Setting goals

Measure with what you already track

Every goal needs a routine step, metric or reflection to measure it. A goal tied to a routine you do most days will show real progress. A goal tied to a habit you haven’t started yet has nothing to show. If you don’t track the number yet, add it to a routine first. Then set the goal after a week or two, once you have some numbers.

Make it specific

“Get healthier” is hard to measure. “Sleep 7 hours a night on average for 8 weeks” is easy to measure: you’ll know whether it’s happening.

When you can, measure the result, not just the effort. “Do my evening routine” measures effort. “Sleep 7 hours a night” measures what you actually want to change. Both matter, but only the sleep number tells you whether you’re getting there.

Pick a target from your recent numbers

It’s normal to set a target based on how you hope things will go. But targets that are too hard usually end in giving up, and then in a new target that’s just as hard.¹

If you sleep 5.5 hours a night on average and your target is 8, the pace line will show you behind from the very first day. A goal that always says you’re behind is a goal you’ll stop looking at. Pick a target you can reach from where you are now. You can always raise it later.

Start with one or two

Glide doesn’t limit how many goals you can have. With fewer goals, each one gets more of your attention, and it’s easier to see your progress. Start with one or two, and add more when you feel you have room.

Check the pace once a week

One day barely changes a goal. About once a week, look at the pace line and the chart. People who keep track of their progress are more likely to reach their goals.²

If you’re behind your pace, you have three good choices:

• Keep going. A small gap can close with a few good days, if the target still feels right.
• Lower the target. If it was never realistic for you, change it. A target you never reach doesn’t help you.
• Give it more time. If life got in the way, like being sick, traveling or a hard few weeks, move the end date. The goal is still good. The timing just needs to fit real life.

If you keep falling behind even though you’re really trying, check how the goal is set up before you change the date. Is it measured with the right number? Is the target right? Are you actually doing the routine behind it?

Set aside what no longer fits

What matters to you can change. If a goal isn’t something you want anymore, set it aside. It moves to Finished, and its history is kept. Setting a goal aside isn’t quitting. It’s updating your plans to match where you are now.