New Year Goal Planner: turn intentions into a plan you can actually finish

Most New Year goals fail for boring reasons: the goal is vague, the plan is fuzzy, and week two gets busy. This planner is designed to fix those three problems without turning your life into a spreadsheet. You’ll set up to three goals, rate a few practical factors (clarity, time, support, obstacles), and get a simple Goal Success Score (0–100) plus a 90‑day action plan with weekly targets and milestone dates.

Think of the score as a “readiness snapshot.” It’s not a prediction from the universe. It’s a mirror: if your clarity is low, we tighten the wording; if your time is low, we shrink the weekly commitment; if obstacles are high, we build a fallback plan. The best part: the plan is shareable, savable, and downloadable so you can keep momentum after the first burst of motivation.

What this planner outputs

• Goal Success Score (0–100): a weighted snapshot of how executable your plan is right now.
• Readiness label: Built, Nearly‑There, Wobbly, or Reset Needed.
• Top 5 next steps: short actions tailored to your weakest factors.
• Milestone dates: 25%, 50%, 75%, and finish date based on your chosen horizon.
• Weekly commitment: a suggested weekly “minimum viable progress” target you can actually sustain.
• Share + save: copy/share text, and optional local saving on your device.

How the scoring formula works (simple on purpose)

Each factor is scored from 1 to 10 (except time, which is hours per week and is converted to a 1–10 scale). Higher is better for most sliders. A few are inverted because “more” is worse: difficulty and obstacles reduce the score, so we convert them into “ease” and “smoothness.”

• Clarity: how specific and measurable the goal is.
• Motivation: how much you genuinely want it (not just “should”).
• Consistency: how reliable your routines are right now.
• Support: accountability, help, and environment alignment.
• Enjoyment: how much you can make the process pleasant.
• Difficulty (inverted): harder goals need more structure to succeed.
• Obstacles (inverted): life friction, travel, stress, constraints.

Time is entered as hours per week (0–20). We convert it to a 1–10 scale using:

timeScore = clamp( round(hoursPerWeek / 2), 0, 10 ), then mapped to 1–10. If you enter 0 hours, the time score becomes 1 (because “some time” is still possible if you redesign the goal). If you enter 20 hours, the time score becomes 10.

We compute a weighted average (still on a 1–10 scale) and then scale it to 0–100:

• Clarity: 18%
• Motivation: 16%
• Consistency: 14%
• Time availability: 14%
• Support: 12%
• Enjoyment: 10%
• Ease (inverted difficulty): 8%
• Smoothness (inverted obstacles): 8%

Finally, we convert the 1–10 weighted result into a 0–100 score with: ((weighted - 1) / 9) × 100. This keeps the math consistent with the slider scale.

Why these weights?

You can be motivated and still fail if the goal is unclear. You can be clear and still fail if you never have time. That’s why clarity and time are heavy. Consistency matters because the New Year is won on Tuesdays, not January 1st. Support and enjoyment keep you in the game. Difficulty and obstacles matter too, but we treat them as “planning tax”: hard goals are doable—you just need more structure, and this tool nudges you to add it.

Examples

Example A: “Get fit” → rewritten into a finishable goal

• Goal: “Walk 8,000 steps at least 5 days/week for 12 weeks.”
• Clarity: 8 · Motivation: 7 · Consistency: 6 · Time: 3 hrs/wk · Support: 5 · Enjoyment: 6 · Difficulty: 5 · Obstacles: 6

This plan usually scores in the “Nearly‑There” range. The tailored next steps tend to focus on lowering obstacles (pack shoes by the door, schedule walks) and improving support (buddy, group chat, accountability streak).

Example B: A hard goal with high chance of success

• Goal: “Publish 12 high‑quality articles by Dec 31 (1/month), with a 90‑minute writing block every weekday.”
• Clarity: 9 · Motivation: 8 · Consistency: 7 · Time: 7 hrs/wk · Support: 6 · Enjoyment: 7 · Difficulty: 7 · Obstacles: 4

Even though difficulty is high, the plan can score well because time, clarity, and routines are strong. The planner will usually recommend milestone checkpoints (drafts, edits, publish) and a weekly minimum output target.

How to use this tool in real life

1. Start with 1–3 goals. More goals feels ambitious but behaves like sabotage. Three is the cap for a reason.
2. Pick a horizon. 90 days is the sweet spot for momentum, but you can choose 30/60/180/365 as well.
3. Rate honestly. If time is low, don’t pretend. The tool will redesign the weekly target accordingly.
4. Press Calculate. Read the top next steps and apply the easiest one immediately.
5. Save or download. Momentum comes from having the plan visible when life gets busy.
6. Re-check monthly. Scores change. That’s good. Adjust the sliders and update the plan as your life shifts.

FAQ

• Is this score scientifically validated?

  No. It’s a practical, behavior-based checklist that helps you build a plan. Use it as a reflection tool, not a diagnosis or guarantee.

• What’s a “good” score?

  65+ usually means your goal is executable with minor tweaks. 45–64 means your plan needs tightening. Below 45 usually means you’re trying to do a big thing with small resources—shrink the plan or increase support/time.

