Goalscape Tour

Introduction

To learn more about Goalscape, take a spin through this goalscape, starting top right and moving clockwise. For the optimal experience, use Full Screen mode.

Goalscape's visual format offers a simple, clear, and holistic overview of your goals, priorities, and progress. Marcus Baur, Goalscape Software CEO and an Olympic sailor, developed Goalscape because he needed a solution to manage the overwhelming challenge of achieving peak performance across many different areas. As he says, "Goalscape's visual format was the answer: it showed me at a glance where to spend my time to make the biggest gains."

Become a Goalscape Master

Goalscape is intuitive and easy to understand, allowing you to start immediately. For tips on how to use it, refer to the detailed explanations and tutorial videos within the subgoals of this goal.

1. Basic Layout

Goalscape features a simple yet powerful user interface (UI). The core element is the visual, multi-leveled structure of goals and subgoals, referred to as the goal map or goalscape. The default goalscape includes a central Main Goal and three 'Level 1' subgoals. You can rename goals and add new ones at any level to create a visual hierarchy that represents your specific challenge.

Every goal has its Information panel on the right side of the screen, where you can define and update details such as:

• Relative Importance
• Progress made
• Due date
• Responsible person
• Tags for additional categorization
• Notes that can include links, images, videos, and tables

At the top left of the screen, you can open the focus panel to filter and highlight specific goals that require attention. When you select any of the tags, the corresponding goals with those tags are highlighted, and a list of these goals appears below.

2. Add Goals

Start a new goalscape from the Home screen using the 'Create' or 'Import' options – or ask Goalscape AI, our AI Goal Coach, to suggest an initial goal structure. There is also a selection of Templates for some common business, sports and other challenges.

• Add Goals: Add a goal by clicking the "Add Subgoal" button at the top of the screen or by using the right-click context menu. Use the "Add Goal" button or the context menu option to add a goal on the same level.
• Name Goals: After adding a new goal, you can name it immediately by typing or pasting text.
• Delete Goals: To delete a goal, select it, click the three dots at the top right, and choose the red 'trash' option. Alternatively, use the right-click context menu.
• Move Goals via Drag and Drop: If you've brainstormed ideas, some goals might not be in the right place. To build an accurate structure, you can drag goals around the goal map. For instance, to complete goals in a specific order, arrange them clockwise on their parent goal.
• Cut, Copy, and Paste: You can also use the right-click options to cut, copy, and paste goals.

3. Navigation Tips

Center On any goal that has subgoals, Collapse and Expand outer levels.

4. Add Detailed Information

The panel on the right of the screen is where you set goal attributes like Importance, Progress, Responsibility, Dates, and Colors.

• Importance: Goalscape intuitively shows the relative importance of all goals: the size of each goal represents its importance or contribution to its parent. To adjust a goal's importance, select it and drag the button on its outer border, or use the Importance slider in its panel. Resources are precious and finite, and different goals compete for them. Goalscape directly illustrates this: increasing the importance of one goal reduces the importance of all its neighbors.
• Responsibility, Dates, Tags, and Colors: In team environments, you can assign Responsibility for any goal to one or more people. Once a name is entered, it will be available for selection in any other goal and will appear in the filter list in the Focus sidebar. You can also use contextual Tags to show associations between goals in different areas of the goal map. Your new goalscape includes the default tags 'Now' and 'Next' because they are always useful for initial setup and every review.
• Notes and Attachments: The Notes field is for additional information about each goal, such as:
  • Confidence to achieve the goal
  • Cost and time estimates
  • Progress metrics and milestones
  • Major benefits or other reasons for pursuing that goal
  • Risks and potential pitfalls

5. Focus Filter

Goalscape excels at providing a holistic visual overview. However, when it's time to chip away at the big rock, you need to focus on what matters right now. To do that, you can use the Focus sidebar.

You can filter your goals by:

• Date
• Progress
• Responsibility
• Tag
• Color (when you have defined Color Meanings)

Goals that match your selections are highlighted in the goal map, and a list of matching goals appears at the foot of the sidebar. For example, you can easily see all completed goals for a specific person by selecting "Achieved" and that person's name. Note that completed goals appear crossed out in the Goal List.

6. Using Color

To color a goal, use the right-click menu or select the color field in its panel. There are 10 colors and 10 different color themes. If you don't like the default 'Bright future' theme, simply choose another by clicking 'Change Theme' in the panel color popup.

You can apply a goal's color to all its subgoals by choosing the 'Apply to Subgoals' option, either in the right-click menu or the panel color popup. To explain your color-coding, add Meaning labels to your colors using the field next to any color in the panel color popup. Once you've done this, you'll be able to filter your goals by color, and a legend displaying the label will appear at the foot of the screen whenever a goal with a color meaning is present.

