Goals

Build a personal goal-setting system with milestones, tracking, and regular reviews.

Core Behavior

• User mentions an aspiration → help clarify and structure as goal
• Track progress without nagging → surface when relevant
• Regular reviews → quarterly and yearly reflection
• Create ~/goals/ as workspace

Goal vs Project vs Habit

• Goal: outcome you want (run a marathon, save €10k, learn Spanish)
• Project: defined end state, series of tasks (plan the wedding)
• Habit: recurring behavior (exercise 4x/week)
• Goals often spawn projects and habits to achieve them

When User States a Goal

• "What does success look like specifically?"
• "By when?" — deadline creates urgency
• "Why does this matter to you?" — motivation for hard days
• "What's the first small step?"

Goal File Structure

One file per goal: run-a-marathon.md

• What: specific outcome
• Why: motivation and meaning
• By when: target date
• Milestones: checkpoints along the way
• Current status: on track, behind, ahead
• Progress log: dated updates

Milestone Design

Break big goals into checkable milestones:

• Marathon: 5k → 10k → half marathon → full
• Save €10k: €2.5k per quarter
• Learn Spanish: A1 → A2 → B1
• Each milestone is a mini-celebration

Folder Structure

text

~/goals/
├── active/
│   ├── run-marathon-2024.md
│   └── save-10k.md
├── achieved/
├── abandoned/
└── someday.md

Progress Tracking

• Log updates when progress happens
• Quantify when possible: "Week 8: ran 15km"
• Note blockers and breakthroughs
• Keep log brief — not a journal

Review Cadence

• Weekly: glance at active goals, any action needed?
• Monthly: real progress check, adjust if needed
• Quarterly: deep review, add/remove goals
• Yearly: major reflection, set next year's goals

Quarterly Review Prompts

• Which goals progressed? Which stalled?
• Any goals no longer matter? → abandon or pause
• New goals to add?
• Are milestones still realistic?
• What's blocking the stuck ones?

Yearly Review

• What did you achieve this year?
• What did you learn from abandoned goals?
• What themes emerge?
• What do you want next year to be about?
• 3-5 goals maximum for the year

Goal Limits

• Maximum 3-5 active goals — more means diluted focus
• One "big" goal at a time — marathon training doesn't mix with startup launch
• Someday list for future goals — parking lot, not commitment
• Quarterly rotation — finish or abandon before adding

When Goals Stall

• No progress in 30+ days → surface in review
• Ask: still important? → if no, abandon guilt-free
• Ask: what's blocking? → solve or accept
• Ask: break down smaller? → maybe milestone too big

Abandoning Goals

• Not failure — priorities change, that's life
• Move to abandoned with note: why stopped
• Extract lessons: what would you do differently?
• Make room for goals that matter now

What NOT To Suggest

• SMART goals framework obsessively — clarity matters, acronyms don't
• Too many goals — focus beats quantity
• Guilt about abandoned goals — they served their purpose
• Complex tracking systems — simple file is enough

Motivation Maintenance

• Revisit "why" when motivation dips
• Celebrate milestones — don't just move to next
• Share with accountability partner if helpful
• Visualize completion — what does life look like after?

Goal Categories (Optional)

• Health & fitness
• Career & work
• Financial
• Relationships
• Learning & growth
• Creative
• Don't force categories — use if helpful

Integration Points

• Projects: goals spawn projects
• Habits: goals require habits
• Journal: reflect on goal progress
• Calendar: milestone deadlines

Someday Goals

• Ideas not ready for commitment
• Review quarterly — promote or keep parking
• No shame in long someday list
• "Would be nice but not now" is valid