Are your goals not moving you closer to the future you’ve imagined? Does it feel so far away that you don’t even know where to start? Then it’s time to stop planning from where you are and start planning from where you are going. Try backward planning.
In this second installment of the Keeping Goals series, we will take the outcomes we identified from the Future Self Mind Map we created in the first installment and reverse engineer them to identify milestones, focus areas and doable actions.
If you missed the first post, you can find it here: Keeping Goals: How to Set & Achieve What Matters Most
I created a companion video that you can watch on YouTube.
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A Quick Recap
In the previous post, we created a Future‑Self Mind Map of the our life 10 years from now. Our Future Self is no longer a mystery. Their priorities, habits, and supportive systems are clear, and we can see how those choices shape their daily life. We’ve also explored their environment, relationships, and the accomplishments that define who they are
Today we’re going to take that vision we created and the outcomes we identified and and turn it into a pathway. Not a rigid plan; just a stepping stone pathway that will give us direction toward our future life.
Why Reverse Engineering Works
One of the biggest challenges in planning goals is that we are focused on our current state and trying to figure out what steps we need to take or in what direction. It’s a little like driving around trying to find a place we’ve never been to (and that Google maps doesn’t know about).
What would you do in that situation? I would ask someone who has been before. Do we know anyone that has been to our future? Yes – we know our Future Self.
So we’re going to look to our Future Self vision and then reverse engineer the pathway Future Self has already walked. We’ll identify the milestone Future Self would have met. We don’t need to guess, we can intentional build a plan for our goals and actions. We’re going to walk backward from our 10‑year vision and break it down into milestones, focus areas, and small, doable actions.
How to Reverse Engineer Future Outcomes
Last time, we created our Future Self Mind Map. And at the end I recommended conducting a gap analysis in preparation for this next step. The gap analysis is simply the difference between Current Self’s life and Future Self’s life.
In addition to your Future Self Mind Map and the gap analysis, you’ll need somewhere to record your reverse engineering maps. I created a worksheet you can use for that. You can download it here.
In the steps below (and in the video), the Future Self Mind Map had been created for 10 years into the Future. However, since I suggest that looking further out, if possible, I created the worksheet to allow for this extra time.
Example Outcome Reverse Engineering Maps
I also created 3 examples that I uploaded as PDF files. Each link should open in a separate tab in your browser so you can look at them as you read through the steps and see how different outcomes might be handled. In the list below, I’ve identified the life domain on the first level bullet; the first second level bullet is the outcome chosen and the second second-level bullet is the assumption I put in place as a baseline for Current Self.
- Example 1 – Career Domain –
- Future Self is a respected senior‑level expert. I lead major initiatives, mentor others, and am known for deep expertise and strategic thinking.
- Current Self has a few years of experience and is given some autonomy as a team member. I do have a proven track record of satisfactory or above performance, and my supervisors view me as someone with the potential to take on higher level assignments.Current Self has only a few years of experience
- Example 2 – Career Domain –
- Future Self runs a thriving, profitable business with steady revenue, a loyal customer base, and a sustainable workload. I’m known for my unique value and have systems that keep the business running smoothly.
- Current Self has not yet even started to create this business.Future Self runs a thriving, profitable business.
- Example 3 – Home and Environment Domain
- Future Self owns a home I love, with financial stability, manageable payments, and a sense of security and pride.
- Current Self will be a first-time home buyer and has little savings for a down payment.
Step 1 – Choose the Outcome to be Reverse Engineered
Our first step is to look at our Future Self Mind Map and gap analysis and choose an outcome to reverse engineer. It can be from any life domain or even cross life domains. Choose something that feels:
- meaningful,
- exciting,
- foundational,
- requires time to build, or
- has benefits you want to experience sooner rather than later
Don’t overthink it.
Now, write that outcome at the top of your page. For the first example 1, I wrote:
Future Self is a respected senior‑level expert. I lead major initiatives, mentor others, and am known for deep expertise and strategic thinking
Step 2: Define the 10 Year Milestones
Next, we will identify the 10 year milestones. If your vision is for 20 years, create 20 year milestones instead.
Ask yourself:
- What conditions (the state of your life, your skills, your environment, your resources, your identity) must be true 10 years from now for this outcome to be real?
- What would I have needed to accomplish to fully realize the outcome?
If you are using a 10 year vision, write 10 in the little space to indicate the number of years for the milestones in the first block under interim milestone. If you are using a 20 year vision, write 20. Then enter the milestones you’ve identified.