7. Sharing Goalscapes

Share the holistic overview. In addition to sharing your goalscapes Privately, you can make them Public, allowing anyone to view them without a login. You can customize the appearance of your Public goalscapes and choose which details to display. You can also embed a live goalscape in any web page, so viewers see the latest version, can navigate it, and read its contents.

On any goalscape you own (or on which you are an Administrator), click the Share button, then check 'Anyone with the link can view'. Copy the link and share it with others, or use the embed code. To control the goalscape's appearance, click the Settings cog, then use the options in 'Define View' and 'Hide UI Elements'. (Tip: to check how others will see your goalscape when they click the link, open an Incognito window and paste the URL there.)

8. Attach Images and Files

To attach files, drop them in the Attachments tab. Alternatively, upload them to a sharing facility like Google Drive or MS Sharepoint, then insert a hyperlink in the Notes. This is an excellent way to reference 'live' documents, spreadsheets, etc., that you will be updating.

9. Timeline / Gantt Chart

To enable Gantt View, click the Settings option under your initials at the top right and select 'Enable Gantt'. The 'Goal List' button at the bottom left will change to a selection bar that includes the 'Gantt' option. In the Gantt Chart, you can set Start and Due dates, create dependencies between goals, drag timelines, and update Progress.

10. Import from Anywhere

You can Import any Goal- or Work-Breakdown Structure into Goalscape, from any source, in seconds. Just copy any list or structured text and paste it as subgoals into a new or existing goalscape.

11. Goal Comments

In large undertakings involving many people, communications can easily get out of control. The answer is to use Comments to ensure goal-focused communication. Record changes, notify others, ask questions. You can set notifications to include only the people involved. Replies via email are added as new comments within the goal's thread.

12. Custom Notes

In addition to the main Notes & Actions field, you can create additional custom fields to cover different aspects of background information. Click the '+' button at the top of the Notes area to add fields and name them meaningfully.

13. Use Goalscape AI

Goalscape AI, our AI Goal Coach, helps break down major goals into actionable subgoals — the essential first step in any challenge.

14. Share Your Goalscapes

Click the Share button and invite people via email with defined roles (Administrator, Editor, Viewer). Add a personal message if desired. If they don't have an account, they can start a Free Trial. Shared goalscapes will appear in their workspace.

15. Goal List

Click the 'Goal List >' button to see an indented list of all your goals. It's interactive: select, update, copy, or print. You can also mark goals complete (including all subgoals). Use Undo if needed.

16. Export

Export your goalscape as .xlsx, .csv, .docx, .png, or .svg. Export all or selected parts. Word exports include an image and table of contents with goal data. Customize before sharing or printing.

Goal Setting Principles

More about Goal Setting

Before starting, check if your main goal is achievable. Then focus on knowing your current state and deciding what to do next. Three key factors support good decisions:

1. A clear Goal structure
2. Clear priorities (for resource allocation)
3. Accurate progress tracking

Goalscape supports these principles by visualizing them, highlighting issues, and enabling effective goal-oriented work. Clear, inspiring goals drive performance and focus.

Why Goal Setting Works

Setting goals creates a mental image of the desired state. When achieved, reality matches that image, triggering endorphins. This drives intrinsic motivation — the most powerful force for consistent effort and achievement.

Top-down goal setting often disengages people. For full motivational impact, goals must be co-created through open communication.

Goalscape's format makes goals clear, shared, and motivating. It enables team alignment and helps achieve shared success.

Set FAST Goals

A good start is to make sure your goals are FAST:

• F: Frequently Discuss goals to keep them alive.
• A: Ambitious goals inspire and challenge us.
• S: Specific goals are clear and measurable.
• T: Transparent goals build collaboration and accountability.

Use this checklist to test your goals. Learn more in the FAST Goal Setting blog article.

Achieve Your Goals the Goalscape Way

Repeat these 3 simple steps until your main goal is achieved:

• Define a Clear Goal Structure
• Prioritize and Act
• Track Progress and Frequently Review

The subgoals above detail these steps. Watch the Best Practice Guide video to see the full process.

1. Define Goals and Subgoals

Use the radial map to visualize your goal structure. Add background info, milestones, responsibility, timescales, tags, and colors. See also the notes on 'Detailed Information' and 'Color'.

2. Prioritize and Act

Focus on what matters most. Goal size represents priority. Drag the outer border to adjust importance. Resources are finite — visual prioritization helps you allocate them wisely and see trade-offs clearly.

3. Track Progress and Frequently Review

Darker shading shows progress toward the Main Goal. Define milestones, check off tasks, and celebrate wins. Seeing progress boosts motivation. Then reassess priorities and repeat the cycle.

Apply Best Practice

Watch the Best Practice Guide video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/894794694