How to set life goals with a napkin plan
The start of a new year is a great time to check on your life goals, and maybe set some new ones. Here's how to do it on a napkin! ...a napkin plan, if you will.
Summary: To set life goals with a napkin plan, start by identifying your top 3-5 major goals. Then, break each goal into smaller, actionable steps. Prioritise tasks and set deadlines. Finally, review and adjust the plan regularly to stay on track. This simplifies big goals and keeps you focused on progress.
I'm the kind of person who gets a kick out of goal setting, and putting systems in place to achieve them. The 'napkin plan' approach to setting life goals is a quick n' dirty exercise you can do in half an hour or less — like on a date night, with your Sunday morning coffee, at the start of a new year, or on a milestone birthday!
Here's a quick video (7min) explaining how you do it:
Here's what's covered:
0:20 What is a napkin plan?
0:53 Starting a napkin plan: four quadrants
1:20 Set your timescale
2:00 Long term, lofty goals (eg. in 5 years I…)
2:20 1 year goal
2:53 6 month goal
3:22 One month goal
4:04 Another goal demo
4:43 Adapting for different types of goal (eg. relationship, finance, health…)
5:42 Napkin plan summary: why do it?
6:23 Taking it forward
And this is the kind of thing you end up with:
My January 2023 napkin plan
The steps to create one for yourself are:
Draw lines on a napkin (or piece of paper!) to divide it into four sections
Choose whatever timeframe you want to look at to apply a timeframe for each section (e.g. 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, OR 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year)
Start at the far end (e.g. 5 years section) and set some lofty high-level goals; these can be whatever, but I aim for 1-2 goals per category: health, relationship, personal, career.
For each of those goals, figure out what would be the steps in each timeframe
Example:
5 year goal: buy a house!
1 year goal: have a deposit saved and finance approved
6 month goal: have your 'hit zone' selected (what location meetings your budget, and is in a place you want to live?) and wishlist confirmed (what does this house need to have?)
1 month goal: setup a savings plan, sign up to real estate emails and apps, and start attending inspections.
It's not really about needing to stick to the same goals forever but more to prompt yourself to examine and articulate what it is what you want out of life. Deep, huh.
You know I love a template so here's one you can use — either make a copy of the Google Slide, or download the PDF 😘
Got your goals on a napkin? Let’s give them some quiet momentum.
Sometimes writing it down brings surprising clarity. A simple plan can go a long way, especially when your systems support it in the background.
Could you use a calm space for your big ideas?
The Organised Creative operating system is a Notion template that helps you turn ideas into steady progress. It connects your projects, calendar, and notes in one place so your napkin goals have somewhere to grow.
EXPLORE THE TEMPLATE →
How about systems that support your goals everywhere?
The Most Organised Person I Know shows you how to design simple systems that reduce mental load and help your work flow more smoothly, from daily tasks through to long-term projects, at work and at home.
GET THE EBOOK →
Whether you're scribbling on a napkin or plotting the next five years, your goals deserve tools that meet you where you are.