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Goals & Planning

Turn big, vague ambitions into concrete, actionable tasks you can complete today

The Goal-Setting Problem

Most people set goals like "Get healthier" or "Launch my side project" and then... nothing happens. Why? Because goals are dreams until you break them into tasks.

GoingOffline helps you slice big goals into milestones, and milestones into daily tasks.

How Goals Work in GoingOffline

1. Create a Goal

Navigate to the Goals page via the sidebar. Click "New Goal" and describe your big-picture objective. Examples:

  • • "Launch my freelance design business by March"
  • • "Run a 5K without stopping"
  • • "Build a SaaS product and get 100 users"

2. Slice it with AI (Optional)

If you've added your OpenAI API key, click the Sparkles button next to your goal. AI will suggest concrete milestones and sub-tasks.

Example: "Launch freelance design business"

AI suggests:

  • → Build portfolio website
  • → Create 3 case studies from past work
  • → Set up business Instagram
  • → Reach out to 10 potential clients

3. Break Down Milestones into Tasks

Each milestone becomes a parent task. Click into a milestone to add sub-tasks—the actual work you'll do. These tasks go into your Inbox and can be scheduled for Today.

4. Track Progress

As you complete sub-tasks, the goal's progress bar fills up. Visual feedback keeps you motivated and shows you're making real progress—not just dreaming.

Understanding the Hierarchy

Goal(The big vision)
Milestone 1(Key checkpoint)
→ Task 1.1
→ Task 1.2
→ Task 1.3
Milestone 2
→ Task 2.1
→ Task 2.2

This structure ensures you're always working on actionable tasks that ladder up to meaningful goals. No more "I don't know where to start" paralysis.

Best Practices

  • ✓
    Start with 1-3 active goals max

    Spreading yourself across 10 goals means none get done. Pick 1-3 that matter most right now.

  • ✓
    Make milestones measurable

    Not "Get better at design" but "Complete 3 portfolio case studies". Concrete checkpoints create momentum.

  • ✓
    Set deadlines (but be realistic)

    Give your goal a target date. If you miss it, adjust. The point is forward progress, not perfection.

  • ✓
    Review weekly

    Use the Weekly Review page to check goal progress. Are you on track? Do milestones need adjusting?

  • ✓
    Celebrate milestones

    When you hit a milestone, take a moment to acknowledge it. Progress is worth celebrating.

Real-World Examples

🚀 Goal: "Launch SaaS Product by June"

Milestone 1: Validate idea with 10 customer interviews
→ Write interview script → Find 10 people → Conduct interviews → Synthesize feedback
Milestone 2: Build MVP with core features
→ Design wireframes → Set up development environment → Build authentication → etc.
Milestone 3: Get first 10 paying customers
→ Set up Stripe → Create pricing page → Launch on Twitter → etc.

🏃 Goal: "Run a 5K without stopping"

Milestone 1: Run 1 mile continuously
→ Run/walk 10 min 3x/week → Increase to 15 min → Hit 1 mile
Milestone 2: Run 2 miles continuously
→ Add 0.25 miles per week → Focus on breathing → etc.
Milestone 3: Complete full 5K (3.1 miles)
→ Register for race → Train on race course → Taper week before → Run race

Ready to turn goals into reality?

Head to the Goals page and create your first goal. If you have AI enabled, let it suggest milestones. Then start chipping away, one task at a time.

Open Goals Page