How To Make A Goal Tree To Visualize Your Blogging Goals

You know that feeling when you have this amazing vision, but then you sit down to work on it and…overwhelm city? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately after a video chat with my friend Becki.

“I have all these ideas for my book,” she told me, looking into her planner. “But between the actual writing, building my author platform, and trying to connect with readers – I feel like I’m drowning in to-dos.” 

I couldn’t help but smile in recognition. Even though I’m running my blogging business full-time now, I still remember that overwhelming feeling of having big dreams but not knowing how to turn them into doable steps. And if I’m being completely honest? Sometimes, I still feel that way when I’m planning new projects or setting bigger goals.

That’s why I got so excited when I recently stumbled upon something called a goal tree. No, not some fancy productivity app or expensive planning system – just a simple way to take those big, dreamy goals and break them into tiny, manageable pieces. 

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve been diving deep into research because it looks like exactly what both Becki and I need right now. And I’m guessing if you’re here reading this, you might need it, too. So I thought, why not explore this together?

Let me share what I’ve learned about goal trees (in normal human speak, I promise!), and maybe we can all start using them to finally get our dreams organized into actionable steps.

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What Exactly is a Goal Tree? (And Why Should We Care?)

Let me be real with you for a second – when I first heard “goal tree,” I pictured some complicated business diagram that would take a PhD to understand. But as I dug deeper, I got excited because it’s actually super simple and kind of brilliant.

You know how when you’re brainstorming, you sometimes draw those bubble maps with lines connecting all your ideas? It’s called mind-mapping. A goal tree is kind of like that, but more organized. It’s basically taking your big goal (like “launch my first digital product” or in Becki‘s case, “finish and publish my book”) and breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces until you have actual tasks you can tackle.

The cool part? Unlike my current method of scribbling to-dos all over my planner and hoping for the best, a goal tree helps you see how all those little tasks actually connect to your big dream. No more wondering if you’re just busy or actually making progress!

The Main Parts of A Goal Tree

From what I’ve learned, there are three main parts to a goal tree (don’t worry, I’ll explain each one in non-business-speak):

Your Big Goal

This sits at the top of your tree. For me, it might be “launch my first course by June” or “grow my email list to 500 subscribers by December 31.” The key is making it specific enough that you’ll know when you’ve actually achieved it. 

The Must-Haves (or Critical Success Factors if you’re feeling fancy)

These are the big chunks of work that absolutely have to happen to reach your goal. For launching a course, mine would probably be:

• Creating the actual course content
• Setting up all the tech stuff
• Getting people excited about it before launch
• Actually selling it (because, let’s be honest, that’s kind of important!)

The Actual Tasks (Necessary Conditions)

This is where it gets really practical. Each of those must-haves breaks down into specific tasks you can actually do. Like under “Creating the course content,” I’d list things like:

• Outline the main topics
• Record the welcome video
• Write the workbook for module 1

I don’t know about you, but just writing this out makes me feel calmer about tackling big projects. Instead of staring at “launch a course” and feeling overwhelmed, I can look at my tree and think, “Okay, today I’m just going to outline the main topics.” That feels doable, right?

Want to see how this might work in real life? Let me show you how I’m planning to use it for my next big project…

Creating A Goal Tree 

Since discovering goal trees, I’ve been itching to try this for something I know many of us struggle with – becoming more visible with our blogging business. (Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like you’re putting out amazing content, but crickets keep showing up instead of readers!)

So here’s what my visibility goal tree might look like:

Big Goal 

“Transform from blogging’s best-kept secret to go-to expert by December” (I’m kidding about the best-kept secret part… kind of!)

Must-Haves (breaking it down)

• Show up consistently where my audience hangs out
• Create content that gets people talking
• Build genuine connections with other bloggers
• Position myself as the helpful friend who really knows her stuff

The Actual Tasks

Now, here’s where it gets fun – the actual tasks. Let’s break down just one of those must-haves:

“Show up consistently” becomes:

• Choose two social platforms where my people actually hang out (bye-bye, trying to be everywhere!)
• Block out 30 minutes each morning for meaningful engagement
• Share one behind-the-scenes story weekly (because who doesn’t love seeing the real human behind the blog?)
• Create a simple content schedule I’ll actually stick to

You know what I love about seeing it laid out this way? It takes this big, scary goal of “being more visible” and turns it into stuff I can actually do while sipping my morning tea.

You can do this for every goal you have for your blogging business. First thing you need to do is go through the Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner and set your goals, then break them up and put them all into this goal tree to make it all more visible so you can stay on track. And using your Goal Planner alongside it helps you track progress and stay motivated, too – it’s like they were made for each other! (if you haven’t seen it, it’s this super practical planner I created to help fellow bloggers set and crush their business goals)

Speaking of tracking progress, let me show you some super simple ways to keep your goal tree alive and thriving (without spending hours updating it).

Making Your Goal Tree Actually Work (Without Spending Hours “Managing” It)

Can I confess something? When I first started researching goal trees, my immediate thought was, “Great, another thing I need to keep updated.” Because let’s be real – we’ve all downloaded those fancy planning templates that end up collecting digital dust on our computers, right?

