2023 Goal Planning With Todoist

[@maltewolman8310]

I’m always happy when a new todoist video appears on KZbin 😎

[@Carl_Pullein]

Glad you like it, Malte.

[@devarni]

To better understand: I usually use Evernote (or Craft) to plan my goals. Todoist can be used as a kind of "tracker" and that's basically what you do with the Goals Board? Basically, you use the board to create milestones (with dates) to reach the goals? For example, if you want to reduce your weight to 80 kg, would you create milestones in the board? A task under "health" with the goal and then sub-tasks for the milestones and the corresponding date? I've seen some do this in Notion for example (but is a bit too cumbersome for me). But in Evernote it also works well, for example with a table and the months or the milestones in one column (with checkbox).

[@pierrecuomo9207]

So impress to see how you continue to increase the quality and the efficacity of your organisation and so amazed by the time you spend to share everything. Thanks again. I really like the fact to be very clear and without too many informations about the goals. Very useful ... as always !

[@ScottWilsonPEI]

Really enjoyed this video Carl very easy to use and set-up!! You've inspired me to setup my 2022 goals in Todoist using your 8 Areas of Focus!! Have recommending to all of my twitter friends. Thanks again. Cheers!

[@Carl_Pullein]

Thank you, Scott. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jjj1100]

Hoping to ask for a clarification, how do you distinguish between “purpose and outcomes” vs “goals and objectives”?

[@Carl_Pullein]

I don't really overthink this. My purpose realtes to my overall long-term reason why I believe I am on this planet. Outcomes are short-term. "What do I want to have achieved by the end of today". Goals again are more long-term. My objectives are shorter term. What the objective of this task or project?

[@mulroydm]

I'm looking for a clarification between recurring tasks kept in goals and recurring tasks kept in recurring areas of focus. Should each task under 'Recurring areas of focus' be driving you towards a goal? If so, it feels like there is tension between where to keep area of focus tasks (This Week/Recurring Areas of Focus) vs Goals

[@Carl_Pullein]

A goal task will always become part of your recurring areas of focus. To complete a goal, you will need to do something consistently and you will need to focus on it. This week's Todoist video will explain that further. Hope to publish that on Sunday.

[@airlinemac]

Hi Carl, Many Thanks for this. Very useful. I wish I watched this 6 months ago :) Kind Regards, Sumudu

[@Carl_Pullein]

You can start the year at any time. End of June is the half way point. That’s a good place to start a year.

[@gail4389]

I like how you bold and leave the check mark off the main goal. But what do you do when that main goal is complete?

[@Carl_Pullein]

I would delete the goal. If you don't like doing that, you can remove the "*" that creates the non-completable task and check it off.

[@DaisyChainJane-SacralMG]

I've been soaking up your Todoist videos Carl and love the focus on when the tasks need to be done - makes so much more sense to me than classic GTD. I'm confused about one thing though - how do tasks that are in the goals list get into the THIS WEEK / NEXT WEEK lists? Or do you process them differently and they only appear through the OBJECTVES or FOCUS filters? TIA

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Jane, goals (and areas of focus) tasks are held in different folders, but as they are set up to recur, they automatically drop into your today's list when they are next due. There should be very little organising there.

[@ClemensAdolphs]

Carl, this works really well for those goals that benefit from consistent effort put in over time. Like learning a new language, or a musical instrument. What about goals that are a bit more one-off, where you either do the thing or you don't? Or those goals that, while requiring quite a few steps to accomplish them, none of those steps are recurring? Basically, goals that are a bit more like single tasks or simple projects.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Good question, Clemens. If a goal requires a number of steps, it's not really a goal, more of a project. Goals generally require repeated actions, consistently performed over a period of time. That said, if a goal did require multiple steps, then most of those would be held inside the note and only brought forward to Todoist once they become relevant.

[@lewisdoyle]

Thanks Carl, very useful.

[@Carl_Pullein]

You're welcome.

[@Hoj72]

Hi Carl, as always I love your videos. You said in the video you would put a link to your template for planning goals and the 8 focus areas in the link description but I can't find it. Can you put link here?

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Hans, Here you go: www.carlpullein.com/downloads

[@andrewpalaski1552]

Brilliant video. I tend to think of projects as things needed to accomplish goals. Based on this and your comment to Clemens Adolphus, I think you don't see projects as hierarchical in this way? More of a David Allen "projects are outcomes that need more than one action", which means they cut across goals, AOF and even the routines of life?

[@Carl_Pullein]

That’s right. I know occasionally a project will be linked to a goal, but to me goals are about becoming a better person. Projects are often not about me at all.

[@ericar9482]

Thanks for this video, Carl! Very helpful. I like the idea of putting a task under each goal as either a recurring task or a task to jumpstart that goal. How do you end up managing the day to day between the goals task and your week/month lists? So you add a task when you do your review (ex. "send in entry"), but if you complete your task during the week do you add any subsequent tasks to your regular week/month task list to work toward the goal... OR... do you add the next task to your goal planning list? This is for the tasks that aren't repeating.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Erica, the only tasks I am likely to put in Todoist would be the recurring tasks that will take me towards achieving the goal. Goals particularly are mainly repetitive tasks and with the marathon, that's easy: go out for a run... A lot. Apart from sending in the entry (a five-minute online task), that's all I need to do. The rest is just running and more running until the day of the marathon (which will be in my calendar)

[@Frank-xu5oy]

Hi Carl, I thougt, you use for the goal a Liste with time focus (this day; this week; this month; this Quarter ….). Did you change your System? Greetings FRank

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Frank, no, I haven’t changed my system. These are just simple planning tools to keep you focused on your current goals.

[@korev13]

Hi, thanks for your videos. I’m a little bit confused. You are suggesting not to use todo lists as a project management tool and you’re using Todoist for this in this video. I guess it’s for presentation purposes, for those who would like to use Todoist for this.

[@Carl_Pullein]

Hi Vlad, I don't recommend listing out projects one by one and having a list of tasks underneath those. But for planning purposes, Todoist boards work very well. Plus, these are goals (different from projects) and it's a great way to keep you on track with the recurring actions you need to take to achieve those goals.

[@TechGuyEli]

Hi Carl, do you do your goal planning both in Todoist and in your Notes app? Or just here in Todoist because you prefer using boards for your goals? Just curious where the bulk of your goal planning work gets done and which tool you prefer using for that.

[@Carl_Pullein]

The details are in my notes. This is just a planning method. It also helps me to keep the recurring tasks together with the goal.

[@TechGuyEli]

@@Carl_Pullein Got it. I have been hesitant to plan out my goals/projects in Todoist. But I can see how some basic planning makes sense, to keep the tasks connected to the goals, while rest of the details are kept in your notes. I'll give this a try. Thank you.