At the start of every year, we confidently write down a bunch of goals: "Lose weight this year," "Learn a new skill," "Save X amount of money." Then what? Three months later, that goal list sits forgotten in some corner, and when year-end review comes around, you realize—most goals were never touched.
Where's the problem? It's not that you aren't working hard enough—the connection between goals and daily execution is broken.
OKR (Objectives and Key Results) is an excellent goal management framework, but if it's just written in an isolated document, it's merely an "annual wish list." The key to making OKR truly effective is integrating it into the system you open every day.
This tutorial teaches you how to use the FLO.W Notion template to seamlessly connect annual OKRs with daily execution—so everything you do each day traces back to your annual objectives.
Understanding the Mapping Between OKR and FLO.W Notion template
Before we begin, let's clarify how OKR core concepts correspond to FLO.W Notion template modules:
| OKR Concept | Meaning | FLO.W Notion template Module |
|---|---|---|
| O (Objective) | Directional goal, answering "Where do I want to go" | Milestone |
| KR (Key Result) | Quantifiable key result, answering "How do I know I've arrived" | Project |
| Initiative | Specific action plan | Task |
Why this mapping?
- Milestones are designed to record "memorable achievements worth commemorating," and O represents the directional goals you want to achieve. Both share a "milestone" nature.
- Projects are "phased goals with clear end dates," and KRs must be quantifiable and verifiable. When a project completes, it means a KR is achieved.
- Tasks are the smallest units of daily execution, corresponding to Initiatives (action plans) in OKR.
The benefit of this mapping: You don't need to maintain a separate OKR system—all goals are integrated into the FLO.W Notion template you use daily.
The Role of Sub-Areas in the OKR System
After defining O, you might wonder: What's the purpose of sub-Areas? Will they become redundant layers?
The answer: Sub-Areas and O play different roles—they complement rather than replace each other.
| Dimension | Sub-Area | O (Milestone) |
|---|---|---|
| Time Attribute | Long-term, no endpoint | Has a clear cycle (annual/quarterly) |
| Nature | Your ongoing "battleground" | "Battle objectives" within a cycle |
| Stability | Relatively stable, rarely changes | Updates annually/quarterly |
| Quantity | Usually 5-10 | 3-5 per cycle |
A concrete example:
Suppose your Area is "Health Management" and your sub-Area is "Fitness Training."
- The sub-Area "Fitness Training" will always exist—whether in 2026 or 2030, you'll invest energy here
- But each year's O might differ:
- 2026 O: "Establish sustainable exercise habits"
- 2027 O: "Complete my first half marathon"
- 2028 O: "Maintain exercise habits and improve workout quality"
Sub-Area is "who you are"; O is "where you're heading this phase."
This also explains why O (Milestones) should be linked to sub-Areas: through this connection, you can see all historical goals and achievements under a certain area, forming a clear growth trajectory.
Step 1: Set Your O (Objectives)
Feature Location
O (Objectives) are created using FLO.W Notion template's "Milestone" feature.
Access: Click Area from the top navigation → Select the Milestone page
How to Create an O
Enter the Milestone Page
Access the Area module from the top navigation, then click Milestone.
Create a New Milestone
Click the New button to create a new Milestone.
Use Standardized Naming
Use the following naming format for easy identification and sorting:
- Annual objective:
2026-O1: Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle - Quarterly objective:
26Q1-O1: Build the habit of exercising 3 times per week
Naming format explanation:
- Year/quarter comes first for time-based sorting
O+ number clearly identifies this as an objective- Specific description follows the colon
Fill in Key Fields
Milestones have several important fields to fill:
| Field | Options | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Not Started / In Progress / Completed / Exceeded | Set new goals as "Not Started," change to "Completed" or "Exceeded" when achieved |
| Importance | Major Breakthrough / Important Achievement / Regular Progress | Annual O is usually "Major Breakthrough" or "Important Achievement" |
| Description/Background/Impact | — | Explain the goal's background, why it's important, and its impact once achieved |
| Link to Sub-Area | — | Link to the corresponding sub-Area |
Link to Sub-Area
Each O should be linked to its corresponding sub-Area. For example, "Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle" should link to a sub-Area under "Health Management" (such as "Fitness Training").
The benefit: You can view all related goals and achievements by area, seeing your growth trajectory in a specific direction.
