The scoring formula (simple + practical)

The Goal Clarity Score converts your sliders (1–10) into a weighted average, then scales it to 0–100. “Difficulty” is inverted because harder goals require either more time/resources or a smaller first step. The goal is not to get 100 — the goal is to uncover what to fix next.

• Clarity: 20%
• Importance: 14%
• Commitment: 16%
• Feasibility: 16% (resources + inverted difficulty)
• Plan quality: 14%
• Consistency rhythm: 12%
• Support: 6%
• Resilience: 2%

• Inverted difficulty: Feasibility = 11 − difficulty.
• Feasibility score: average(resources, inverted difficulty).
• If a goal is very hard, you can compensate by increasing resources, shrinking the first step, or extending the timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a high score always better?

  No. A high score means the plan is clear and supported. You can still choose a “messy” goal on purpose — just expect more iteration.

• What’s a good minimum score to start?

  If you’re under ~55, try improving the lowest two sliders by 1–2 points before committing to a big push.

• Why is resilience only 2%?

  Because resilience is a “multiplier” you build through routines. The biggest wins usually come from clarity, feasibility, and consistency.

• How often should I rerun this?

  Weekly during the first month, then monthly. Your plan should evolve as your life changes.

Goal Setting Advisor: the complete walkthrough

Goals are everywhere: “get fit,” “launch a business,” “learn Spanish,” “save more money,” “be less stressed.” The problem is not ambition. The problem is translation — turning an idea into a plan you can execute on a busy, imperfect week.

This calculator is built around one core idea: clarity creates momentum. When your goal is clear, you don’t need heroic motivation. You can make progress through small, repeatable actions. When the goal is foggy, every day becomes a debate: “What should I do?” Debate drains energy — and your goal quietly dies.

Start with the goal statement box. Don’t worry about perfect wording. Just write the truth. Examples: “I want to lose weight,” “I want to build my newsletter,” “I want to pay off debt,” “I want to switch careers.” Writing the goal makes it real and gives you something to refine.

Each slider represents a lever you can pull. The score is a snapshot of your plan’s current strength:

• Clarity: Do you know exactly what “done” means?
• Importance: Does this matter to you (not just to your image)?
• Commitment: Are you willing to act even when the week is messy?
• Difficulty: How hard is the challenge from where you are today?
• Resources: Do you have time, tools, money, skills, or support?
• Plan quality: Do you have steps, milestones, and a first move?
• Consistency: Is there a rhythm you can keep (daily/weekly)?
• Support: Will someone or something keep you accountable?
• Resilience: When you miss a day, do you recover fast?

Notice what this list does: it shifts you from “hope” to “design.” Goals are not wishes; they are systems. You don’t need a dramatic plan — you need the smallest system that produces progress.

Your score is a weighted average (0–100). The weights are intentionally practical: clarity, commitment, feasibility, and consistency matter most because they determine what you do on a Tuesday. Support and resilience still matter, but they are easier to grow once you have a plan.

A helpful way to interpret the score:

• 80–100 (Locked in): You have a clear plan. Execute, protect your schedule, and track progress.
• 65–79 (Strong start): Mostly clear. Improve the weakest two levers and you’ll accelerate fast.
• 50–64 (Workable): You can start, but expect stalls. Shrink the first step and tighten the plan.
• 0–49 (Foggy): Don’t push harder. Clarify what “done” means, reduce difficulty, or add resources.

SMART goals are popular because they solve vagueness: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time‑bound. But SMART can feel stiff. Here’s the version that works: make your goal measurable enough to guide action and human enough to stay meaningful.

The advisor generates a SMART-style rewrite using your goal type and horizon. If you don’t like the wording, treat it as a starting draft. The point is to answer: “What happens by when?”

People don’t fail because they lack willpower. They fail because their plan requires perfect conditions. A viral plan is a plan you can do when you’re tired, busy, or slightly annoyed.

That’s why your output includes a weekly “anchor action” set. Anchors are small actions that keep the goal alive: a 20‑minute workout, a 30‑minute writing session, one job application, one budget review, one lesson module. If you do anchors consistently, results follow. If you wait for inspiration, results become rare.

Example A (Health): “Get fit.” You rate clarity 3/10, commitment 7/10, difficulty 7/10. The score comes out low because you don’t have a definition of done. A better target: “By 12 weeks, do 3 strength workouts/week and walk 8,000 steps/day; lose 8–12 pounds if that happens naturally.” Your anchors become 3 workouts, 3 walks, and a Sunday planning check‑in.

Example B (Career): “Get a better job.” You rate resources 4/10 (no time, no portfolio), plan quality 3/10 (no steps), and consistency 2/10. The fix is not motivation. The fix is a system: “For the next 6 weeks, apply to 5 roles/week and build 2 portfolio pieces; spend 3×45 minutes/week on portfolio.” Now you can track actions, not feelings.

Example C (Money): “Save more.” If difficulty is high (because fixed costs are heavy), feasibility drops. The best move might be a smaller first goal: “Save $500 in 30 days by reducing two expenses and auto‑transferring $17/day.” Success builds confidence, then you scale.

If you keep restarting, your goal may be mis-sized. Try one of these adjustments:

• Shrink the goal: choose a smaller outcome for 2 weeks.
• Shorten the horizon: aim for a 14‑day sprint, then renew.
• Lower friction: remove decisions (schedule it, prep tools, pre-commit).
• Increase resources: buy time, simplify other commitments, ask for support.
• Change identity language: “I am the kind of person who…” can help, but only with small proof actions.

The best goal is not the most impressive one — it’s the one you can steadily move forward. Use this advisor as a weekly reset: refine, simplify, and keep going.