For the first example I entered 10 for the number of years and listed these milestones:
- Promoted to a senior level position.
- Recognized as a subject‑matter expert in my field
- Leading high‑impact projects
- Hold advanced certifications/degrees or other specialized training
- Strong professional network and reputation
There is also a box for required resources to the right of the interim milestones. I have found it useful to think ahead about what resources or support will be necessary in order to achieve the milestones. An obvious resource needed is funding, but the effort to achieve milestones can impact other aspects of life, as well. In the first and second examples, I listed support of partner/family because when we take on new challenges in our careers it can upset the work/life balance and our systems beyond our own career related systems.
Step 3: Step Backward to the 5 Year Milestones
Our next move, it to take a step back to the 5 year mark and development new milestones. If you are working with a 20 year vision, use 10 years or half-way between your vision and the present.
This is where things start to feel more tangible. You’re halfway there. Here’s a couple of questions to ask:
- What progress would naturally lead me toward that 10‑year version?
- What skills, experiences, or accomplishments would you have needed to achieve?
- What resources would you need by then?
If you are using a 10 year vision, write 5 in the little space to indicate the number of years for the milestones in the second block under Interim Milestones. If you are using a 20 year vision, write 10. Then enter the milestones you’ve identified.
For the first example, I have:
- Promoted to mid‑level position
- Managing small teams or projects
- Completed key certifications and/or specialized training
- Presenting at conferences or internal leadership meetings; published articles
- Known for reliability and problem‑solving
If you are working with a 20 year vision, repeat this step and create 5 Year Milestones and write them in the third row under Interim Milestones.
Step 4: Step Backward Again to the 1 Year Milestones
Now let’s take one more step back and look for the 1 year milestones. This is where your long‑term vision becomes something you can actually start working on today.
Ask yourself -what can I realistically achieve in the next year that moves me toward the 5‑year milestones?
Write your 1 year milestones in the last row of the worksheet under Interim Milestones. For the first example, I wrote this:
- Documented accomplishments and updated portfolio/resume
- Completed one major certification or skill upgrade
- Took on a stretch assignment or project lead role
- Built relationships with mentors or senior leaders
Step 5: Break the Year Into Quarterly Focus Areas
The next step is to determine four broad focus areas for the coming year – one for each quarter. These aren’t tasks. They’re themes and each of the one year milestones should be covered by at least one of these focus areas.
Some example focus areas are:
- – Skill building
- – Financial foundation
- – Creating your first offer
- – Improving your health baseline
- – Building relationships
- – Strengthening systems
Write the focus areas in the 4 blocks on the left side of the second page of the worksheet. For the first example, I wrote:
- Q1: Skill development + certification prep
- Q2: Take on visible projects
- Q3: Build professional presence (networking, presentations)
- Q4: Performance review strategy + next‑level responsibilities
Step 6: Translate Each Quarter Into Monthly Actions
Now we will translate the quarter focus areas into monthly actions to complete the milestones. These actions should be doable, realistic and aligned to our vision. As we go forward and complete these small steps we will start to generate momentum.
Write each action in one of the 12 monthly boxes on the second page of the worksheet. For the first example, I wrote:
- Enroll in certification course
- Complete training modules
- Apply new skills at work
- Request stretch assignment
- Volunteer to train a new hire
- Research new technology related to my field
- Join a professional association for a small internal training session
- Develop a working relationship with a mentor
- Update. Resume with new skills
- Seek 360 feedback
- Celebrate wins and plan the next 12 months
That may have felt a little uncomfortable. Perhaps by writing the actions with the appropriate focus area put them out of a logical order of implementation. Well, it is not necessary to execute the 12 months in order as written here. And yes, some of the actions can be completed quickly while others might stretch over several months.
Perhaps you had 6 actions for one of the focus areas and 2 of each of the others. That’s ok, too. You may have struggled with 4 focus areas – either too many or too few. And you may have encountered the same feelings with the 12 actions. And once again, that’s ok.
The purpose of the focus areas is to help you break down the milestones and see the types of actions needed and the potential impacts to habits and systems. This in turn helps you to identify real doable actions. We will work from this in the next installment to essentially write a contract with ourselves to complete these actions. And it will rearrange them distribute them more effectively over the year.
How Many Reverse Engineering Maps Do I Need?
