Make 2024 the Year FASTLANE Transforms into Realty, with MJ DeMarco

[Jinzou]

Deploy a template to see how it should be done.

Your mid-term goals should not be distracting you, not sure why you are having issues there.

The only goals that matter are the weekly ones (which optimally chain up to larger goals)

Distraction occurs when you focus on goals outside of the weekly time frame, which is why you can only chain tasks to weekly goals.

Also, our next update will prioritize a "Weekly Goal Focus" so each week, you only focus on 1 weekly goal, until completion.

Thank you for your reply. I already started to look through the templates as examples, they're really helpful and provide a nice structure.

Your mid-term goals should not be distracting you, not sure why you are having issues there.

I think I didn't phrase that part concrete enough. There is no problem with GoalSumo.com's process or options, those are great.

I meant the process in my head, when I start thinking about all these goals and dreams. They mingle with one another in my mind and cause a good chunk of chaos as almost all of them are connected in one way or another. That's where I struggle to come up with realistic and plausible mid-term or sometimes steps, because I've never been closer to them. So in my head it's like "How the hell should I know what I have to do once I'm in 3 months from now on?"
Maybe these goals are so 'big' that my imagination fails to think up the realistic process to achieve them?

Hope that makes more sense now!

 

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[SSTrey]

Want 2024 to be the best year of your life? With many more to come?​

The year everything changed??​

The year Fastlane transformed from fantasy to reality?​

Sometime in the mid-90s, I did something that unexpectedly changed my life: I spent 20 minutes visualizing my future and wrote it down in a journal. Years later, I stumbled upon that old visualization in a dusty crate while moving to a new home. You can read the entire story here.

View attachment 53305

Now it's your turn to transform your most ambitious dreams into reality.

Over the next few days, I will give you a complete online tutorial for making it happen. 2024 will be your year—the year everything changes.

Part 1: Start with a Bold Vision and Then Plan It Down to the Week. Then the Day.​

"A fantastic dream without a fantastic plan is a fantastic fantasy." - MJ

In The Great Rat Race Escape , I emphasized the importance of outlining your future to make good decisions.

Visualize it.
Reverse-engineer it.
Then task it daily.

Win the day. Win the week. And you'll win the year, followed by life.

In other words, start with the end in mind.

Suppose you're skeptical and think this is just fluff. Your loss.

Visualization and backwardization of goal-planning is endorsed by many iconic leaders and authors, myself included.

• In "The Great Rat Race Escape ," by MJ DeMarco (me!) I describe this engineering process as a 1/5/10 Strategy.
• In James Clear's "Atomic Habits," he talks about identity shifts: transforming from who you think you are to who you will become.
• In an extensive interview here, Sahil Bloom reflected on this "backwards" approach to setting and achieving goals.
• Here's another article on the backwardization of goal planning...
• In Maxwell Martz's "Psycho-Cybernetics," he emphasizes visualizing and redefining your self-image as the crucial foundation for life changes.
• In Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," he advocates for Starting with the End in Mind, which is Habit #2. This book has sold gazillions.

These last two books have withstood the test of time. Clear's book has sold gazillions. There's meat on the bone here that THIS STUFF WORKS.

Moreover, setting a grander vision for the future can be transformative in these 3 key ways:

1. Backwardization of goals gifts you a decision-making framework.
In this forum, I often address decision-making questions with the same advice: Choose TODAY what aligns with your long-term vision TOMORROW and where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years.

2. Backwardization of goals reshapes your identity and self-image.
Envisioning your future self ensures that your current self makes choices in alignment with that vision, a concept echoed in both James Clear's and Maxwell Martz's works.

3. Backwardization of goals fuels grit and determination and fires your feedback loop.
Aligning your decisions with a greater purpose transforms tough choices into steps toward your ultimate goal. What might seem like thankless, challenging tasks today are actually integral parts of your journey. I was hired for a lot of shitty jobs. My future vision made these jobs tolerable and part of the process. They weren't failures, but steps.

