Goal setting is one of the key elements to achieve a well-examined life.  

However, sometimes goal setting can be complex or overly engineered. This typically happens when we begin to incorporate it in a productivity system or enhance it with the latest technology. Then goal setting becomes the focus rather than taking action. 

What if we stripped away all the additional features and complexity of a goal-setting system? 

What will be the minimum viable system? What parts are essential that make goal setting a goal setting? When I think about it, there are four primary parts to kick-start the system and to start taking action: 

Aim ###  

This is obvious. The first part of the goal-setting system should be establishing and setting the aim. This gives us a sense of direction. 

Action

Once we have set the aim, we need to move towards it. How? Through action, of course. We need to list all the key actions we must take to move towards our goal.  

Deadline ###  

Having a deadline gives us constraints. It instills a sense of urgency and helps us establish certain metrics. Without a deadline, we continue doing things indefinitely without reaching a conclusion. Having a deadline also prepares for the reviewing part in a goal-setting system. 

Review

The simplest form of reviewing is to see your goal and have a sense of where you are currently in relation to it. This naturally means we need to put our goals down somewhere — whether in an analog format, such as a journal or index cards, or in a digital format, like Notepad, Excel, or Notion. 

(1)Aim, (2)action, (3)deadline, and (4)review are the bare minimum of a goal-setting system. Beyond that are extra features, techniques, philosophies, or a detailed explanation of the system.