Success in life, both at personal and professional level, becomes a high probability when we plan things properly and work to execute them as per intended goals. Following the goals means some key steps have to be achieved as you inch towards the final target. For a good final execution, you need a structure for keeping track of your progress in achieving these goals. For this, you need a goal chart.

Goal Chart Templates

Types of goal charts

All of us have our own goals in life but for some reason, we tend to lose track of them over time. But with a goal chart as your guide, you can gain the capability to clarify the goals that you set for your career, relationships, health, and more.

A goal sheet includes boxes that you will fill with your goals and the steps to achieve them. You can create a goal chart template for the following:

  • Weight Loss
    Make this if you want to shed those extra pounds to become healthier and feel more confident. For this, you will need a chart with table columns that contain the dates, your current weight, the weight you have lost between the last date you weighed yourself and the most recent date, and your total weight loss.
  • Sales
    This chart involves different goals that your sales personnel should achieve if you’re in the business of sales. You would also note down your employees’ status of achievement. This type of chart will help you keep track of your employees’ progress.
  • Personal Goals
    You can use this chart to keep track of your goals on a more personal level like for instance if you want to buy something that you have longed for a while. For motivation, you can paste a photo of the object you want to buy then write down a date when you want to purchase it. Then you can start saving money.
  • Weekly Goal Tracker
    This chart would include goals that you need to accomplish every day for an entire week. A great way for you to keep track of these goals and accomplish them is by keeping yourself updated and aware.
  • Stages of Life
    Here, you write down the goals that you set for each stage of your life. The goal can be about finances, education, wellness, travel, family, and so on.

Goal Tracker Templates

What do you write in a goal sheet?

You need to create a goal list first before you begin working on your goal chart. Start by making the decision on what your main long-term goal is. From there, you can create sub-goals that represent important milestones towards your major goal. In an ideal situation, these sub-goals must also include measurable outcomes and deadlines.

After you have written down your sub-goals, the next part involves defining your objectives. These are the things you must accomplish to reach each of your sub-goals. They must come with short-term deadlines that you can accomplish with precise steps.

Printable Goal Charts

How to make a goal chart

Consider using a thermometer goal chart if you would like to keep track of a certain goal with the achievements made within a set time frame. This is the most common type of goal chart template and is typically used when you want to compare a target value and an actual value. Follow these steps to make this goal chart in Excel:

  • Prepare your data
    As with most projects, the first step when creating a thermometer goal sheet printable is data collection. It is also essential to express your target percentage in percent. To get the archived percentage, you have to divide the total amount by the target amount then multiply the amount by 100.
  • Create a stacked column chart
    The next step is to make a simple chart using the chart data that you have just prepared. To do this, you just have to make a stacked column chart in Excel. To do this, follow the steps below:

    • Select the Target and Archived
    • Click on the Insert Tab.
    • Click on the Insert Column or Bar Chart You can find this in the chart group
    • From the drop-down menu, click on the 2D Clustered Column

After these steps, you will have a graph that looks like the top part of a thermometer.

  • Switch the columns or rows
    You can do this by right-clicking on the goal graph then click on Select Data.
  • Select the data
    • Click on the Switch Row/Column from the select window that pops up then click on OK.
    • The next thing to do is to format the 2nd column. To do this, you must right-click on the column then choose format data series.
    • Select the Secondary Axis from the dialog box. This helps you ensure that both bars align with each other.
    • Now, you will have 2 vertical axes – the right axis and the left axis. These two vertical axes possess different values. You need to format the axis on the left. To do this, you must first right-click on it then choose Format Axis.
  • Format Axis
    Next, you must change the maximum value to 1, and the minimum value to 0. You should do this manually even though the values are already there. Next, you need to delete the right axis. You can do this by selecting it then pressing Delete.
    At this point, you will only have 1 visible chart and you need to format it. To do this, right-click on the chart then choose Format Data Series. After that, follow these steps:

    • For the Fill, choose No Fill.
    • For the Border, choose Solid Line.
    • Make sure that the color of the border is the same as the actual value bar. You should also delete the grid lines, title, both the horizontal and vertical axes, and the legend. At the same time, you must resize the graph manually to look like a thermometer graph. After changing the size, the thermometer graph should look like an actual thermometer.
    • Now, you must format the left-axis. Right-click on the left axis then choose Format Axis. In the window that pops-up, choose Inside as the Major Tick Mark Type.
    • The next step is to choose the chart outline. To do this, right-click on the chart then choose the Chart Area. A task panel will appear where you should choose the following:
    • For the Fill, choose No Fill.
    • For the Border, choose No Line.
    • To make your thermometer graph, you must add a circle at the bottom of the graph. To do this, click on the Insert tab, then insert a circle from the drop-down menu. The circle must have the same color as the graph itself.

How do you create a goal tracker?

If you are very driven towards a goal, then you may want to use a goal tracker to help you out. When talking about goals, people usually have more than one. The more you have goals, the more you will be needing a goal tracker or goal chart template to keep track of them.

You can create your own personal or money goal chart or tracker by following these steps:

  • Decide where you will place it
    This step is relatively easy as you will only make the decision on where your goal chart or tracker will stay. Do you prefer using notebooks or apps? Do you want to use a Google Sheets document? Before making this decision, remember that you have to:

    • Use the tracker often.
    • Make changes to it often.
    • Keep it close by all the time.
  • Write your goal down
    This is the next step in the creation of your tracker. Your goal should be very brief. It’s best to express it using a single sentence.
  • Think about your why
    After you have written down your goal, the next step is to think about your why. This is the reason why you want to achieve this goal. Is the reason really that important to you? Will the goal make you feel better about your future? The “why” serves as your reminder starting from the beginning to help you clear your thoughts.More importantly, it is there to help you in times when you feel stuck, unmotivated, or lost. There will always be a point in your life when your progress will be negatively affected. When this happens, you can look at your goal tracker again. This will remind you during these dips why the goal was so important in the first place and why you should keep going.
  • Add significant notes
    You must reserve the next section of your tracker for any notes you may have. Anything you have to remember or point out. It is a space where you can write any thoughts regarding your goal. Make sure that there is a note section for each of the goals that you have in your tracker.
  • Think about keeping track of your progress
    This is the last step in establishing your tracker. You need to come up with a progress report section in your tracker. This part will look a bit different and it may vary depending on the goal you have set. Basically, you use it for recording the completed steps that you have taken to reach your goal.
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Tagged:ChartsGoal SettingPersonalPlanningSmart goals
TemplateLab July 30th, 2023