Blank goal planning worksheet PDF, US Letter

A blank one-page goal planning worksheet to fill in by hand: one goal and why it matters, three subgoals with a due date and three small steps each, and three if-then plans for the moments it gets hard. Nothing to sign up for.

Fill it in online

Download the PDF (US Letter)

One page, 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm). Need the other size? Goal planning PDF, A4.

Quick answer: download the US Letter file, print one page at 100% (Actual size) on US Letter paper, and fill it in with a pen. It is free, needs no account, and you may reuse it with credit to goaltracker.online.

Preview of the blank goal planning worksheet PDF on US Letter paper

What is on the sheet

Lines for your name and the target date.
A line for the goal and a line for why it matters to you.
Three subgoal blocks. Each has a subgoal line, a short “Due” line, and three small steps with a tick box.
A section called “If it gets hard (optional)” with three pairs of lines: “If...” and “...then I will”.
A small credit line at the bottom. There is no logo or colour on the sheet.

On Letter the goal and why lines run the full 7.4 in width, with about a quarter of an inch of writing height each: one short sentence in normal handwriting. The step lines are narrower, so keep each step to a few words.

How to print it on US Letter paper

US Letter is 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 × 279.4 mm), the standard paper size in the United States and Canada, and common in Mexico and the Philippines. The file is one portrait page with 14 mm margins, which leaves a printable area 7.4 in wide.

Open the PDF and choose Print.
Set the paper size to Letter and the scale to 100% (some print dialogs call it “Actual size”). “Fit to page” also works, but shrinks the sheet slightly.
Print in portrait. The sheet is black and white, so a mono printer or the grayscale setting is enough.

For a half-letter planner (5.5 × 8.5 in), print it at 64%. Half letter is a little taller in proportion than Letter, so the sheet fits the width and leaves a blank strip at the bottom.

If your printer holds A4 paper, use the A4 file instead. A Letter page printed on A4 paper is either scaled down or loses a strip at the side, because A4 is 6 mm narrower. Get the A4 version.

How to fill it in

Write your name and the date you want the goal done by.
Write the goal as something you could check off, like “finish a first draft of my novel by June 30”, not “write more”.
Keep the why short and personal. It is what you will reread when motivation drops.
Split the goal into up to three subgoals, the milestones between today and the target date, and give each its own due date. Under each, write steps small enough to finish in one sitting.
In the last section, name what is most likely to stop you and decide in advance what you will do: “If I am too tired after work, then I will do just 10 minutes.” Leave it blank if you cannot think of one yet.

Paper or screen

The online goal planner has the same fields, turns your obstacles into “If..., then I will...” sentences as you type, and downloads as Markdown or as a file the tracker imports, with each subgoal and step carried over. Open the online goal planning worksheet. It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

To check steps off day by day and keep a streak, use the free goal tracker: no account, and your goals stay on your device.

Questions

Can I type into the PDF?

No. The file is a flat page for printing and writing on, not a fillable form. To type instead, use the online goal planner, which downloads the worksheet as Markdown or as a file the tracker imports.

What are the if-then plans for?

They come from the last step of the WOOP method (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan). Deciding in advance what you will do when a known obstacle shows up is easier than deciding in the moment.

What if I need more than three subgoals?

Print a second copy for the extra subgoals, or use the online planner, which allows four. If a goal needs more than four, it is usually two goals.

Should I print the A4 or the US Letter version?

Use the file that matches the paper in your printer. A4 (210 × 297 mm) is the standard paper size in most countries outside North America; US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) is the standard paper size in the United States and Canada, and common in Mexico and the Philippines. Both files have the same layout, and either prints at 100% without anything cut off on its own paper.

Is the goal planning worksheet PDF free to print and share?

Yes. There is no account, email or payment. You may print as many copies as you like and share or adapt the sheet, in a classroom or workshop too, under the CC BY 4.0 licence, as long as you credit goaltracker.online. The credit line is already printed on the sheet.

Reuse

Free to copy, share and adapt, including in a classroom, a workshop or a newsletter, as long as you credit goaltracker.online. The licence is CC BY 4.0, and the credit line is already printed at the foot of the sheet.