have around 12 months to achieve Project A.
If you use an empty piece of paper, you'll divide a year into 12 months, and then each month into 4 weeks.
Fill each week with your existing commitments first - work, appointments, travel, birthdays, cooking, whatever else you might do and can't remove. You'll design your plan around these. We're not trying to be delusional here; we're realistic and working with the time that we actually have.
Only when you have a clear view of how your current life looks and how much spare time you have to work with can you begin scheduling the tasks that move you toward your goals. The general advice is not to pursue more than three goals at a time. The fewer you have, the more likely you'll achieve them. So pick a couple now, and save the rest for later.
I recommend drafting a loose plan for each month at the beginning, but then do the actual planning week by week, so you could move tasks around if your circumstances change. This way you won't feel discouraged at the end of each week if you haven't managed to complete your tasks - you'll simply move them to the next week and plan the rest accordingly.
Your objective at this stage isn't to create a perfect plan. It's simply to make sure your important goals already have a place in your life.
Turn your plan into daily actions
Once your weekly plan is ready, transfer those tasks into your daily schedule. I personally don't like to set strict hours for tasks, as I prefer to stay flexible and work on things when I feel like it, so I just mark some space in the morning and evening as a free slot for the tasks tied to my goals. These slots are non-negotiable, and I try not to let anything else take their place.
You'll notice that some tasks will naturally take several days or even weeks to complete. When that happens, simply divide them into smaller pieces and note that you'll need to do a little bit of that task each day.
So rather than having a task "Build website," you'll break it down into:
Choose a template.
Write homepage copy.
Add images.
Publish homepage.
One to three meaningful tasks each day can move you surprisingly far over time. This also makes it much more likely that you'll actually do the thing. Tasks that feel too big are often a recipe for not doing them at all.
Know what deserves your attention
Some of your tasks will be more time-sensitive or urgent than others. Be aware of which of these should be tackled first before you jump onto the next one. You can follow Stephen Covey’s time-management matrix and assign each of the following to all your tasks:
Urgent & Important: Tasks that require your immediate attention. It can be anything from preparing an important presentation at short notice to going to a doctor's appointment. Such tasks might not be of your own making but something that you simply need to do. They should be prioritised and dealt with immediately or as fast as possible. Unfortunately, these tasks often need to be dealt with before you can return to the goals you've chosen for yourself.
Not Urgent, but Important: Tasks that are important to do but don't require your immediate attention at a particular time. These tasks are typically connected to your goals, so make sure you schedule them in - they're important!
Urgent, but not Important: Tasks that are urgent but are not important to you. These may include various interruptions, meetings, incoming calls or emails, etc. You should do your best to minimise your time spent on these tasks. Make an effort to avoid them, delegate to someone else, or do them quickly.
Not Urgent & Not Important: Tasks that are neither urgent nor important. These usually are the activities that lead you to procrastination or just generally waste your time. It may include checking on your social media aimlessly, watching YouTube videos, etc. Do your best to avoid them wherever possible or leave them to the very end after you get everything else done.
Find What Works Best For You
There are several ways to plan your time and schedule tasks. Some people use Excel sheets, digital or print calendars, project management apps, planner journals; others simply rely on their memory. If you're just starting, then you may need to go through some trial and error until you find the tool that works best for you.
I try to do my planning on Notion, but I've only succeeded in keeping a long list of all the tasks I want to complete eventually there. For daily planning, I use printed planners - this is the only thing that has worked for me personally. Simply because I want to keep it nice and tidy, and I'm much more likely to complete the tasks so I can check them off as done. Opening my planner each morning and evening to review my day turned out to be the only system that helped me stay consistent. But people are different, and you might need a different system for yourself.
The truth is, most goals don't fail because we stop caring about them. They fail because we never intentionally make room for them. If you want something to become part of your life, it needs a place in your calendar, not just your imagination. :)
Photo by Cottonbro Studio (Pexels)
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