Set a Goal: explore it, spot the obstacles and plan your path
Reviewed By
Stephanie Orr - Psychotherapist, MBABCP, 10+ years in the NHS and private practice
Setting meaningful goals helps you create a clear path towards achieving them. This journal exercise helps you explore your goal, identify obstacles and outline actionable steps - setting you up for success.
Free to try · Responses are private & encrypted
Related tools
What does the Set A Goal Journal cover?
- The goal you want to work on and why it matters
- How life would be different if you reached it
- What you need to do to get there
- What is holding you back
- The first step you will take
Who is this Set A Goal Journal for?
Helpful if you:
🎯 Have something you want to change but keep putting off
🚧 Feel stuck before you have even started
🪜 Want a clear first step
For therapists:
Assign Set a Goal early in therapy or when a client feels stuck. The obstacles and first-step answers give a natural bridge into problem-solving or behavioural activation work in session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Build a SMART Goal?
Set a Goal is the exploratory version. It asks why the goal matters, how life would be different if you reached it, what is holding you back and what the first step is. Build a SMART Goal then sharpens a goal into a specific, measurable plan. Many people use them in that order.
Why does the journal ask what is holding me back?
Because unspoken obstacles are why most goals stall. Naming them, whether fear of failing, lack of time or not knowing where to start, lets you plan around them rather than being ambushed. It also often reveals that the real work is on the obstacle, not the goal.
What if my goal feels too big?
Then the last prompt, the first step, is the important one. A goal only needs to be big enough to matter and the first step only needs to be small enough to do this week. Progress comes from repeated small steps, and Offload's SMART goal and ABC Planning tools help break big goals down.
Can my therapist assign this journal?
Yes. Therapists on Offload can assign Set a Goal early in therapy or when a client feels stuck, and the obstacles and first-step answers bridge naturally into problem-solving or behavioural activation. Your responses are available for them to review before the next session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
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