• Should I choose one goal for the whole year?

  You can, but it’s often better to run in seasons: set a 90‑day plan, finish a milestone, then renew. Momentum beats “perfect annual planning.”

• How many hours per week do I need?

  Less than you think—if the goal is designed well. A “minimum viable progress” target (like 2–3 hours/week) can compound for months. If your score is low due to time, the tool will recommend shrinking the weekly target or simplifying the goal.

• What if I miss a week?

  Don’t restart the year. Restart the week. Use the plan’s weekly target as a floor, not a chain. If you miss, lower obstacles, increase support, and continue.

• Does this store my goals on your servers?

  No. Everything runs in your browser. If you choose “Save,” it saves locally on this device (like a bookmark).

Make it viral (without being cringe)

The fastest way to stay consistent is to make your goal visible. Share your score with a friend, post a screenshot, or copy the plan into your notes app. If you want a fun challenge, do this: share your goal score, then re-take it in 30 days and post the change. People love progress arcs.

Also: save the plan and set a recurring reminder to review it weekly. Your future self will thank you.

Goal design cheat sheet (use this before you rate clarity)

If your clarity slider is below 7, don’t “try harder.” Rewrite the goal. Here are three quick frameworks. Use whichever feels easiest.

• Specific: What exactly will you do?
• Measurable: How will you count it (days/week, pages, dollars, reps)?
• Realistic: What’s the smallest version you can finish even on busy weeks?
• Time-bound: When does this cycle end (30/60/90/180/365)?

• Wish: the goal you want.
• Outcome: the best thing that happens if you finish.
• Obstacle: the main inner/outer thing that blocks you (time, stress, scrolling, travel).
• Plan: “If X happens, then I will do Y.” Example: “If I miss a workout day, I’ll do a 12‑minute walk after lunch.”

Write one sentence that links the goal to who you want to be: “I’m the kind of person who…” (writes daily, cooks at home, follows through, learns continuously). Identity is sticky. The goal is proof.

How the 90‑day plan is generated

After you calculate, the tool generates milestones at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of your chosen horizon. This is a simple way to keep “future you” close. The plan also picks a weekly commitment target based on your time slider:

• If time is 0–2 hrs/week, you’ll get a micro plan (15–20 minutes, 3–4 days/week).
• If time is 3–6 hrs/week, you’ll get a standard plan (45–60 minutes, 3–5 days/week).
• If time is 7+ hrs/week, you’ll get a high-output plan with one “deep work” block.

You can always ignore the suggestions and do your own thing—this is a planner, not a parent. But if you’re stuck, the default plan is designed to be sustainable.

How to raise your score quickly (without changing your life)

• Increase clarity: add a number + schedule. (“3x/week” beats “often.”)
• Lower obstacles: remove one friction point. Prep the environment the night before.
• Improve support: tell one person. Add a simple accountability loop (weekly check-in).
• Increase enjoyment: bundle something you like with the habit (music, audiobook, coffee ritual).
• Lower difficulty: create a “minimum day” version. Consistency beats hero mode.

More FAQs

• Can I use this for team or work goals?

  Yes. Treat “support” as resourcing and alignment. Treat “obstacles” as constraints. The plan still works: milestones + weekly commitment.

• What if I have multiple goals across areas (health + money + career)?

  That’s fine—as long as the weekly time you commit is real. If you’re overbooked, your score will drop and the tool will push you to shrink the plan or focus on fewer goals.

• Is 90 days better than a full-year goal?

  For most people, yes. Short cycles create urgency, feedback, and momentum. You can always chain four 90‑day cycles into a year, and you’ll learn faster along the way.

• How do I track progress?

  Pick one metric per goal (days completed, dollars saved, pages written). Track weekly. The milestone dates help you zoom out so one bad day doesn’t become a bad month.

Friendly reminder: goals are not moral grades. This tool is here to help you build a plan, not judge you. If you want to start small, start small. A finished small goal beats an abandoned perfect goal.

What your score means

Use this as a tuning knob. If your score is low, don’t quit — redesign. Below are the ranges used in the planner.

• 80–100 (Built): your goal is structured and resourced. Protect your routine.
• 65–79 (Nearly‑There): small tweaks (clarity/support/obstacles) will raise success odds.
• 45–64 (Wobbly): shrink the weekly commitment or tighten the goal wording.
• 0–44 (Reset Needed): your goal is too big for current time/support. Make a smaller version that you can finish.

• Rewrite the goal until clarity ≥ 7.
• Increase time by 1 hour/week or reduce goal scope by 20%.
• Decrease obstacles by designing your environment (prep, reminders, automation).
• Add one accountability loop (buddy, coach, weekly check‑in).

A high score doesn’t guarantee success, and a low score doesn’t mean failure. It’s a planning snapshot.

Your data stays in your browser

This planner runs entirely on the page. If you hit “Save,” the plan is stored in your browser’s local storage so you can view it later on this device. You can clear saved plans anytime.

• Open this page once a week.
• Recalculate with honest sliders.
• Pick one next step and schedule it.