Most people set ambitious yearly goals in January but lose focus by spring. The reason isn’t lack of motivation—it’s lack of structure. With Notion, you can build a personalized yearly goal and quarterly review system that keeps you focused, flexible, and organized all year long. Whether you’re tracking personal growth, business milestones, or daily habits, Notion makes it easy to visualize your progress and stay aligned with your long-term vision.
Key Takeaways
- Learn how to set, organize, and track yearly goals in Notion
- Create quarterly review templates that drive real accountability
- Use databases, linked views, and progress bars to measure success
- Stay focused year-round with built-in Notion reminders and dashboards
- Simplify your workflow using the All-in-One Life Planner Template
Why You Should Use Notion for Yearly and Quarterly Planning
Traditional planners make it hard to connect yearly goals with daily action. Notion solves this by combining databases, linked pages, and filters into a customizable digital planning hub. You can set yearly objectives, break them into quarterly milestones, and track every small step that leads to success—all in one place.
Notion’s flexibility lets you create dashboards that show only what matters: your progress, your wins, and what’s next. For those who prefer a plug-and-play solution, the All-in-One Life Planner Template already includes structured goal-setting layouts, reflection prompts, and visual dashboards for easy tracking.
Step 1: Define Your Yearly Goals in Notion
Start with clarity. Ask yourself what success looks like in one year. Use SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—to give your ambitions structure.
How to Build a Yearly Goal Database
- Create a new page and title it “2025 Yearly Goals.”
- Add a database table with the following columns:
- Goal Name (text)
- Category (e.g., Personal, Health, Career, Finance)
- Quarter (select: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
- Priority (high, medium, low)
- Progress (formula or progress bar)
- Deadline (date)
- Notes (text for context)
- Assign each goal to a quarter for natural pacing.
- Use progress bars or percentage formulas to visualize completion.
Pro Tip: In the All-in-One Life Planner Template, this structure is already built with filters for each quarter—so you can focus on execution, not formatting.
Step 2: Break Down Yearly Goals Into Quarterly Milestones
Big goals often fail because they aren’t broken down. Divide each yearly goal into four smaller quarterly objectives. This gives you checkpoints every 90 days to evaluate progress and adjust.
Create a Quarterly Milestone Database
- Create a new database titled “Quarterly Goals.”
- Add properties for:
- Linked Yearly Goal (relation to the “Yearly Goals” database)
- Quarter (Q1–Q4)
- Milestone Description
- Target Completion Date
- Status (Not Started, In Progress, Complete)
- Reflection Notes
- Use Notion’s Relation and Rollup features to connect quarterly milestones to yearly goals.
This connection helps you see how each milestone contributes to your long-term vision.
Step 3: Visualize Progress Using Dashboards and Filters
One of Notion’s biggest strengths is how easily you can visualize your progress. Create a dashboard page that gives you a top-level view of your yearly and quarterly goals.
Add Linked Databases
- Add a linked view of your “Yearly Goals” database and filter it by the current quarter.
- Add another linked view for “Quarterly Goals” filtered by Status ≠ Complete to focus on active goals.
- Use gallery view or board view for a clean, visual experience.
Add Progress Indicators
Use Notion formulas to display automatic progress bars:
format(round(prop("Completed Tasks") / prop("Total Tasks") * 100)) + "%"
You can also embed a progress bar by using Notion widgets or tools like Indify.
Your All-in-One Life Planner Template includes pre-configured dashboards with filters for each quarter, saving hours of manual setup.
Step 4: Set Quarterly Reviews for Reflection and Adjustment
Quarterly reviews are where growth happens. Every three months, revisit your goals to measure what’s working and where you need to pivot.
Build a Quarterly Review Page
Create a new page named “Quarterly Review” with the following structure:
- Wins: What went well this quarter?
- Challenges: What obstacles did you face?
- Lessons Learned: What insights can you apply next quarter?
- Next Steps: Adjusted priorities for the next 90 days
You can even link this page to your “Quarterly Goals” database so your reflections sit right beside your results.
Step 5: Automate Your Review System
Consistency beats motivation. Automate reminders and check-ins using Notion’s built-in date properties and integrations.
Automation Tips
- Use Notion’s reminder function:
Type/remindto set quarterly review notifications. - Integrate with Google Calendar or Apple Calendar using third-party tools like Zapier.
- Use the Tasks database in the All-in-One Life Planner Template to receive automatic alerts when deadlines approach.
This automation ensures you never forget to review, adjust, and keep momentum going all year long.
Step 6: Combine with Daily and Weekly Planning
To truly stay aligned, link your Yearly Goals to Daily and Weekly Tasks. Notion lets you create relations between databases so you can see how every task supports your larger mission.
For example:
- Link “Write 3 blog posts per week” to the yearly goal “Grow my content brand.”
- Filter your Daily Planner to show only tasks connected to active quarterly goals.
The All-in-One Life Planner Template already includes this relational setup, connecting your goals, habits, and tasks automatically for seamless planning.
Bonus: Add a Visual “Goal Tracker”
If you love visuals, turn your data into charts and graphs. You can embed progress charts using Notion widgets or tools like:
- Indify for progress rings
- Apption.co for aesthetic dashboards
- Notion Charts for bar or pie visualizations
Tracking visually keeps your motivation high and your progress tangible.
Common Mistakes When Setting Yearly Goals in Notion
- Too many goals at once — Focus on 3–5 main objectives for clarity.
- Skipping reviews — Reflection is what turns data into growth.
- Not linking goals to daily actions — Disconnect leads to burnout.
- Ignoring automation — Reminders and linked databases save time and mental load.
- Not tracking wins — Celebrate small victories to maintain consistency.
Real-Life Example: Turning a Vision Into Action
Sarah, a small business owner, used Notion to plan her 2024 goals. She started with one page for her yearly business vision, broke it into quarterly goals (like “Launch new product by Q2”), and reviewed each milestone every 90 days. Using her All-in-One Life Planner Template, she tracked progress automatically and stayed ahead of schedule. By December, she had hit every goal without burnout.
Expert Tips for Maintaining Momentum
- Revisit your dashboards weekly for clarity.
- Keep goals visible on your Notion home page.
- Add motivational quotes or images in your planner to boost inspiration.
- Share your Notion workspace with an accountability partner.
- Use the “Review” database in the All-in-One Life Planner Template to keep your reflections consistent.
FAQ: How to Set Up Yearly Goals and Quarterly Reviews in Notion
1. How do I connect yearly goals to daily tasks in Notion?
Use Notion’s “Relation” feature to link your yearly goals database with your daily planner. This lets you assign tasks directly under specific goals.
2. Can I use Notion templates for yearly and quarterly reviews?
Yes! Templates like the All-in-One Life Planner Template include pre-built goal and review databases that make setup simple and organized.
3. How do I visualize goal progress in Notion?
Use formula properties or embed Notion widgets like progress bars and charts from Indify or Apption.
4. What’s the best frequency for reviews?
Quarterly reviews (every 90 days) strike a perfect balance between reflection and momentum.
5. Can I collaborate on goals with my team or family?
Absolutely. Share your Notion workspace and assign goals or reviews to others for accountability and teamwork.
Final Thoughts
Yearly goals and quarterly reviews in Notion aren’t just about organization—they’re about building clarity, direction, and accountability. Whether you create your setup from scratch or use the All-in-One Life Planner Template, Notion gives you the tools to plan smarter and stay consistent.
Turn your vision into daily action, one quarter at a time.