How to Review Goals: Weekly, Quarterly, and Annual Goal Review

Use these goal-setting tips to review your goals and make steady progress toward achieving your short-term and long-term goals.

Review your goals to make achieving them a reality. If you want to reach the goals you set and make steady, continued progress toward them, it is best to commit to a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual goal review. Why should you review goals? Reviewing goals will keep you informed of what you are doing, when you need to do it, where you intend to go, why you are doing it, and how you plan to get there.

In other words, a regular goal review helps you evaluate if you are going in the right direction or if you need to make changes or adjustments to your plan. Reviewing weekly goals lets you see where you are on your path each week, so you can take the small steps and make any adjustments needed to accomplish the goals you set. Committing to an annual review enables you to take stock of your long-term vision and accomplishments.

When you review your short-term goals and take stock of what is working and what’s not, adjusting your long-term goal action plan and moving forward becomes much more manageable. Before doing a weekly check-in, monthly goal review, quarterly review, mid-year goal review, or annual goal review, you first need to define your goals and make them SMART! Learn the start of the goal-setting process and how to set goals HERE–>How to Set Goals.

Once you know what your goals are, make an action plan to achieve them with the step-by-step instructions HERE–>How to Make a Goal Action Plan. If you already have at least one goal in mind and have created a goal action plan to achieve it. Please scroll down for the step-by-step instructions for a regular goal review.

Please note: These step-by-step instructions for reviewing goals were first published on December 28, 2014, under the title “How to Complete a Monthly and Annual Goal Review.” On June 23, 2021, this post was updated and republished under its current name, “How to Review Goals: Weekly, Quarterly, and Annual Tips.”

goal review step by step instructions for how to do a weekly, quarterly 90-day or annual review

Why is a goal review Essential?

Why is it important to review your plan regularly? Reviewing and revisiting goals is essential because it is a critical component of successful goal management. As mentioned above, a goal review can keep you informed of what, where, when, why, and how. Reviewing goals also makes progress more visible, helps you reward yourself for small victories, and motivates you to continue pursuing your most important goals.

A goal review provides a clear opportunity to assess progress and direction. Without regular reviews, goals can quietly drift away from priorities, resources, or reality. Revisiting a goal prompts you to determine whether the original objective still matters, whether the timeline is realistic, and whether the goal remains clearly defined. This reflection helps avoid wasted effort and ensures your energy is focused on what truly counts.

When working towards long-term goals, improvements can feel slow or even go unnoticed day to day. Reviewing a goal allows you to acknowledge the milestones achieved, the skills developed, and the obstacles overcome. This sense of progress boosts motivation and confidence, making it easier to stay committed rather than giving up when results aren’t immediate.

Another key reason a goal review is vital is that it encourages learning and adaptation. Not every strategy works as expected, and unexpected challenges often come up along the way. A review helps identify what’s working effectively and what’s not so that you can adjust your plan, timeline, or expectations. Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, a structured review turns setbacks into valuable feedback that guides you in making better decisions moving forward.

A weekly review can also enhance accountability and focus. Whether the goal is personal, academic, athletic, or team-oriented, reviewing it encourages responsibility for actions and outcomes. It strengthens commitment while also allowing for revisions or refinements when circumstances change. In this way, goal reviews don’t just measure success; they actively increase the likelihood of achieving it.

Benefits of Reviewing Goals:

Doing a goal review can improve time management and provide a framework for focusing on specific goals that help you make progress toward your long-term vision. It can also lead to adaptation, problem-solving, accountability, and continuous improvement toward accomplishing goals. Committing to a weekly, monthly, and quarterly goal review to evaluate goals is beneficial for several reasons:

1. Track Progress:

Reviewing goals can help you monitor your progress toward achieving them in the coming month and developing new skills that contribute to your personal and professional development.
By regularly reviewing your goals, you can see how far you’ve come and what still needs to be done at the end of each quarter.

2. Maintain Focus:

Doing a regular goal review keeps your objectives and core values at the forefront of your mind, which helps maintain focus on what is essential and what you need to do.

