Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Backward Goal
Apr. 29th, 2025 12:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about goal-setting frameworks for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
goals_on_dw. Read Part 1: Introduction to Goal-Setting Frameworks, Part 2: The 1-3-5 Rule, Part 3: The 12-week Year, Part 4: ABCS (Achievable, Believable, Committed, Specific), Part 5: Backward Goal.
Part 5: Backward Goal
Most goal-setting frameworks start where you are and move forward toward a goal. The Backward Goal does the exact opposite. You begin with the goal and then imagine how to reach it by working in reverse.
First, brainstorm ideas for things you'd like to accomplish. Then pick one to become your goal.
Visualize your goal. See yourself reaching it and enjoying the rewards. Now slowly back up and imagine how you got there, step by step. This can help you spot obstacles and opportunities. Some people like to make a vision board showing their goal.
Break your goal down into smaller, achieveable milestones. Suppose you want to replace your lawn with native landscaping. A project that big could take years. One milestone could be creating a soft landing underneath a large tree. Another might involve filling your hellstrip with plants that resist heat and drought. Then just keep going until you've replaced as much of your lawn as you want.
Set realistic timelines. A key feature of the Backward Goal framework is that it creates a timeline to follow. Think about what you need to accomplish in order to reach your goal, then estimate how long each step will take. Some things might need to happen at different times for their own reason. For instance, spring planting of native species has three phases: 1) dormant plants, 2) cold-hardy spring plants, 3) summer plants that need warm soil.
Incorporate flexibility. Anticipate obstacles as much as possible and develop contingency plans. Set some firebreaks -- blocks with nothing scheduled -- so that a delay doesn't wreck the whole schedule. Review progress toward your goal. Adjust milestones if necessary.
Measure progress along your timeline. Some people like to make a physical representation. You can add photos or other mementos as you go along. There are also progress trackers online that you could use.
Consider how to evaluate your efforts toward your goal. Qualitative assessment involves objective numbers or measurements such as number of plants installed or area of lawn converted. Qualitative assessment features subjective measures such as how happy your native garden makes you feel or compliments you get from neighbors watching it grow. Timeline checkpoints mark when you will evaluate your progress and make any necessary changes.
goals_on_dw. Read Part 1: Introduction to Goal-Setting Frameworks, Part 2: The 1-3-5 Rule, Part 3: The 12-week Year, Part 4: ABCS (Achievable, Believable, Committed, Specific), Part 5: Backward Goal.Part 5: Backward Goal
Most goal-setting frameworks start where you are and move forward toward a goal. The Backward Goal does the exact opposite. You begin with the goal and then imagine how to reach it by working in reverse.
First, brainstorm ideas for things you'd like to accomplish. Then pick one to become your goal.
Visualize your goal. See yourself reaching it and enjoying the rewards. Now slowly back up and imagine how you got there, step by step. This can help you spot obstacles and opportunities. Some people like to make a vision board showing their goal.
Break your goal down into smaller, achieveable milestones. Suppose you want to replace your lawn with native landscaping. A project that big could take years. One milestone could be creating a soft landing underneath a large tree. Another might involve filling your hellstrip with plants that resist heat and drought. Then just keep going until you've replaced as much of your lawn as you want.
Set realistic timelines. A key feature of the Backward Goal framework is that it creates a timeline to follow. Think about what you need to accomplish in order to reach your goal, then estimate how long each step will take. Some things might need to happen at different times for their own reason. For instance, spring planting of native species has three phases: 1) dormant plants, 2) cold-hardy spring plants, 3) summer plants that need warm soil.
Incorporate flexibility. Anticipate obstacles as much as possible and develop contingency plans. Set some firebreaks -- blocks with nothing scheduled -- so that a delay doesn't wreck the whole schedule. Review progress toward your goal. Adjust milestones if necessary.
Measure progress along your timeline. Some people like to make a physical representation. You can add photos or other mementos as you go along. There are also progress trackers online that you could use.
Consider how to evaluate your efforts toward your goal. Qualitative assessment involves objective numbers or measurements such as number of plants installed or area of lawn converted. Qualitative assessment features subjective measures such as how happy your native garden makes you feel or compliments you get from neighbors watching it grow. Timeline checkpoints mark when you will evaluate your progress and make any necessary changes.
