Hey there,
Your task manager is only as useful as the goal it's pointing toward.
For years I ran elaborate systems in Notion, trying to connect goals to projects to tasks so I could see how they cascaded into each other. It helped, but there were gaps, and it was extremely manual and cumbersome to create. When I moved into Todoist, the project and task management were solid. But the goals piece was still missing.
That just changed as Todoist released Goals (currently in beta).
Here's what I want to walk you through today:
Why goal-to-task alignment is the foundation of a real productivity system
How Todoist Goals works and how to set it up in minutes
How I'm using it to track progress without adding complexity
Let's get into it.
3 Steps To Set Up Goal-Driven Productivity In Todoist Even If Your System Is Already a Mess
If you want your daily tasks to mean something, you need a clear line of sight from the work you're doing today to the outcome you're after.
Here's how to build it.
Step 1: Define the Outcome, Not the Activity
Your first step is to get clear on what you're actually trying to achieve.
Not "send more follow-ups." Not "clean up the pipeline." An outcome. Something like "close $400K in new business by end of Q3" or "reduce admin time by 5 hours per week."
Most people build their task lists around activities and then wonder why they feel busy but not productive.
Goals force you to anchor everything to a result.
Here's how to add a goal and to-do:
Select goals on the left-hand toolbar.
Add the goal name.
Add a goal description.
Add a deadline if one exists.
Step 2: Link Your Tasks to the Goal
Once you've added a goal inside Todoist, you can start connecting tasks to it.
Open the context menu on any existing task and select "Add to goal." This connects them to your goal and starts tracking progress as you check things off.
This is the part that used to require custom Notion database formulas and lots of manual upkeep.
Now it's two clicks. You can also select multiple tasks at once using the multi-select and tag them to a goal in bulk.
Step 3: Review Progress Weekly, Not Daily
The percentage tracker in Todoist Goals isn't meant to be a daily scoreboard.
It's a weekly review. During your Sunday planning session (if you've built one -- I covered this in a previous issue), pull up your goals and track your progress.
If the number isn't moving, it's usually one of two things: either the tasks aren't tied to the goal, or the tasks themselves aren't actually goal-relevant. Both are fixable.
Here's a video walkthrough of setting this up:
Click to watch the video
That's it. Here's what you learned today:
A task list without a goal is just a to-do list. The goal gives it direction.
Todoist Goals lets you link projects and tasks to outcomes and tracks completion automatically.
Review goal progress weekly, not daily, and use it to audit whether your work is actually pointed at the right target.
This week, pick one goal you're working toward right now, open Todoist, and set it up. Name the outcome, link your project/tasks, and check it again on Sunday. That's it.
Note: Todoist Goals is currently in beta and available on web/desktop for Pro and Business plan users with experimental features turned on in settings.
Hit reply or comment below and let us know why.
PS...If you're enjoying The Systematic Sales Leader, please consider recommending this edition to a friend.
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