Gps Method

GPS Method - Goal Achievement Framework

An evidence-based framework for achieving any goal through systematic breakdown and execution. GPS stands for Goal, Plan, and System.

How This Works

The GPS method serves two purposes:

1. Goal Creation: Guide users through defining clear goals and building actionable systems to achieve them
2. Progress Diagnosis: When users struggle, identify exactly where the breakdown is occurring

Workflow Overview

Guide users through this sequence:

Mode 1: Creating a New Goal

1. Define the Goal - Establish destination with specificity, motivation, and constraints
2. Build the Plan - Identify major moves, assess feasibility, and forecast obstacles
3. Design the System - Set up tracking, reminders, and accountability mechanisms
4. Document Everything - Create a structured goal document for reference

Mode 2: Diagnosing Existing Goals

When a user is struggling with progress:

1. Identify which component is broken (Goal, Plan, or System)
2. Ask diagnostic questions specific to that component
3. Recommend targeted fixes based on the diagnosis

Creating a New Goal

Step 1: Define the Goal (The Destination)

Guide the user through three factors:

Specificity and Concreteness

• Avoid vague goals like "start a business" or "get fit"
• Quote the user's own goal wording back and name the measurable detail it lacks
• Ask: "Can you make this more specific and measurable?"
• Push for quantifiable outcomes: "reduce visceral fat by 50%" or "build a business making $100k/year"

Emotional Compulsion (The Why)

• Explore intrinsic motivations
• Ask: "Why does this matter to you personally?"
• Watch for "should" goals driven by external pressure (fame, status, obligation)
• Help distinguish between genuine desire and external expectations

Anti-Goals (Constraints)

• Identify what they want to avoid while pursuing the goal
• Ask: "What would you NOT be willing to sacrifice for this?"
• Examples: "not working weekends", "not sacrificing family time", "not going into debt"
• Test each anti-goal against the goal it constrains
• If an anti-goal removes supervision, expertise, or support that this particular goal needs, say which one does
• Ask the user to reconsider that anti-goal. Never design around such a conflict in silence.

Step 2: Build the Plan (The Roadmap)

Guide the user through three components:

Major Moves (3-5 Primary Actions)

• Ask: "What are the 3-5 main things you need to do to achieve this?"
• Push for concrete, actionable steps
• Example for weight loss: specific calorie targets, protein intake, number of weekly workouts
• Example for business: revenue target, customer acquisition strategy, product timeline

Realistic Assessment

• Reconcile the target, the deadline, the major moves, and the anti-goals against the quantities the user supplies
• Treat anti-goals as constraints unless the user revises them
• If the numbers cannot reach the target, show the arithmetic
• Stop there. Design no System until the user says whether the target or the deadline can change. Complete no goal document until then either.
• Test if the plan works in theory: "Will these actions actually produce the result?"
• Test if the plan works in practice: "Are you actually likely to follow through?"
• Use an 80% confidence threshold: if the user rates theory or practice below 80%, rethink the plan
• Ask for the theory rating directly: "On a scale of 0-100%, how confident are you that these actions produce the result?"
• Ask for the practice rating directly: "On a scale of 0-100%, how confident are you that you will do them?"
• Say which of the two ratings meets the threshold and which does not. A rating below 80% is a Plan fault, so do not answer it with extra tracking, reminders, or accountability.
• When practice confidence is below 80%, propose a specific smaller plan. Ask the user to rate theory confidence and practice confidence again against that smaller plan before you continue.

Crystal Ball Method (Mental Forecasting)

• Have them imagine they failed in 6 months
• Ask: "What are the top 3 reasons this didn't work out?"
• Name each failure reason. Create a preemptive strategy for each one.
• When the user already reports a failure pattern from past attempts, use that pattern as a forecast obstacle and give it its own preemptive strategy. Do not ask the user to imagine an obstacle they have already described.
• This builds in resilience before obstacles arise

Step 3: Design the System (The Execution)

Design the System only after the Goal states a measurable target and the Plan names its major moves. If the user asks for the System first, do this:

1. Open the reply with the components that are incomplete. Write their framework names: the Goal, the Plan, or both.
2. Say what each System mechanism would have to measure or remind the user of.
3. Ask for every missing input: a measurable target, a date, why the goal matters to the user, the anti-goals, and the 3-5 major moves. Treat an input the user has not stated as missing, even when the user says the Goal and the Plan are settled. Never ask again for an input the user already supplied.
4. Do not invent the missing numbers, dates, or actions.
5. Give the user one concrete action they can take at once, such as naming a single measurable outcome.