So, how do you start planning for the future you dream of?

It begins with your system. As James Clear aptly put it, "You do not rise to the level of your goals; you rise to the level of your systems."

Dream it. Plan it. Task it. Habit it. Motivate it.

View attachment 53309

Here's how:

First, grab a free trial (no credit card needed) at GoalSumo.com.com. Yes, I'm pushing the system I use myself and co-founded. But don't worry— if you're more inclined towards traditional methods, you can download my 1/5/10 Planner for FREE.

Either way, you can follow along.

Second, watch the video posted above and follow the instructions for making your first goal.

Third, WATCH this thread as will update it continually.

View attachment 53306

View attachment 53307

Follow along and by next year you won't recognize yourself from last year. ​

And even better, the IDEA of even having a "New Years Resolution" will sound utterly stupid.​

~ MJ DeMarco​

Currently I use the 1/5/10 Planner daily. I like it as it's constantly there in my diary next to me at my work desk at all times so I remember what I need to do.

Admittedly it does get tedious to keep writing the side goals over & over manually. I am definitely an advocate for digital methods.

So my only question is this: How does GoalSumo.com allow me to view it regularly throughout the day without me having to keep firing up a laptop @MJ DeMarco ?
(I know you also said you working on the mobile app still. Also I'm about to checkout the trial now).

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Currently I use the 1/5/10 Planner daily. I like it as it's constantly there in my diary next to me at my work desk at all times so I remember what I need to do.

Admittedly it does get tedious to keep writing the side goals over & over manually. I am definitely an advocate for digital methods.

So my only question is this: How does GoalSumo.com allow me to view it regularly throughout the day without me having to keep firing up a laptop @MJ DeMarco ?
(I know you also said you working on the mobile app still. Also I'm about to checkout the trial now).

Not only will it print your list (like a 1/5/10 planner) but it should print up some of your goals, removing the tedium of having to retype them.

 

[SSTrey]

View attachment 53993

Not only will it print your list (like a 1/5/10 planner) but it should print up some of your goals, removing the tedium of having to retype them.

Ok this is awesome @MJ DeMarco thanks.
Just one thing, unsure if I'm reading it wrong or its a bug...
Print only seems to show a random daily task as opposed to my main Power Task.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Ok this is awesome @MJ DeMarco thanks.
Just one thing, unsure if I'm reading it wrong or its a bug...
Print only seems to show a random daily task as opposed to my main Power Task.

View attachment 53994

View attachment 53995

Because power tasks should be limited to only one per day. If you have 6 power tasks, it is no longer a power task but a primary task.

This is inline with my original intentions of my paper 1/5/10 planners.

 

[SSTrey]

Because power tasks should be limited to only one per day. If you have 6 power tasks, it is no longer a power task but a primary task.

This is inline with my original intentions of my paper 1/5/10 planners.

Great thanks.

PS - I have created a shortcut for the browser link directly to Goalsumo. This way it acts as a temporary 'app' so I can view it regularly throughout the day

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Great thanks.

PS - I have created a shortcut for the browser link directly to Goalsumo. This way it acts as a temporary 'app' so I can view it regularly throughout the day

That's a good use, my list is open in one window, all day, every day.

 

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[SSTrey]

That's a good use, my list is open in one window, all day, every day.

Getting that habit now as well as I work on my laptop.

 

[SSTrey]

@MJ DeMarco Been using Goalsumo for 4 days now, enjoying it actually.
Question: I have chained Daily Tasks to Weekly Goals & chained that to Monthly Goals. Is it possible to view this specific progress anywhere? (want to track progress each day. Hope I'm not missing anything & using Goalsumo correctly).
Analytics only displays the overall progress.