3. Adapt and Adjust:

Circumstances change, and so might the relevance or feasibility of your goals.
Reviewing your plan regularly enables you to make necessary adjustments and stay aligned with your current situation and priorities.
Regularly reviewing goals can also help determine if any technical skills need to be developed or adjusted.
Doing a goal review helps you adjust your plan when external factors threaten to thwart your success.

4. Identify Challenges and Barriers:

Regularly reviewing your goals helps you identify any challenges, barriers, or trends that are hindering your progress and allows you to address them promptly, so you can continue making progress toward your quarterly goals.

5. Reinforce Commitment:

Every time you review your goals, you reinforce your commitment to achieving them.
The repeated focus on achieving the right goals can boost motivation and strengthen commitment, even when your biggest challenges arise.

6. Celebrate Achievements:

Goal reviews allow you to recognize and celebrate the achievements and milestones you have reached along the way, which can provide a significant boost of motivation to reach your end goal.

7. Learning and Growth:

By reflecting on the journey you’ve taken towards your goals, you can learn from your successes and failures, fostering personal and professional growth.
Reviewing goals provides valuable insights that will help you develop emotional intelligence as you continue to work through roadblocks and learn from wins.
When weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual goal reviews are conducted, long-term progress toward your far-reaching goals and dreams becomes more visible.

8. Resource Allocation:

Doing a goal review can help assess whether the resources at your disposal are being used effectively or need to be reallocated to achieve your goals more efficiently and help you cross the finish line.

9. Enhances Accountability:

Reviewing goals encourages continued responsibility for taking the steps needed to reach the desired outcome.
Strengthens commitment to

How to do a Goal Review:

Goal review sessions require evaluating progress toward goals. In other words, a goal review entails taking stock of the goal (or goals) you set out to achieve and where you are in the process of attaining them. If you have a prior goal-setting worksheet, now is the time to get it out for review. If not, you may want to invest in our Dream Life Tool Kit.

Grab the resources you need to get started HERE—> Dream Life Tool Kit.

The Dream Life Tool Kit includes a wealth of printable worksheets, including a weekly goal review, goal action plan template, daily and weekly checklists, and habit trackers, that make accomplishing your goals much easier. Use the valuable resources in the Dream Life Tool-Kit for your weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual goal reviews.

I like to review goals each week. Reviewing goals weekly, quarterly, and annually keeps me motivated and consistently moving toward them, step by step. It also lets me see what’s working and what’s not, so I can pat myself on the back and keep plugging ahead, or make a new plan, depending on what I discover in my weekly goal review.

Ready to get started? It’s time to review your goals!

How to Review Goals:

Reviewing goals is a structured process that helps you understand where you are, how you got there, and what to do next. A detailed goal review goes beyond simply asking whether you succeeded or failed; it emphasizes reflection, learning, and growth.

The first step is to restate the goal clearly. Review the original goal and intent, and ensure you understand what you were aiming for and why. Consider the timeline, success criteria, and priority level set when the goal was created. This step is essential because goals can become unclear over time, and careful review helps prevent misunderstandings about what success really means, especially if working with a team or group.

Next, evaluate your progress using specific evidence. In other words, identify the actions you took, how consistently you worked towards the goal, and what result you achieved, if any. Use tangible indicators such as completed tasks, measurable outcomes, or skill development instead of relying solely on feelings. This approach helps you see progress objectively and prevents being overly critical or overly generous in your assessment.

Then analyze what worked and what didn’t. Take a few moments to reflect on strategies, habits, tools, or time management choices that helped you advance. Also, be sure to identify any obstacles, distractions, or knowledge gaps that hindered your progress. This step turns the review into a learning experience by helping you understand the cause-and-effect relationships between your actions, or lack thereof, and the results you achieve.

