This guide will help you set meaningful goals and track your progress toward achieving them.
New to the MakeTimeFlow Goals System?
Start with Getting Started with Goals - it explains how all the pieces (Flourishing Map, Success Stories, KPIs, Habits, and Review Rhythm) work together to help you level up.
Choose your path:
- 🆘 Feeling overwhelmed? Start with weekly wins and build from there (15 min)
- 🎯 Not getting what matters done? Start with quarterly goals (30 min)
- 🚀 Want the full system? Comprehensive setup with Flourishing Map (60 min)
Understanding Goals in MakeTimeFlow
Your Goals ARE Your Success Stories
In MakeTimeFlow, goals are rich, narrative Success Stories that describe what you want to achieve:
- Weekly Success Story: What you want to accomplish this week
- Quarterly Success Story: Your 12-week vision across four life dimensions (Work, Relationships, Self, Community)
- 5-Year Vision: Your long-term aspirational future
These narrative goals are comprehensive and written in meaningful, human terms—not reduced to numbers or checkboxes.
Measurement Tools: KPIs and Habits
To support your Success Stories, you can optionally use two measurement tools:
Start with Your Flourishing Map
Before choosing KPIs, explore your Flourishing Map to understand which of the 6 domains need attention. This helps you choose the right KPIs.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) - Track your 3-5 most important quarterly outcomes:
- Choose from 6 Flourishing Domains, scored 0-100
- Updated quarterly (baseline → goal)
- Learn more about KPIs
Habits - Test new techniques through short experiments:
- 1-2 week experiments to test new approaches
- Decide to keep, modify, or abandon after testing
- Learn more about Habits
Important: Not everything in your Success Stories needs to be measured. KPIs and Habits are SELECTIVE tools for your most important outcomes or new experiments.
Quick Start
Create your first Success Story in 5 minutes:
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Choose your time horizon:
- Weekly: This week’s focus and outcomes
- Quarterly: 12-week vision across life domains
- 5-Year: Long-term aspirational direction
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Write your narrative goal (Success Story):
"This quarter I want to establish sustainable work rhythms, deepen my relationships with my kids, and launch the new product feature while maintaining my health and energy." -
(Optional) Choose 3-5 KPIs to measure most important aspects:
- Achievement: Product launch progress 50 → 75
- Relationships: Quality family time 40 → 80
- Engagement: Deep work sessions 60 → 85
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(Optional) Test Habits to support your story:
- Morning family breakfast routine (2 weeks)
- 90-minute deep work blocks (2 weeks)
Success Stories
Read how others have used this system:
David’s Story - Leading with Balance
David, a tech executive, balanced rapid career growth with being present for his family:
- Used quarterly goals to build better work boundaries
- Created morning routines for family time
- Set 5-year goals for both career and family leadership
Read David’s full story →
Sarah’s Story - Growth While Leading at Home
Sarah, a former management consultant, grew her skills while running a household:
- Used short-term goals to experiment with family systems
- Built a part-time consulting practice through quarterly goals
- Maintained professional development through targeted learning
Read Sarah’s full story →
Sam’s Story - Engineering with Purpose
Sam, a senior software engineer, aligned technical growth with social impact:
- Created experiments to test new technologies
- Built open source tools for nonprofits
- Balanced skill development with real-world impact
Read Sam’s full story →
Maya’s Story - Discovery and Excellence with Balance
Maya, a research scientist, found rhythm between intense work and recovery:
- Used short sprints for focused research
- Built in recovery periods for creativity
- Maintained long-term career development
Read Maya’s full story →
James’s Story - Art and Structure
James, a professional artist, balanced creative freedom with sustainable practice:
- Created systems for consistent output
- Built periods for pure experimentation
- Developed business skills alongside artistic growth
Read James’s full story →
Dive Deeper
Getting Started:
Views:
Understanding the System: