> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: /help/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Set goals and track your progress > Create a goal with a deadline, split it into subgoals, and measure progress by completed tasks, subgoals, or a number you log yourself. A goal is an outcome you want to reach, like running a half-marathon or saving an emergency fund. Each goal has a page with dates, a progress bar and chart, subgoals, and the tasks, projects, habits and notes that move it forward. This page covers creating goals, measuring progress, and finishing, archiving or deleting them. ![The Goals page listing goals under their life areas, each with a progress bar and percentage, a start date and the time left until its deadline](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/goals-list.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=552cd14001ba954eb116f369073a0813) The Goals page, grouped by life area ## Create a goal **1. Open Goals** Click **Goals** under **My Life** in the sidebar, or press **G** then **G**. **2. Click New goal** Click **New goal** at the top right. The new goal opens straight away. **3. Name and describe it** Type a name in place of **New goal**. To add detail, point at the space above the name and click **Add description**. **4. Pick a life area** Click under **Life area** and choose the part of your life the goal belongs to. You can also click **Add goal** on a [life area](/help/life-areas.md)'s page. The goal is created in that area. To change the icon or color, click the icon next to the name. It's the same picker as for [life areas](/help/life-areas.md#create-a-life-area). In the color list, turn on **Inherit color** to use the color of the goal's life area, or of its parent goal for a subgoal. ![The goal Run my first half-marathon with Life area, Date and Progress at the top, a Progress section showing 222 of 300 km with Update and History buttons and a line chart, and a Subgoals section below](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/goal-page.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=9e32533834648a2c4f4e7f6618a464aa) A goal's page with manual progress ## Set a start date and deadline 1. On the goal's page, click under **Date**. 2. Pick the start date. 3. Turn on **Deadline** and pick the end date. Your goals list then shows the time left, such as "6m left", or **Due today** on the day itself. To remove the dates, open the same calendar and click **Clear**. ## Break a goal into subgoals Subgoals split a big goal into smaller steps. 1. Open the goal. 2. In the **Subgoals** section, click **Add subgoal**. The subgoal opens with the parent's icon, color and dates, in the same life area. You can also point at a goal in the **Goals** list, click the handle that appears at its left, and choose **Create subgoal**. ![The menu next to a goal in the Goals list, with Create subgoal, Mark completed, Archive and Delete](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/row-menu.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=f9c527461d05870be6bac9072cf18ecc) The menu behind a goal's handle To turn an existing goal into a subgoal, drag it onto the middle of another goal in the **Goals** list. Drag it back out between two top-level goals to undo that. Subgoals have their own page, dates and progress, but they can't have subgoals of their own, and a goal that has subgoals can't become one. ## Choose how progress is measured Click the progress bar under **Progress** on the goal's page and pick one of three options. | Option | How progress is worked out | | - | - | | **Completed tasks** | The share of the goal's tasks you've finished: 3 of 5 tasks done is 60%. New goals start with this option. | | **Subgoal progress** | The average of the subgoals' own progress bars. Not offered on a subgoal. | | **Manual** | A number you log yourself, from a start value to a target. | > [!NOTE] > > Adding a subgoal to a goal that uses **Completed tasks** switches that goal to **Subgoal progress**. You can switch it back at any time. ### Set up a manual goal When you pick **Manual**, more settings appear in the same menu: * **Unit type**: **Number**, **Money**, **Percentage**, **Weight**, **Distance**, **Time**, **Height**, **Pages**, **Chapters**, or **Custom** to type your own unit (for example reps). * **Unit**: for some types, the exact unit. Money offers \$, €, £ and ¥; Weight kg and lbs; Distance km and mi; Time hours and minutes; Height ft, m and cm. * **Start** and **Target**: where you begin and where you want to end up. The target can be lower than the start, for a goal like losing weight. The first time you pick **Manual**, Heym fills in a percentage from **Start** 0 to **Target** 100. Change the unit and numbers to your own. ![The Progress menu listing Completed tasks, Subgoal progress and Manual with a check mark, and below it Unit type set to Distance, Unit km, Start 0 and Target 300](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/progress-menu.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=f450dd5fb3ccb2101eae897db889cb52) The Progress menu with Manual selected ## Log progress on a manual goal **1. Click Update** Open the goal and click **Update** in the **Progress** section. **2. Enter the number** Choose **Enter new total** and type your current number, or choose **Add to total** and type the amount to add. A negative amount subtracts. **3. Pick the day** The entry is for today. Click **Today** to choose an earlier day. Future days can't be picked. **4. Save** Add a note if you like, then click **Save**. ![The update form with Enter new total and Add to total, Today as the date, 222 km as the value, a note box and a Save button](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/update-form.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=44a5656477e4d961e9ffa42f64a296af) Logging a new total The chart in the **Progress** section shows your entries over time. Click **History** to see every entry. There, click **Add new** to log another one, or click an entry to change its number, date or note, or to **Delete** it. ![The History window listing dates from Nov 3, 2026 back to Sep 5, 2026 with their New total in km, and an Add new button](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/history.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=d33c13dab16cd653c4149a38cb6fbddb) Every entry of a manual goal ## Link tasks, projects, habits and notes A goal's page has a section for each kind of item that moves it forward: * **Tasks**: click **Add task** to create a task in the goal. To move an existing task in, open it and set its **Alignment** to the goal. * **Projects**: open the project and set its **Alignment** to the goal. The goal's page then lists it under **Projects**. See [Projects](/help/projects.md). * **Habits** and **Notes**: click **Add habit** or **Add note**, or set the item's **Alignment** to the goal. An item aligned to a goal also belongs to the goal's life area. ## Complete a goal 1. On the goal's page, click **⋯** at the top right and choose **Mark completed**. In the **Goals** list, use the handle menu instead. 2. If the goal still has open subgoals, Heym asks: choose **Complete all** to finish them too, or **Just this goal**. ![The window Complete goal and subgoals? saying the goal has 1 incomplete subgoal, with Cancel, Just this goal and Complete all](https://mintcdn.com/heym/n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj/images/goals/complete-dialog.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=n5OvCilbUvjGlsuj\&q=85\&s=ca8191174d45323ba3a4e164859fe404) Completing a goal that has an open subgoal Completed goals leave the **Goals** list. To see them, turn on **Show completed** in the view settings. To reopen one, choose **Mark incomplete** from the same menu. ## Archive or delete a goal On the goal's page, click **⋯** at the top right, or use the handle menu in the **Goals** list, and choose **Archive** or **Delete**. **Archive** puts a goal away without losing anything. Its subgoals are archived with it, and an archived goal is read-only. To find it again, turn on **Show archived** in the view settings, then open its menu and choose **Restore**. **Delete** removes a goal for good after you confirm in the **Delete goal** window. > [!WARNING] > > Deleting a goal is permanent: it doesn't go to Trash, and its subgoals are deleted with it. Its tasks, projects, habits and notes are kept, but they're no longer linked to the goal. See [Undo and Trash](/help/undo-and-trash.md). ## Sort and group your goals Click the view settings button (the sliders icon) at the top of the **Goals** page. | Option | What it does | | - | - | | **Sort** | **Manual**, **Name**, **Start date**, **Deadline** or **Progress**. With **Manual**, drag goals into your own order. | | **Group** | **Life area** shows your goals under their areas. **None** (the default) shows one list. | | **Show completed** | Adds completed goals to the list. | | **Show archived** | Adds archived goals at the bottom. | With **Group** set to **Life area**, drag a goal into another area's group to move it to that area. Its subgoals move with it. ## Good to know > [accordion] Why don't my project's tasks move my goal's progress? > > **Completed tasks** counts only tasks aligned to the goal itself. A task in a project belongs to the project, even when the project is linked to the goal, so it moves the project's progress instead. A task can belong to one place: a project, a goal or a life area. > [accordion] Does completing a subgoal fill its progress bar? > > No. A subgoal's bar comes from its own tasks or numbers, and **Subgoal progress** averages those bars. Marking a subgoal completed doesn't set it to 100%, and marking a goal completed doesn't complete its tasks. > [accordion] Can I restore a single archived subgoal? > > Not while its parent goal is archived. Its menu says **Returns with its parent goal**, so restore the parent instead. A subgoal you archived on its own, under an active parent, can be restored directly. > [accordion] Can I work on a goal with someone? > > Yes, with Pro you can share a goal: click **Share** at the top right of its page. Its subgoals and the projects, tasks and notes linked to it come along. See [Share with others](/help/sharing.md). > [accordion] Can I change how progress is measured later? > > Yes. Click the progress bar under **Progress** and pick another option. If you switch back to **Manual**, the unit, start, target and entries you had are still there. ## Limits The Free plan includes 3 goals, and subgoals count toward them. Completed goals don't count; archived goals do. Pro has no limit. See [Free, Pro and Lifetime](/help/plans.md). ## Related > [card] [Life areas](/help/life-areas.md) > > Group goals by the part of life they serve. > [card] [Projects](/help/projects.md) > > Plan the work toward a goal in sections and milestones. > [card] [Habits](/help/habits.md) > > Build the routines that get you there. > [card] [How Heym works](/help/how-heym-works.md) > > Goal or project, habit or repeating task. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.