Another vital aspect of review goals is to examine their alignment and relevance to your long-term vision and goals. In other words, ask yourself whether the goal still aligns with your current priorities, responsibilities, and resources. Things change, and life happens. Goals must be reevaluated and reassessed to determine whether they are still relevant and meaningful to you at this time in your life. As circumstances change, a goal that once made sense may require adjustment. Deciding whether to continue, modify, pause, or replace a goal ensures your efforts remain focused and realistic.

Finally, plan your next steps to conclude the review. Use what you discovered as a result of your goal evaluation. Decide on your next course of action and the tasks and objectives that you will complete moving forward. Base these specific actions on the insights achieved during your goal review. This can involve setting new milestones, adjusting strategies, redefining success criteria, or altering deadlines and due dates. Documenting these next steps makes the review actionable and transforms reflection into forward momentum.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Review Your Goals:

When performed regularly and thoroughly, goal reviews create a cycle of clarity, learning, and progress that makes long-term success much more attainable. Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved in the goal review process. Steps also include updating your action plan and establishing new goals and habits to add to your daily and weekly rhythm or routine when relevant.

Further details about each step of the goal review process are provided in the sections that follow. In other words, these general guidelines serve as reminders for conducting a goal review. Scroll down for a more detailed explanation of each. This informative guide concludes with more specific instructions for performing monthly, quarterly, annual, and weekly reviews.

Basic Steps for a Goal Review:

Do a brain dump to clear your head.
Restate your goal clearly.
Review and evaluate your progress using specific evidence.
Analyze what worked and what didn’t.
Examine alignment and relevance to your long-term vision and goals.
Define new goals and/or update prior goals.
Create a “Goal Action Plan” for each new goal.
Add a new positive habit to your daily rhythm each month or quarter (optional, but recommended: implement good habits to help you achieve your goals).
Hone and refine habits and goals.
Repeat and review goals weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly.

1. Conduct a brainstorming session or brain dump:

Spend ten to thirty minutes doing a brain dump by writing down anything and everything occupying space in your mind.
Use a blank piece of paper, or use the FREE Brain Dump Worksheet in our QuickStart Weekly Planning Guide to get started! Get yours HERE–> QuickStart Weekly Planning Guide.
Get everything buzzing around in your head down on paper.
Don’t forget any new goals or habits you would like to include or new tasks that need to be completed.

2. Restate your goal clearly:

Restate the original goal to ensure you understand what you are aiming for and why.
Consider your timeline, the success criteria you set, and the priority level of this goal.
This helps prevent misunderstandings about what success really means, especially if working with a team or group.

3. Review and evaluate your progress towards goals using specific evidence:

Use the Goal Review Worksheet included in the Dream Life Tool Kit, along with the questions below, to review and reassess any prior goals.
Ask yourself: Did you complete action steps and reach your weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual goals? Why or why not? Provide specific evidence of your results or lack thereof.
Describe the actions you took, review how consistently you worked toward your goal, and look over any results you achieved. Was this what you planned to do? If not, what can you do to amend your plan, if anything? Or what do you need to do to make progress?
Use tangible indicators such as tasks you complete, outcomes you reached, or skills you have developed.
Use the information you discover to plan for success in the coming weeks, months, quarter, or year.

Ask yourself the following questions to review prior goals:

Are there any goals or habits you are currently working to accomplish or implement in your life? If yes, please restate it clearly.
Do you have any prior goals or habits you would like to delete or amend? If yes, do so now.
Did you make a plan to accomplish your goal or establish this habit? In other words, have you written down your goals and habits and created an action plan to achieve them? If not, get started now!
Did you follow through on your plan? Write down any results you achieved, tasks you completed, outcomes you reached, or skills that you developed toward your end-goal. Also, note anything you failed to complete, and ensure any incomplete tasks are added back to the to-do list.
Have you made any progress toward your end goal or established a new positive habit? Why, or why not?
What, if anything, can you do to improve your “Goal Action Plan?”
Are you progressing toward any of your goals in the way you would like? Why or why not?
What, if anything, can you do to move forward or improve your results?
Is there anyone you can ask for support, help, or hire to move forward and get results?

Review your goals regularly with these goal review tips and instructions.

