Set Meaningful Goals
Most goal-setting advice is about productivity: SMART goals, OKRs, quarterly planning. These tools work for output. They don’t work for meaning.
You can hit every target and still feel empty. You can be productive and purposeless simultaneously.
The fix: Goals must connect to values and purpose, not just metrics. A meaningful goal answers “why does this matter?” before “how do I measure it?”
Objective
Set 3-5 goals per quarter that are connected to your core values and ikigai. The goal is not maximum output but meaningful progress — actions that leave you feeling aligned, not just busy.
The Problem with Most Goals
| Common goal pattern | What’s missing |
|---|---|
| ”Lose 20 pounds” | Why? For whom? What changes when you do? |
| ”Make $200k” | What does the money enable? What are you trading for it? |
| ”Read 50 books” | Consumption isn’t growth. What changes in your behavior? |
| ”Get promoted” | Is the promotion aligned with your values, or just your ego? |
Goals without values are just productivity theater. You optimize metrics while drifting from what matters.
The Protocol
Step 1: Start with Values, Not Outcomes (15 minutes)
Pull out your core values. For each value, ask:
“What would it look like to live this value more fully in the next 90 days?”
This generates goals that are meaningful by definition — they come from what matters to you, not from what looks impressive.
Step 2: Apply the 3-Domain Rule
Set goals across at least 3 of the 4 domains. This prevents over-indexing on one area while others decay.
| Domain | Example goal |
|---|---|
| Health | ”Train 3×/week for 12 weeks” |
| Social | ”Host one dinner per month; deepen 2 friendships” |
| Meaning | ”Run the Ikigai 30-day experiment” |
| Wealth | ”Max out tax-advantaged accounts this year” |
The rule: No more than 2 goals per domain. 3-5 goals total per quarter.
Step 3: Define the Weekly Action
Every goal needs a weekly action — the smallest repeatable unit that moves you forward.
| Goal | Weekly action |
|---|---|
| Train 3×/week | Monday/Wednesday/Friday gym sessions, calendared |
| Deepen 2 friendships | One real conversation per week with target friends |
| Run Ikigai experiment | One micro-experiment per week |
| Max tax-advantaged accounts | Automatic payroll deduction (set once) |
If you can’t define a weekly action, the goal is too vague. Break it down further.
Step 4: The “Hell Yes” Test
For each goal, ask: “If I achieved this in 90 days, would I feel genuinely proud — not just productive?”
If the answer is lukewarm, the goal isn’t meaningful enough. Replace it with something that connects to your values more directly.
Step 5: Write It Down
For each goal:
Goal: [What] Value it serves: [Which core value] Weekly action: [Smallest repeatable step] 90-day target: [What “done” looks like] Why it matters: [One honest sentence]
The Review Cycle
Weekly Review (10 minutes)
- Did I complete my weekly actions?
- Which goals got attention? Which were neglected?
- Any adjustments needed?
Monthly Check-in (20 minutes)
- Am I on track for 90-day targets?
- Do these goals still feel meaningful, or has something shifted?
- Is any domain being neglected?
Quarterly Reset (60 minutes)
- Score each goal: achieved / partial / abandoned
- For abandoned goals: was the goal wrong, or was execution the problem?
- Set new goals for next quarter using the same protocol
Cadence
- Quarterly: Set 3-5 goals using this protocol (60 minutes)
- Weekly: Review weekly actions (10 minutes)
- Monthly: Check-in on progress and alignment (20 minutes)
- As needed: Adjust goals if life circumstances change materially
KPIs
| Indicator | Type | Target | How to measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals set | Leading | 3-5 per quarter | Written goal list |
| Weekly actions completed | Leading | ≥80% completion rate | Weekly review |
| Multi-domain coverage | Leading | ≥3 domains represented | Check against 4 domains |
| Goals achieved per quarter | Lagging | ≥60% fully achieved | Quarterly review |
| Alignment feeling | Lagging | ≥7/10 | ”Do my goals reflect what matters?” |
Failure Modes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Too many goals (>5) | Cut to 5 max. Focus beats breadth. If everything is a goal, nothing gets done |
| Goals are all in one domain | Apply the 3-domain rule. Over-indexing on career while health/relationships decay is a common trap |
| Goals feel like “shoulds” not “wants” | Reconnect to values. If a goal doesn’t serve a core value, drop it |
| Achieving goals but feeling empty | Goals are disconnected from values. Redo Step 1 starting from values |
| Abandoning goals mid-quarter | Distinguish: was the goal wrong (drop it) or was execution hard (recommit)? |
| Perfectionism (all-or-nothing) | 80% completion of meaningful goals beats 100% completion of meaningless ones |
Related
- Prerequisite: Define Core Values (values drive goal selection)
- Prerequisite: Find Your Ikigai (purpose informs direction)
- Concept: Ikigai Model (the overlap framework)
- Concept: Hustle vs Balance (sustainable pace matters)
- Complement: Practice Mindfulness (awareness supports honest goal-setting)
- Anti-Patterns: Meaning Anti-Patterns (common traps in pursuing purpose)