This is the fourth post in the 101 Goals in 1,001 Days series.

Once you’ve refined your list of 101 goals, it’s time to organize your goals in preparation for your upcoming 1,001 days of flawless execution!

This organizational scheme uses principles of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. While familiarity with GTD is not required to follow this 101 Goals in 1,001 Days series, learning more about GTD can only help!

Step 1 - Make a master checklist of your 101 goals to keep track of your general progress. You might want to leave room to enter a completion date for each goal.

Step 2 - Set a start date. Today works best, but giving yourself a few days to prepare is okay as long as you pick a date now and commit to it. No excuses allowed!

Step 3 - Make a master project list for each goal, listing the action steps necessary to get from where you are today to where you want to be at the end of the goal.

Yes, this is a lot of paper. Are you really going to let 101 measly pieces of paper stand between you and your dreams?

I didn’t think so.

As I was saying…

Here’s where GTD comes in. Each project needs to be broken down into multiple, sequential actions. Each action should be small enough that you can check off progress regularly, without being so minute that it takes you longer to plan for the goal than it does to execute it.

For example, if your goal is to complete a specific calculus textbook, you would not list “finish calculus book” as an action. Instead, you would list each chapter as a single action step. Depending on the book, you may want to list “read chapter X” and “complete problem set for chapter X” as separate items.

Think of each project list as a moving walkway. As soon as you finish one task, you want to be able to flow right into the next one without having to stop and think about it. This builds momentum and prevents procrastination.

Wish you could find someone else to write your 101 lists?
Check out the Rocket Power support program at 101goalsin1001days.com.

It’s okay if you don’t know every step from A-Z for all 101 goals right at the start. Just make sure you have at least one action step for each goal, even if your sole action for a goal is to research what it will actually take to achieve it.

Don’t leave any goals without an action plan. If you have a goal like “visit Italy” and you don’t think you have the funds and/or time available right now, make your first step compiling a list of must-see attractions and must-do activities for your trip. Then, you’ll want to determine the least amount of time and/or money you could spend while incorporating those priorities. As another step, you’ll want to determine what preparations you can handle beforehand, like getting a passport — and then researching passport requirements, compiling the paperwork and photo, sending it in, and checking on your application’s progress.

Planning for 101 goals can seem overwhelming at first, but without the right scaffolding beneath you, you won’t go anywhere near as far as you would if you had to stop after every single step and reevaluate your path. Not having a clear plan is why you haven’t achieved these 101 goals already!

You can read some sample action plans that correspond to my personal 101 Goals list on Day Six.

Next, we’ll cover how to execute your goals once you’ve taken care of the initial planning.