Tasks & Goals

🎯

&

Journal it!'s comprehensive

and management system. Create complex with 5-level subtask hierarchies, KPIs, multiple schedulers, and advanced tracking. Distinct from simple to-do lists - these are sophisticated organizational systems.

⚠️

When NOT to Use

Common new user mistake: Using

for simple . If your is simple and one-off, use Calendar Sessions or directly instead.

βœ… Use Calendar Sessions/

:

  • β€’"Buy groceries"
  • β€’"Call mom"
  • β€’"Review document"

🎯 Use

:

  • β€’"Prepare tax documents"
  • β€’"Read 12 books this year"
  • β€’"Plan birthday party"

Objective Architecture

Understanding how Journal it! distinguishes between different objective types and structures

🎯

Task vs

are active, shorter-span work. are background, longer-span achievements

πŸ“‹

Subtask Hierarchy

Up to 5 levels of subtask sections. Sections can contain other sections and subtasks. Individual subtasks cannot contain anything.

πŸ“Š

KPI System

Key Performance Indicators with custom metrics and tracking

πŸ”„

Integration

Multiple schedulers per objective for complex recurring patterns

vs Types

Understanding the distinction between Journal it!'s

and objective types:

πŸ“‹

Objectives

More active and shorter span. These are things you actively work on and complete.

  • β€’Active work items
  • β€’Shorter time spans
  • β€’Clear completion points
  • β€’Direct action required
🎯

Objectives

More background and longer span. These are aspirational targets you work toward over time.

  • β€’Background aspirations
  • β€’Longer time horizons
  • β€’Milestone-based progress
  • β€’Can have as children
  • β€’Indirect achievement

Advanced Features

πŸ“Š

KPI Tracking

Set custom Key Performance Indicators for

. Available KPIs: subtasks completion, time spent, checklist, completion, tracker value, and entry count.

πŸ“…

Own View

Each

has its own view showing scheduled calendar sessions and , plus access to schedulers for recurring planner items.

πŸ“Έ

System

Capture the current state of

including subtasks completion, KPIs, time spent, and items. Automatically taken for recurring .

πŸ”„

Multiple Schedulers

Attach multiple schedulers to single

. Each can create different types of planner items with their own repeat rules.

πŸ”

Recurring Objectives

Create recurring

or with automatic and subtasks/KPI resets. use flexible ranges, use fixed weekly/monthly/yearly patterns.

πŸ”„

5-Stage Workflow

progress through five stages: Idea β†’ To-Do β†’ Active β†’ Pending β†’ Finalized. can be converted to calendar sessions or at any stage.

Integration Ecosystem

integrate with all three Journal it! pillars for comprehensive and management:

πŸ“…

Integration

Critical:

DON'T automatically appear on your . You must create planner items (Calendar Sessions or ) for each to schedule actual work time.

πŸ“

-Taking Integration

Each

can have private ( or ), pin existing external for reference, and add attachments. Perfect for detailed documentation.

✨

Journaling Integration

Finalized

automatically appear in , creating visual history of achievements. Both and their include fields for reflection.

πŸ”„

System Organization

are themselves that can belong to parent ( , , , , , ). can have as children.

Your First : Plan a Birthday Party

Let's walk through creating your first

with a realistic example that shows why are the right tool for the job.

πŸ€” Why Not Just Use Calendar Sessions?

"Plan birthday party" involves multiple coordinated

: booking venue, sending invites, ordering cake, buying decorations, activities. A single Calendar Sessions can't manage this complexity.

This is exactly what

are designed for - multi-step coordination with deadlines, dependencies, and progress tracking.

πŸ“‹ Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1

Create

: "Plan Sarah's 25th Birthday Party"

Set deadline to 2 weeks before party date. Choose

(not ) since it's finite with clear completion. Set default time of day to "Fun" so any scheduled work defaults to your Fun time block.

2

Organize with subtask sections:

πŸ“‹ Venue & Logistics

  • β€’Research venue options
  • β€’Book chosen venue
  • β€’Confirm venue details

πŸ“‹ Guest Management

  • β€’Create guest list
  • β€’Send invitations
  • β€’Track RSVPs

πŸ“‹ Party Supplies

  • β€’Order cake
  • β€’Buy decorations
  • β€’Create playlist
3

Schedule work time with drag & drop:

Go to

Day view β†’ Drag "Research venue options" subtask directly to Saturday 2pm Fun block. Since the objective's default is "Fun", it automatically lands in the right time block. You can also drag entire subtask sections to schedule all subtasks within them.

4

Set up progress tracking with KPIs:

Add a "Subtasks completion" KPI to track your progress. This automatically shows "7 of 9

completed (78%)" as you check off subtasks. Much more motivating than a basic checklist!

5

Work and track progress naturally:

Complete your calendar sessions. Check off subtasks as you finish them - watch the KPI percentage increase automatically. Use the

private to track venue options and decisions.

6

Complete and celebrate:

Mark final subtask complete β†’ KPI shows 100% completion β†’ You can manually move the

to "Finalized" stage when ready β†’ Appears in your as an achievement! πŸŽ‰

⚠️ Critical Understanding

🎯 Objectives β‰  Simple To-Do Lists

Journal it!'s

are sophisticated task and structures with subtask hierarchies, KPIs, schedulers, and integration. They're designed for complex work, not simple task lists.

πŸ“… Manual Integration Required

Unlike simple task apps, Objectives don't automatically block time on your

. You must create Calendar Sessions or Reminders to actually schedule work on your objectives.

βŒπŸ•ΈοΈ