4. Analyze what worked and what didn’t:

Take a few moments to reflect on the proactive strategies, habits, tools, or time management choices that helped you make progress toward your goal.
Identify any obstacles, distractions, or knowledge gaps that hindered your progress toward your goal.
Understanding the cause-and-effect relationships between your actions, or lack thereof, and the results you achieve turns the review into a learning experience that can help you identify pitfalls, mistakes, and challenges that hinder forward progress and use these revelations to make changes to your plan when needed.

5. Examine alignment and relevance to your long-term vision and goals:

Determine whether the goal still aligns with your current priorities, responsibilities, and resources.
Because things change and life happens, it’s best to continually reevaluate and reassess your goals to determine whether they are still relevant and meaningful to you at this time in your life.
As circumstances change, a goal that once made sense may require adjustment.
Deciding whether to continue, modify, pause, or replace a goal ensures your efforts remain focused and realistic.

6. Define new goals and delete or amend prior goals:

Use the information you discover as a result of your goal review to re-energize any goals you are currently working towards, amend and update any goals or habits that need updating, and remove or delete any goals or habits from your list that you have accomplished or no longer desire to achieve at this time.
If you are deleting any goals, it is essential to create closure by doing the following:
- Tell yourself that you are done with this for now (or forever) to close the action loop. Otherwise, some of your much-needed energy will unconsciously go towards the attainment of this goal.
  - If you don’t do this, the desire to reach that goal will drain your energy, even if you are not working towards it, and make it harder to achieve the goal you are striving for in real-time.
- Close the action loop by telling yourself that you are not working on this goal at the moment, or that you are done with it forever.
  - Clapping your hands together while telling yourself you are done with it is a great way to do this.
- Then put the worksheet away for another day, or crumble it up and throw it away if you no longer want to work towards this goal.
Write down a total of 3-5 goals you would like to accomplish, or determine the goals or habits you will update and continue working towards achieving.
Make sure all your goals are SMART goals.

7. Create a goal action plan for each of your new goals:

The Rhythms of Play Dream Life Tool Kit includes valuable worksheets and printable resources to help you achieve goals and track habits, including “Goal Worksheet,” “Goal Action Plan,” “Weekly Action Plan,” and “Monthly Habit Tracker.”
Print the worksheets that best suit your needs, and outline the steps to accomplish each goal or establish each habit.
Follow the steps below to create an action plan for each new or updated goal!

How To Create An Action Plan For New or Updated Goals:

Use the “Weekly Action Plan printable worksheet included in the Dream Life Tool Kit to make a plan of action for the next week, month, quarter, or year.
- The amount of time you choose (week, month, quarter, year) will depend on the length of time you think it will take to accomplish each particular goal.
Break monthly goals down into the smallest possible action steps.
- Each step should have only one action associated with it. Learn more HERE–> How to Create an Action Plan to Accomplish Goals.
Next, write your plan down to make it happen.
- Write your goals and the associated action steps in the appropriate place in your daily rhythm or weekly planner.
- Learn how to plan your daily routine HERE–> How to Plan Your Daily Rhythm.
Finally, make the space in your daily rhythm to complete the action steps outlined.
- In other words, break down the steps necessary to accomplish the goal, place each action item needed to achieve it in your calendar, and make a plan of action to get it done!
- FREE daily and weekly planners are included in our start-up guide–> QuickStart Weekly Planning Guide.)

8. Add a new positive habit to your daily rhythm:

If you want to improve your life, I recommend adding a new habit to your daily routine each month, quarter, or year, with a promise to work diligently to establish it.
It’s best if the habit you choose is one you do daily or weekly at the same time.
- Daily habits are the easiest to implement because they can quickly become automatic over time.
When a habit is performed daily, you will not need to think about executing it once it becomes habituated.
- In other words, once any action becomes an established habit, it will occur without thinking about making it happen, in a similar way that you will drive home from work automatically instead of stopping by the store or a friend’s house.