In order to achieve your entire vision you’ll be following parallel paths all leading you to your Future Life but taking you along different milestones. So ideally, you should create an Outcome Reverse Engineering Map for each outcome from your Future Self Mind Map. At a minimum, I would have one for each life domain. If your Current Self is already operating in that domain at the same level as your Future Self, you just need to make sure you don’t let the habits and systems that are running that domain degrade while you are working on other areas.
Even if the outcome is something you know you won’t get to this year, I’d still do the 10 year and 5 year milestones. Everyone talks about “eating the elephant” one bite at a time and focusing on only the next bite. But if you have several “elephant to eat,” knowing how big they are can help you stay on pace. Or perhaps prepare for the next elephant by ordering up plenty of “Elephant Marinade” (saving up money) or whatever else might give a head start when you get to it.
You may have outcomes that require only new habits or system changes. An example would be in the Health and Well Being Domain and improving fitness. These may not warrant a Outcome Reverse Engineering map; you’ll see how to plan for these outcomes in the next installment of the series. T
How Long Do Reverse Engineering Maps Last?
When do you update or re-create your reverse engineering maps?
If your Future Self vision changes and that results in the outcome changing, then you should revise or recreate your Outcome Reverse Engineering Map. But you can use them for several years.
Next year, you would be looking at the same milestones you had for 10 and 5 years, they would be 9 and 4 year milestones. But you would need to create a new set of 1 year milestones, focus areas and actions.
As you get closer to the 5th year, I’d recommend redrafting it starting with the original 10 year milestones. I’d then choose a point halfway between now and those milestones to create a new set of interim milestones. For example, you are planning the 4 year of 1 year milestones, focus areas and actions, so I’d choose to create milestones at what would have originally been the year 7.
Thoughts on The Outcome Reverse Engineering Map Examples
I intentionally made the examples generic. Even if we’d all had the same outcome, our map would have come out differently because we are all unique in every way. And I will admit that I did ask for AI help in generating the milestones, focus areas, and actions. Using prompts fully describing each outcome and the current state associated with the outcome, I requested each piece of data for the map. Except for the required resources. And I’ll just say, AI is not perfect.
Example 1 – Senior Level Expert Outcome
I think this outcome is fairly typical in that it’s a mix of:
- Tasks – i.e. sign up for class, find a mentor, join a professional association, train new hire, talk to supervisor
- Habits – study habits, periodic meetings with mentor and the professional association
- Systems – impacts to work/career systems and to other personal systems to maintain work/life balance
This mix will be interesting to work with in the next steps.
Example 2 – Runs a Thriving Business Outcome
Having done this a few years ago myself, I think AI made a lot of assumptions about the readiness for a product to go to market. I likely should have been less generic and stated a specific type of product. But AI sort of ignored the fact I said the Current State had even thought that much about how to start a business. But thinking back, I almost did what AI suggested – jumped in with both feet and am still figured it out on my way to “runs a thriving business.”
I think the challenge for completing these actions is that it is all new experiences. So new habits and new systems will need to be created not only to complete the actions, but to sustain the progress.
Example 3 – Owns a Home I Love Outcome
This is an outcome that is not terribly complex, but going through the reverse engineering steps can be beneficial due to identifying resources needed and setting interim goals. It helps us to be prepared and ready to take those steps in the future.
The success for this outcome is heavily dependent on having good systems in place, not only in the financial area, but in other areas that interact with our financial system.
Next Steps
So far through this series, we’ve created a vision of our Future Self and reverse engineering a pathway with milestones to lead our Current Self in the right direction. The 1 year milestones let us to focus areas and monthly actions. All we need now is to finalize our plan for the year and get started.
In the next post we will be exploring systems – the behind the scenes structure that makes our life run as it does. Capable systems are necessary to achieve and sustain our goals. We’ll also discuss habits and tasks. And finally, we’ll discuss how we set ourselves up to successfully execute our plan.
Summary: Reverse Engineering Your Future
I hope this post has encouraged you to stop planning from where you are and start to planning from where your Future Self already exists. Give reverse engineering or backwards planning a try. By reverse engineering meaningful outcomes identified from your Future Self Mind Map into milestones, focus areas, and small, doable actions, your long‑term vision becomes something you can actually work on today. It’s not about rigid plans or perfect timelines; it’s about creating momentum, aligning your habits and systems, and intentionally closing the gap between your current life and the future you’ve imagined.
I’d love to hear any questions you may have or suggestions for future topics. Just leave me a comment below.
Until next time, keep planning in a way that fits your life.
Linda
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