PS - I will check and add to the public roadmap as well.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@MJ DeMarco Been using Goalsumo for 4 days now, enjoying it actually.
Question: I have chained Daily Tasks to Weekly Goals & chained that to Monthly Goals. Is it possible to view this specific progress anywhere? (want to track progress each day. Hope I'm not missing anything & using Goalsumo correctly).
Analytics only displays the overall progress.

PS - I will check and add to the public roadmap as well.

This was possible but right now it is offline due to the new goal system.

Our analytics section is road-mapped for revamping as it was a laggard with the rest of the system updates, so stay tuned for improvements there—I promise you we will get there.

 

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[SSTrey]

This was possible but right now it is offline due to the new goal system.

Our analytics section is road-mapped for revamping as it was a laggard with the rest of the system updates, so stay tuned for improvements there—I promise you we will get there.

Great stuff. Appreciate it MJ. Looking forward to it.
I'm finding GS quite effective compared to the manual 1/5/10 on paper.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I'm finding GS quite effective compared to the manual 1/5/10 on paper.

That's why I created it, I was tired of the paper -- it worked for me, but was pretty inefficient.

 

[Dean Irwin]

Tossing this feature update on here. We've recently released Weekly Goal Focuses. This new feature guides you through the noise and distractions and brings you closer to what truly matters, crushing your goals!

In alignment with the ideas behind our "Power Tasks", we believe that focus starts with identifying a single important task, and knocking it out of the park. With this feature, we're hoping to improve foucs, prioritization skills, and motivation.

We also built in a fun animation to help you get that little dopamine hit each week as you crush it!

 

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[SSTrey]

Tossing this feature update on here. We've recently released Weekly Goal Focuses. This new feature guides you through the noise and distractions and brings you closer to what truly matters, crushing your goals!




In alignment with the ideas behind our "Power Tasks", we believe that focus starts with identifying a single important task, and knocking it out of the park. With this feature, we're hoping to improve foucs, prioritization skills, and motivation.

We also built in a fun animation to help you get that little dopamine hit each week as you crush it!

@Dean Irwin I notice this appears on the current daily task. Greats stuff.

 

[Pau1]

Want 2024 to be the best year of your life? With many more to come?​

The year everything changed??​

The year Fastlane transformed from fantasy to reality?​

Sometime in the mid-90s, I did something that unexpectedly changed my life: I spent 20 minutes visualizing my future and wrote it down in a journal. Years later, I stumbled upon that old visualization in a dusty crate while moving to a new home. You can read the entire story here.

View attachment 53305

Now it's your turn to transform your most ambitious dreams into reality.

Over the next few days, I will give you a complete online tutorial for making it happen. 2024 will be your year—the year everything changes.

Part 1: Start with a Bold Vision and Then Plan It Down to the Week. Then the Day.​

"A fantastic dream without a fantastic plan is a fantastic fantasy." - MJ

In The Great Rat Race Escape , I emphasized the importance of outlining your future to make good decisions.

Visualize it.
Reverse-engineer it.
Then task it daily.

Win the day. Win the week. And you'll win the year, followed by life.

In other words, start with the end in mind.

Suppose you're skeptical and think this is just fluff. Your loss.

Visualization and backwardization of goal-planning is endorsed by many iconic leaders and authors, myself included.

• In "The Great Rat Race Escape ," by MJ DeMarco (me!) I describe this engineering process as a 1/5/10 Strategy.
• In James Clear's "Atomic Habits," he talks about identity shifts: transforming from who you think you are to who you will become.
• In an extensive interview here, Sahil Bloom reflected on this "backwards" approach to setting and achieving goals.
• Here's another article on the backwardization of goal planning...
• In Maxwell Martz's "Psycho-Cybernetics," he emphasizes visualizing and redefining your self-image as the crucial foundation for life changes.
• In Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," he advocates for Starting with the End in Mind, which is Habit #2. This book has sold gazillions.

These last two books have withstood the test of time. Clear's book has sold gazillions. There's meat on the bone here that THIS STUFF WORKS.