Examples of Positive Habits to Implement or Establish:

Here are a few positive habits you might choose to implement to help you reach your short-term and long-term goals:

Reciting a morning prayer, poem, verse, or affirmation.
Drinking water and limiting sugary or alcoholic beverages.
Brushing and flossing teeth every morning and evening.
Taking a multivitamin or supplement.
Regular exercise or workouts, such as walking, running, swimming, biking, or gym class, for at least 3 to 5 days per week, for at least 30 minutes a day.
Spending time outside or in nature every day.
Bringing your email inbox to zero daily or weekly.
Reduced daily or weekly (non-productive) screen time. (Watching TV, scrolling social media, etc.)
A daily Yoga or meditation practice.
Spending quality time with loved ones.
Planting and nurturing a garden.
Preparing healthy meals and eating nutritious, whole, locally gathered foods.
Caring for a pet or elderly (or disabled) friend or relative.
Writing in a gratitude journal.
Volunteering or serving a community.
Reading books for personal and professional development, especially those related to your goal or long-term vision.
Getting a healthy sleep every night.
Another positive habit that will help support the achievement of a particular goal, etc.

How to add a New Positive Habit to your Daily Routine:

Take out your master goal list and look at the places in your life that you would like to improve.
Take a few minutes to review “How to Create Positive Habits.”
Brainstorm and write it down to make it happen:
- Make a list of positive habits that would help you achieve the goals that you have outlined.
Choose a positive habit that you can bring into your life to help you accomplish the goals you have set for yourself, or choose a habit that will help support your efforts to achieve your goals, or live the life of your dreams.

9. Hone and refine habits and goal Action Plan:

Goal setting, habit creation, and rhythm all go hand in hand. Some habits are goals; some goals require good habits to accomplish; and following a daily rhythm is one long daily habit.
If writing down your goals is the true elixir of success it’s touted to be, then creating positive habits is the key to living the life you’ve always dreamed of!
Because these elements support and assist each other, I use them to help me reach my highest potential. Slowly, goal by goal, one habit (or rhythm), at a time!
Use the habit trackers included in the Dream Life Tool Kit to monitor your progress toward your goals!

10. Repeat the steps above to review goals weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly:

Follow the steps above at the beginning or end of each week, month, quarter, or year to review goals and evaluate what’s working and what’s not so you can continue to make progress towards accomplishing them.
The sections that follow include step-by-step instructions for monthly, quarterly, and annual goal reviews, as well as a weekly goal review.

Goal review process with step-by-step instructions to review goals weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.

When is the best time to review goals?

The best time to review goals is on a regular day at a time. This will depend on what works best for the individual who sets it and the size of the goal. Most people use a many-layered approach rather than a single check-in. Consider adding each of these actions to your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly routine. Implementing these simple rhythms and review strategies can make the difference between achieving your goals and fulfilling your desires and not even coming close. Use these simple tips to help you continue to make progress toward your goals every week. Here’s a simple, effective structure you can follow:

Goal Review Schedule:

Daily (1-5 minutes):
- A quick check-in in the morning or evening helps build consistency and catch minor problems early:
  - Morning: What am I doing today to make progress towards my goals?
    - Write action steps you intend to take in your daily planner.
    - Circle the most important and do it first.
  - Evening: What did I do today that moved me forward?
    - Write action steps you intend to take tomorrow in your daily planner.
Weekly (10-20 minutes):
- Review what worked and what didn’t.
- Adjust next week’s plans and add them to your weekly planner.
- Weekly reviews are the most essential check-ins because they help make real progress possible. If you are doing a weekly review, you are automatically set up to complete monthly, quarterly, and yearly reviews as long as you complete the weekly review each week.
Monthly (30-45 minutes):
- Look for patterns, review steps completed, and those that still need to be worked on to ensure you are heading in the right direction.
- Tweak strategies and timelines as needed, and make any necessary changes to your goal action plan.
- Write next action steps in your calendar and weekly planner.
Quarterly or Yearly (1-3 hours):
- Look at the big picture to hone, refine, and review existing goals, and create new ones if needed.
- Decide whether to keep, change, or drop goals.
- The best time to set long-term goals that align with core values and help you make progress toward your ultimate dreams and goals.

