I Finally Found a Goal-Setting System That Works

Found-a-Goal-Setting-System-That-Works-Bobby-Powers-net

I’ve been experimenting with various goal-setting systems for years. I finally found a system that works, and all it took was a few 3x5 notecards.

Using this new system, I’ve been able to maintain focus on what is most important while also reflecting on what has caused me to be more or less productive each week.

I stole the initial idea from my colleague James Pratt, then made a few tweaks as I’ve been using this system. Here’s the gist:

Every Friday night, I write my goals for the upcoming week on a 3x5 notecard.
I write both personal and professional goals on this card, such as “Finish reading _____ book” or “Interview three people for _____ work project.” Personal goals go on the left of the card, and professional goals go on the right, as depicted below.

I-Finally-Found-A-Goal-Setting-System-Bobby-Powers-net

The 3x5 card sets my focus on important tasks rather than urgent ones. I write a little diamond next to each goal and color in the diamond once I’ve completed that line item. For any projects that I make significant progress but cannot fully complete, I fill in the diamond halfway.
The following Friday, I review my 3x5 card, paying special attention to the goals I wasn’t able to complete.
I write a personal retrospective for the week on a second 3x5 card, stating the things I accomplished as well as acknowledging where I struggled throughout the week. For any goals I didn’t complete, I write what caused me to miss the goal and what I’m going to do differently next week because of that insight. I’ve found that the key is to dive deep enough to understand why I missed the goal rather than writing superficial notes such as “I was too busy” or “I ran out of time.”
Example: A few weeks ago, I failed to finish a writing project. Rather than chalking up my missed goal to busyness or uncontrollable factors, I dug deeper and realized I hadn’t completed the task because I had been lazy and had failed to prioritize effectively. My 3x5 notecard for that week says, “Sure, it was a busy week, but my failure to finish this project shows that completing the task was not truly a priority to me. Why? I’m scared to work on it because it’s hard, I fear my writing isn’t good enough, and I didn’t make the time to work on the project.” Genuine reflection means diving below the surface level to identify the personality trait or belief within you that prompted the behavior.

It takes me a total of 5–10 minutes every Friday to write these two 3x5 notecards (one for my goals for the upcoming week and one for my retrospective on the prior week). That amount of time is so short that it’s hard to skip.
I put my completed 3x5 cards into a notecard box that serves a dual role as my goals box and my commonplace book. I put my goals cards in the back of the box in a tab labeled “Weekly Goals/Retro.”