Goal Setting And Getting Things Done

From Big Ideas to Daily Action
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Goal Setting And Getting Things Done

Goal Setting And Getting Things Done – Make the tasks that you want to avoid part of your daily routine. Doing is better than thinking.

We’ve all been there. Motivated to achieve more, we set big goals—only to feel overwhelmed, get sidetracked, or forget them entirely by February.

What is a goal? It’s something you want to happen. It could be anything from “I want to learn a new skill” to “I want to earn more money and get a promotion”. Having goals without a plan is just wishful thinking.

Your goals are the things that you want to do or achieve. Knowing what you want to achieve, you can create a plan of how you will get there. You might decide that you need to study harder, find a job, or start a business. You can also think about your goals regarding what you don’t want to happen.

Time management is the key to getting things done. Goal setting is a critical skill that can be easily learned.

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Why Goals Fail – and How to Fix It

Many goals fail not because they’re unachievable, but because they’re:

  • Too vague (“Get healthy”)
  • Overwhelming in size (“Start a business”)
  • Forgotten in the day-to-day grind

The fix? A system that connects your big-picture goals to small, consistent actions.

Goal Setting

The key is to have different types of goals. It’s important to set, short, medium and long-term.

We need to have short-term goals so that we can make adjustments as we go along. If we keep setting short-term goals, we’ll never be able to hit the bigger ones. 

Our short-term goals should focus on a specific behaviour or habit change, such as doing an extra workout a week, eating healthier, taking a walk after work, etc. We also need to set longer-term goals, such as the next 5 years, 10 years, and even 20 years.  It’s important to be realistic with our goals.

If we don’t have long-term goals, we’ll never get anywhere.  Our long-term goals need to be more general. If we’re setting goals, we should be aware of the obstacles we may face. We should also have a plan for overcoming these obstacles.  We should also make sure that we’re having fun. This is one of the most important things to remember. If we enjoy what we’re doing, then we’ll keep going. If we don’t like it, we won’t continue to do it.

The main obstacle that most people face is the fact that they don’t know where to start or how to get motivated. The first step is to find out what you want and why you want it. Once we have this information, we can start to make decisions.

Setting Goals Plan

Tips for setting goals

  • Setting a goal: What do you plan on achieving? What is the best way to get there?
  • Creating a plan: How are you going to achieve your goal? What steps are you going to take to make this happen?
  • Monitoring progress: Are you making progress towards achieving your goal? What are you doing to stay on track?
  • Staying motivated: Is it easy for you to stay motivated to achieve your goal? Are there any obstacles that you need to overcome?

It’s essential to understand that setting and achieving goals takes time and effort. It’s also essential to keep your goals realistic and achievable. What is your goal? What do you want to achieve? What is the best way to get there? What is the best way to make this happen?

Creating Achievable Goals

How can you make this happen? The easiest thing to do when setting a goal is to sit down, write out all of your business goals, and devise a plan. But, it doesn’t always work. So, what can you do instead? You can set a goal differently. It’s like trying to run a marathon with no training or practice. You might be able to dream about running a marathon but, you can’t always go out and achieve the final goal.

So, how can you set a goal that’s a little more attainable? Begin by setting intermediate goals to help you move closer to your ultimate objective. It would be best to find goals that you can accomplish within the next month or two, then three months, six months, or a year. This will enable you to determine if you’re on track and if you’re progressing toward your ultimate goal. How to Set Smaller Goals Setting smaller goals is a great way to break down your big goals into more attainable ones.

Goal Setting Methodologies

There are a number of different types of goal setting methodologies

SMART Goals

The classic method for turning vague goals into specific ones.
SMART acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Example: “Lose 5kg in 3 months by walking 30 minutes a day.”

GTD – Getting Things Done (David Allen)

Focuses on productivity by clarifying tasks and organizing them by context.
Key steps: Capture → Clarify → Organise → Reflect → Engage.

CLEAR Goals

CLEAR acronym stands for concise, measurable, elaborate, attainable, and relevant.

OKRs – Objectives and Key Results

OKR acronym stands for Objectives and Key Results to organise and define goals.

Used widely in business (especially by Google).

  • Objective: Ambitious and inspirational
  • Key Results: Measurable benchmarks for success

Example:
Objective: Improve customer support experience
Key Results:

  • Decrease response time by 30%
  • Increase customer satisfaction score from 75 to 90

The Eisenhower Matrix (Time Management Focus)

Helps prioritise tasks that support your goals:

  • Urgent + Important → Do now
  • Important, not Urgent → Schedule
  • Urgent, not Important → Delegate
  • Neither → Eliminate

Goal achievement improves by focusing on the Important, Not Urgent quadrant.

WOOP – Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan

Combines motivation and implementation psychology.

  • Wish – What do you want?
  • Outcome – What would be the ideal result?
  • Obstacle – What’s likely to get in your way?
  • Plan – What’s your “if–then” plan to overcome it?

WOOP is great for personal and behavioural goals.

The 12-Week Year (Brian Moran)

Instead of annual goals, focus on what you can achieve in 12 weeks.

  • Creates urgency and sharper focus
  • Encourages execution, not just planning

“Yearly planning often leads to procrastination—shorten the cycle.”

MTO Method – Minimum, Target, Outrageous

Set three tiers of achievement for each goal:

  • Minimum – The least you will accept
  • Target – Your realistic goal
  • Outrageous – A stretch, dream-level goal

Encourages action while embracing ambition.

The One Thing (Gary Keller)

Focus on the single most important goal that will make everything else easier or unnecessary.

Ask: “What’s the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

How to Choose the Right Goal Setting Method

Each method suits different personalities, contexts, and goal types. Consider:

  • Do you need structure or inspiration?
  • Are you working alone or in a team?
  • Is the goal short-term or visionary?

Try mixing and matching elements—like using SMART goals within OKRs, or pairing GTD with The One Thing.

Getting things done

Goal setting and getting things done can also be referred to as productivity methods.

Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity method developed by David Allen in 2001. GTD encourages you to break down tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces, allowing you to complete tasks in the most efficient order possible. GTD is one of the most widely used systems for managing your time, and it’s a great system if you’re looking for ways to get organised and stay productive.

David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) method offers a practical framework:

  • Capture – Write down everything on your mind
  • Clarify – Define what each item actually means (Is it actionable?)
  • Organise – Sort tasks into lists, projects, or reference
  • Reflect – Regularly review and update your plans
  • Engage – Take focused action on the next steps

This same process can help you make real progress on your goals—whether they’re personal, professional, or a bit of both.

The Power of Weekly Reviews

A goal without reflection quickly becomes a forgotten dream. Block time each week to:

  • Review current goals and projects
  • Celebrate progress
  • Adjust next actions
  • Re-prioritise if needed

Using a weekly checklist keeps you on track—and helps reduce the mental clutter that leads to procrastination.

Goal Setting: From Planning to Progress

Setting goals is easy. Achieving them consistently? That takes clarity, structure, and follow-through.

The real magic happens when you bridge the gap between your big-picture vision and your day-to-day actions. Whether you use SMART goals, GTD, OKRs, or a mix of methodologies, the key is to choose a system that works for you—and stick with it long enough to see results.

Remember:

  • Big goals need small steps.
  • Progress beats perfection.
  • Reviewing your goals regularly keeps them alive.

With a little intention and the right tools—like Checkify’s workflow and checklist systems—you can turn your ideas into outcomes and your goals into habits.

So take the first step today. Define a goal. Break it down. Create your checklist. And get things done.

The future you want isn’t built in a day—but it does start with one small, focused action.

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