Moreover, setting a grander vision for the future can be transformative in these 3 key ways:

1. Backwardization of goals gifts you a decision-making framework.
In this forum, I often address decision-making questions with the same advice: Choose TODAY what aligns with your long-term vision TOMORROW and where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years.

2. Backwardization of goals reshapes your identity and self-image.
Envisioning your future self ensures that your current self makes choices in alignment with that vision, a concept echoed in both James Clear's and Maxwell Martz's works.

3. Backwardization of goals fuels grit and determination and fires your feedback loop.
Aligning your decisions with a greater purpose transforms tough choices into steps toward your ultimate goal. What might seem like thankless, challenging tasks today are actually integral parts of your journey. I was hired for a lot of shitty jobs. My future vision made these jobs tolerable and part of the process. They weren't failures, but steps.

So, how do you start planning for the future you dream of?

It begins with your system. As James Clear aptly put it, "You do not rise to the level of your goals; you rise to the level of your systems."

Dream it. Plan it. Task it. Habit it. Motivate it.

View attachment 53309

Here's how:

First, grab a free trial (no credit card needed) at GoalSumo.com. Yes, I'm pushing the system I use myself and co-founded. But don't worry— if you're more inclined towards traditional methods, you can download my 1/5/10 Planner for FREE.

Either way, you can follow along.

Second, watch the video posted above and follow the instructions for making your first goal.

Third, WATCH this thread as will update it continually.

View attachment 53306

View attachment 53307

Follow along and by next year you won't recognize yourself from last year. ​

And even better, the IDEA of even having a "New Years Resolution" will sound utterly stupid.​

~ MJ DeMarco​

I just created my first few goals, and I already love what you've created here. Do you plan on releasing a mobile app sometime in the future? I think there is a big market for it in the app store, as there are a lot of app for habit tracking but none with a concept like yours, that unites the creaion of habits through the visualization of goals so smoothly.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I just created my first few goals, and I already love what you've created here. Do you plan on releasing a mobile app sometime in the future? I think there is a big market for it in the app store, as there are a lot of app for habit tracking but none with a concept like yours, that unites the creaion of habits through the visualization of goals so smoothly.

Thanks, yes an app will be underway and soon as we nail the web-based version! Glad you find value in the service!

 

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[Dean Irwin]

I notice this appears on the current daily task. Greats stuff.

Lol. I like to throw random easter eggs in my screenshots/product demonstrations. MJ is probably sick of them by now, I need to come up with some new ones. My default important task/goal is "Win the lottery" when we're testing things.

 

[SSTrey]

I purchased the month to month subscription. Thanks for the 20% @MJ DeMarco

Q: I know I can chain a Task to a Weekly goal. But how do I chain a Weekly goal to a monthly goal?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

You want to avoid creating standalone goals which occurs from the goals tab, using [+ Add Weekly Goal] button.

Open your goal chain and create weekly goals from there.

We identified that this is a UI issue and we will likely eliminate the [+ Add Weekly Goal] button from the goals page as it does exactly what you did -- create standalone goals not part of a goal chain.

Bad design on our part.

 

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[SSTrey]

You want to avoid creating standalone goals which occurs from the goals tab, using [+ Add Weekly Goal] button.

Open your goal chain and create weekly goals from there.

We identified that this is a UI issue and we will likely eliminate the [+ Add Weekly Goal] button from the goals page as it does exactly what you did -- create standalone goals not part of a goal chain.

Bad design on our part.

Thanks for the prompt response MJ. Makes much more sense to me now.

 

[dipankar das]

Hi @MJ DeMarco, I found a problem when I define a goal I assume it might take a set number of tasks and a period to complete it. When it comes to actual execution I see it takes many more tasks to complete the goal and also takes a much longer time. Any advice on how I exactly define the 1-year goal then the 1-month goal then the 1week goal and daily tasks?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Any advice on how I exactly define the 1-year goal then the 1-month goal then the 1week goal and daily tasks?