Guide the user through three mechanisms:

Tracking

• Ask: "How will you monitor progress?"
• Suggest specific tools: Google Sheet, app, scale, journal
• Explain: awareness of numbers nudges better micro-decisions
• Make it as frictionless as possible

Reminders

• Ask: "How will you remember to work on this daily?"
• Suggest options:
  • Write goals down each morning
  • Vision board in visible location
  • Calendar blocks for major moves
  • Phone reminders at key times
• The brain forgets resolutions without cues

Accountability

• Ask: "Who can help hold you accountable?"
• Options: accountability buddy, squad, mentor, coach, public commitment
• Most people struggle with self-accountability alone
• External pressure and support are critical when motivation wanes

Documenting the Goal

Create a structured document using this template (see references/goal-template.md for full version):

# [Goal Name]

## Goal (The Destination)

**Specific Target**: [Quantifiable outcome]
**Why This Matters**: [Intrinsic motivation]
**Anti-Goals**: [What you won't sacrifice]

## Plan (The Roadmap)

**Major Moves**:

1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]

**Confidence Assessment**:

- Theory (will it work?): [X]%
- Practice (will I do it?): [X]%

**Failure Forecast**:

- Potential obstacle 1 → Mitigation strategy
- Potential obstacle 2 → Mitigation strategy
- Potential obstacle 3 → Mitigation strategy

## System (The Execution)

**Tracking**: [How you'll measure]
**Reminders**: [How you'll remember]
**Accountability**: [Who will help]

Diagnosing Existing Goals

When a user is struggling, run through this diagnostic:

Question 0: Has available capacity changed?

• Did the Plan and the System work until an outside event reduced the time, money, or energy available?
• If yes → the current Plan is the broken component, because it no longer fits available capacity. The Goal and the System are not broken, so do not diagnose weak motivation, poor execution, or missing accountability.
• Keep the anti-goals. Rescale the Plan to the largest action that fits current capacity and still produces an outcome.
• Treat the target and the deadline as provisional until the user knows how long the new capacity will last.
• Set a date to reassess capacity.
• Add a System mechanism only when it fixes the cause you diagnosed. A mechanism that consumes capacity without advancing the goal makes the mismatch worse.

Question 1: Is the Goal clear?

• Can they articulate it in one specific sentence?
• If not → Work on Goal definition first

Question 2: Do they believe the Plan will work?

• Are they confident in the major moves (theory)?
• Are they confident they'll actually do them (practice)?
• If not → Revise the Plan

Question 3: Are they executing the System?

• Are they tracking?
• Are they using reminders?
• Do they have accountability?
• If not → Strengthen the System

See references/diagnostic-guide.md for detailed troubleshooting questions.

When Not To Use GPS

Do not build a Goal, a Plan, or a System for an outcome that a qualified professional must decide. Examples are changing a prescribed medicine, self-treating a medical or mental-health condition, and acting against legal or clinical advice. Say which part is outside the framework. Direct the user to the qualified professional for that part. Apply GPS only to the parts the user controls. State no schedule, dose, threshold, or deadline for the part you have declined. Promise no outcome for it.

The GPS Analogy

Help users understand through the literal GPS metaphor:

• Goal = Destination you type into the GPS
• Plan = Specific route chosen (highways vs. side streets)
• System = Dashboard and steering wheel that keep you on the road and monitor fuel

Without all three, you can't reliably reach your destination.

Examples

For inspiration and quality standards, see references/example-goals.md for complete GPS breakdowns across different domains:

• Fitness goals
• Business goals
• Learning goals
• Relationship goals
• Creative projects