But here’s what got me excited: I realized a goal tree can be as simple or detailed as you need it to be. And when I pair it with my Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner, it’s actually giving me the visual missing piece I didn’t even know I needed!

Here’s how I’m planning to keep my goal tree alive (and actually useful):

Keep It Where You Can See It

I’m old school about some things – I love having visual reminders right in front of me. So, while I have my daily tasks neatly organized in my Legend Planner, I’m planning to draw my goal tree on a big piece of paper and hang it right above my desk. There’s something satisfying about seeing that big picture every day, you know?

But first, I may laminate it and use either erasable markers or Post-It Notes so I can use the base of the goal tree over and over again. 

Create a Goal Tree for the Quarter

Every quarter, I set goals to focus on during that quarter. Now, if I create a goal tree for the quarter, I can work on my quarterly goals (set with the help of my Abundant Blogger’s Goal Planner) while having them front and center so I don’t lose sight of them. Because let’s be honest, it can be hard to keep your goals in mind during the daily tasks, right? 

One thing I’m really excited about is making my goal tree an active part of my planning routine. My plan is to make this work hand-in-hand with my Goal Planner and Legend Planner. 

Make It Part of Your Weekly Planning

Every Sunday, while I’m mapping out my week, I’ll take about 15-20 minutes to:

• Look at my laminated goal tree and see what I’ve accomplished
• Check off completed tasks  (so satisfying!)
• Picking tasks from my goal tree to focus on this week 
• Plan them out in my Legend Planner’s weekly layout

It’s like having a living, breathing roadmap that evolves with my progress. Plus, there’s something really motivating about physically marking off tasks and seeing how they connect to my bigger goals.

Quick Daily Glances

Every morning, while I’m planning my day in my Legend Planner, I will take a quick look at my goal tree. It’s like a little reminder saying, “Hey, remember where all these tasks are leading!” Sometimes, it’s just the motivation boost I need to tackle the not-so-fun items on my to-do list.

The Magic of Monthly Reviews

At the end of each month, when I’m doing my review, I’ll take 15 minutes to:

• Update my goal tree with any completed items
• Celebrate the progress (because we don’t do that enough!)
• Adjust any tasks that need tweaking
• Make sure I’m still heading in the right direction

Here’s what I’m learning: The power isn’t in creating the perfect goal tree – it’s in having a visual guide that works alongside your regular planning routine. It’s about making both tools work for you, not the other way around.

Want to know the best tools I’ve found for creating your own goal tree? Let me share some super practical options.

Simple Tools to Create Your Goal Tree (Because We Don’t Need More Complicated Tech!)

Want to know a secret? When I first started researching tools for goal trees, I got a bit overwhelmed by all the fancy project management software out there. But then I remembered – the best tool is the one you’ll actually use! So, let me share some super simple options that won’t have you pulling your hair out.

The Old-School Method (My Current Favorite)

As you already guessed, my favorite is a big piece of paper with my goal tree drawn with different colored markers. There’s something so satisfying about physically drawing out your goals and being able to highlight things as you complete them. Plus, it pairs perfectly with my AB Goal Planner – one gives me the big picture, the other helps me tackle the daily details.

As I mentioned already before, laminating is perfect for using your goal tree over and over again. 

Digital Options (For My Tech-Loving Friends)

If you prefer keeping everything on your computer (and being able to update things without starting over), here are some user-friendly options I’ve discovered:

Canva (The Easy One)

I already use Canva for my blog graphics, so this was a natural choice. They have some simple organizational chart templates that work perfectly for goal trees. The best part? You can color-code everything and make it pretty without spending hours figuring out how to use it. The goal trees in this blog posts are made in Canva too.

By the way, if you want help around everything Canva, you need to connect with my friend Pam. She is the go-to lady when it comes to Canva!

Google Drawings (The Free and Simple One)

This might sound too basic, but hear me out – it’s free, super easy to use, and you can access it from anywhere. I found this video where Google Drawings are all explained. Just try it out, it can actually be kind of fun! Plus, you can easily share it with others if you’re working with a team or accountability partner.

Notes App on Your Phone (The Always-With-You Option)

Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one. You could start a rough draft of your visibility goal tree in your Notes app during your breakfast in the morning, just using bullet points and dashes. Not fancy, but it gets the job done when inspiration strikes! Later, you can always bring it over to Canva or Google if you want.

How I’m Going to Set Up My Goal Tree

Want to know what I’m going to use? I wanna draw my main goal tree out on paper and hang it next to my desk (where I can’t ignore it!). And, of course, I have my Legend Planner open on my desk to track the daily tasks. It might sound like overkill, but each version serves its purpose – the paper one for quick visual motivation and my planner for the nitty-gritty daily stuff.

The Most Important Thing

Here’s what I keep reminding myself: It’s not about having the fanciest tool or the prettiest goal tree. It’s about having something that helps you break down those big dreams into doable steps. Whether that’s a simple sketch in your planner or a color-coded digital masterpiece – if it works for you, it’s perfect.

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