As you move further out it really doesn't matter.

What matters is TODAY and the WEEK.

The rest, ultimately, takes care of itself and is revealed to you as you progress.

The idea is to map out the general plan, and once you're engaged in the process, ACT, ASSES, and ADJUST.

Many goals will be added, others, dropped.

 

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[dipankar das]

As you move further out it really doesn't matter.

What matters is TODAY and the WEEK.

The rest, ultimately, takes care of itself and is revealed to you as you progress.

The idea is to map out the general plan, and once you're engaged in the process, ACT, ASSES, and ADJUST.

Many goals will be added, others, dropped.

Thank you, MJ for replying to my question. I always assumed how you came up with "$20M net worth in 10 years and then $3M in 5 years” As It might take 12-15 years to reach that goal or maybe 6-8 years for some. but you have answered my question. It's to start and do a rough estimate. When you start executing then you can see and nearest milestone and then act asses adjust accordingly.

 

[Dean Irwin]

Howdy GoalSumo fanatics! This will be a short, but important update: We've adjusted the logic on DailySumos in order to reduce confusion and streamline your goal-crushing.

Future DailySumos Now Hide Rollover Tasks​

The concept of task rollover was previously implemented in a way that made setting up and viewing your future DailySumos confusing. Future DailySumos will now hide all tasks that have been rolled-over from a previous day.

Viewing the DailySumo for today will still show all rollover tasks that have not been previously completed. This change will hopefully bring some much-needed clarity.

You will notice this change also makes the behavior surrounding Habit Tasks much more clear as well.

 

[SSTrey]

Howdy GoalSumo fanatics! This will be a short, but important update: We've adjusted the logic on DailySumos in order to reduce confusion and streamline your goal-crushing.

Future DailySumos Now Hide Rollover Tasks​

The concept of task rollover was previously implemented in a way that made setting up and viewing your future DailySumos confusing. Future DailySumos will now hide all tasks that have been rolled-over from a previous day.

Viewing the DailySumo for today will still show all rollover tasks that have not been previously completed. This change will hopefully bring some much-needed clarity.

You will notice this change also makes the behavior surrounding Habit Tasks much more clear as well.

Hi @Dean Irwin So how would we track a task we were unable to do on the previous day?
I was actually enjoying the rollover to remind me it needs to get done.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Hi @Dean Irwin So how would we track a task we were unable to do on the previous day?

It still rolls over -- you see it when today = date.

However if you forward to, say next week, the rollover tasks are hidden. This prevents confusion.

 

[SSTrey]

It still rolls over -- you see it when today = date.

However if you forward to, say next week, the rollover tasks are hidden. This prevents confusion.

Great stuff, thanks MJ. Now I understand what Dean meant by just 'hidden'.
Great feature.

 

[Fliese]

Want to say thank you for creating this awesome goal setting tool! The DailySumos help me a lot to get more structure in my daily doings. The ranking system and the analytics motivate me a lot.

 

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[SSTrey]

@Dean Irwin @MJ DeMarco Ive been kicked out GoalSumo. Tried logging in via password reset and Google sign in but nothing.
Appreciate the support.

 

[Dean Irwin]

@Dean Irwin @MJ DeMarco Ive been kicked out GoalSumo. Tried logging in via password reset and Google sign in but nothing.
Appreciate the support.

Hi Trey. Thanks for letting me know.

I see this flagging issues on our end as well. Please close out of this tab completely, and visit this link via a new tab: goalsumo.com/app/account/logout on your mobile device. There's an edge case in your authentication state I'm currently looking into and working to resolve. After logging out, please try and log back in. Your account is not setup to login via Google, so use your email and password combination.

If this issue persists, please shoot me an email via support@goalsumo.com so I can continue to help troubleshoot.