Goals work best when they’re reviewed often enough to adjust, but not so frequently that you obsess, stress, or avoid. The best time of day to review goals is when you are calm and not rushed. Many people prefer to review their goals and plan their weekly routine at the beginning of the week (Sunday or Monday) or at the end of the week (Friday or Saturday). For best results, plan a regular day and time in your daily rhythm or weekly routine to review your weekly goals.

I like to review and reassess my goals on Sunday evenings at the beginning of every week, month, quarter, and year. Because they occur approximately 90 days apart, the equinoxes and solstices serve as excellent reminders that it’s time for a quarterly review. However, any time of year is a great time to set goals, especially if you feel motivated to do so. I conduct my annual goal review just after the winter solstice and right before the start of the year (right around the New Year) as a part of my household rhythms. Although I may get lazy about doing it, I never forget that it’s that time of year!

What’s the difference between a Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual Goal Review?

Completing a quarterly and monthly review is similar to completing an annual goal review, with a few minor differences.

How to do a Monthly or Quarterly Goal Review:

For a monthly or quarterly goal review, focus on the ten primary actions discussed above:
- 1) Do a brain dump and write everything down.
- 2) Restate your goal clearly.
- 3) Review and evaluate your progress using specific evidence.
- 4) Analyze what worked and what didn’t.
- 5) Examine alignment and relevance to long-term vision and goals.
- 6) Define new goals and update any prior goals.
- 7) Make a goal action plan to accomplish new goals.
- 8) Add a new positive habit or habits (optional).
- 9) Hone and refine any habits or goal action plan(s) that you are currently working towards implementing or achieving.
- 10) Repeat the steps above weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly.

How to do an Annual Goal Review:

For an annual goal review, first, complete the exact steps you do for a monthly or quarterly goal review in the section above.
- Pay particular attention to the goals you set each quarter in the prior year, and the goals you plan to achieve in the next quarter and next year.
Then create a new Master Goal List (See Photo below). This printable is included in the Dream Life Tool Kit.
Once you are finished with your annual goal review, you will have a new Master Goal List that you can work with and update during your weekly, monthly, and quarterly goal reviews for the remainder of the year.

image of "Master Goal List" by Nell Regan of Rhythms of Play — Included in the Dream Life Tool Kit

How To Do A Weekly Goal Review:

A weekly goal review follows a similar format to an annual or quarterly review. Its focus is on reviewing, updating, and refining your plan to achieve the goals defined during your yearly or 90-day goal review, rather than on setting long-term goals. That said, adding short-term goals and habits to your action plan during your weekly review to support your efforts is appropriate when needed. Follow the steps below to do a weekly goal review:

Take stock of the progress (or lack of progress) you are making toward accomplishing the goals you set out to achieve.
Consider what working and not working, what you can do better, change, or amend, and most importantly, what you learn about what’s working and what’s not working.
It’s also a great time to take a look at how well you’re developing the habits you add to your day to help achieve your goals and adjust them accordingly.

In other words, for a 90-day or annual goal-setting review, take a bird’s eye view of your progress toward achieving the goals you have set for yourself. In contrast, during a weekly or monthly goal review, focus on reviewing, evaluating, and amending the goals you have set so you can work effectively toward achieving them.

Review Your Goals Every Week, Month, Quarter, and Year:

Use the simple goal review tips outlined above to review your goals monthly, quarterly, or annually. Then commit to reviewing goals weekly for even better results!

You might also want to grab the Dream Life Tool Kit. It is filled with several helpful printable planning resources to help you develop powerful routines to increase productivity, achieve goals, and create a life you LOVE, one rhythm at a time! Get yours HERE: Dream Life Toolkit.

Learn how to create a positive goal affirmation statement for each goal or habit you would like to implement or are working toward achieving.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author of this informative guide to reviewing goals HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!