Write Detailed Description in the Page Body
In the Milestone's page body, write:
- Why is this goal important to you?
- How will your life be different after achieving this goal?
- How do you plan to measure "achievement"?
This content will remind you of your original intention when motivation runs low.
Characteristics of a Good O
A good O should have these characteristics:
- Directional: Points to a direction, not specific numbers
- Specific but not quantified: Clearly understand what "achievement" means, without precise numbers
- Inspiring: Reading it motivates you
Comparison examples:
| Too vague | Too specific (numbers) | Just right |
|---|---|---|
| Get healthier | Lose 10 kg | Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle |
| Do social media | Gain 10,000 followers | Build professional influence in a vertical field |
| Read more books | Finish 20 books | Systematically master core knowledge in a field |
Numbers go in KRs; O describes "the state after achievement."
Step 2: Break Down O into KRs (Projects)
After setting O, the next step is to think: How do I know I'm approaching this goal?
This is the role of KR (Key Result)—using quantifiable results to verify goal achievement.
How to Define KRs
Each O should correspond to 2-4 KRs—too few isn't comprehensive enough, too many loses focus.
Example:
If your O is "Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle," it can be broken down into:
| KR | Project Name | Quantified Standard |
|---|---|---|
| KR1 | Complete 12-week fat loss program | Weight from 80kg to 72kg |
| KR2 | Build exercise habit | Exercise 3 times weekly for 90 consecutive days |
| KR3 | Improve sleep quality | Average bedtime moved to 23:00 |
Create Projects as KRs
Enter Project Center
Access the Project center from the top navigation.
Choose the Appropriate Category View
Based on the KR's nature, select the corresponding project category view. For health-related KRs, you can create them in the Project Category - Life view.
Create the Project
Click New to create a new project.
The project name can directly use the KR description, such as "Complete 12-week fat loss program."
If you want to clearly identify this as a KR, add a prefix: KR1: Complete 12-week fat loss program
Link to Sub-Area
Link the project to the corresponding sub-Area (such as "Fitness Training").
This way, the project (KR) and Milestone (O) establish a connection through the shared sub-Area.
Set Project Schedule
Set start and end dates for the project. KRs should have clear time boundaries.
Understanding the Significance of "Dual Association"
You might notice: Projects (KR) and Milestones (O) both link to the same sub-Area. This design is intentional:
Sub-Area is the hub connecting O and KR.
Sub-Area (Fitness Training)
│
├── Milestone (O): Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle
│
├── Project (KR1): Complete 12-week fat loss program
├── Project (KR2): Build exercise habit
└── Project (KR3): Improve sleep qualityBenefits of this structure:
- View progress by area: Enter the "Fitness Training" sub-Area page to see both O and all related KRs simultaneously
- Long-term tracking: O changes with cycles, but sub-Areas persist. Years later, reviewing the "Fitness Training" area shows every year's goals and achievements
- Avoid isolation: O and KR naturally connect through areas without maintaining additional relationships
Step 3: Break Down KRs into Tasks
After projects (KRs) are determined, they need to be broken into specific tasks for execution.
Task Breakdown Principles
- Each task should be completable within 1-3 days
- Task descriptions should be specific and actionable, not vague directions
- No need to break down all tasks at once—add as you go
Example:
Project "Complete 12-week fat loss program" can be broken down into:
- Week 1: Create meal plan + purchase fitness equipment
- Week 1: Complete first strength training session
- Week 2: Record this week's food diary
- Week 2: Complete 3 cardio sessions
- ……
Daily Execution: Connect Every Day to Your Goals
After setting up the O → KR → Task structure, your daily workflow becomes:
- Open FLO.W Notion template homepage each day to see today's tasks
- Each task belongs to a project (KR)
- Each project belongs to a sub-Area
- Each sub-Area has your O (Milestone)
This means: Everything you do each day can trace back to annual objectives.
Advanced Tip: Create a KR-Specific View
If you used naming prefixes like KR1:, you can create a dedicated view in the project database to centrally monitor all KR progress.
Enter the Project center, click the + button next to the view switcher to create a new view
Name the view "OKR Tracking" or whatever you prefer
Add filter condition: Title contains KR (or whatever prefix keyword you use)
Optional: Group by sub-Area to see KR distribution across areas
Now you have a view dedicated to tracking OKR progress without searching through all projects.
When you complete a task, it's not just "checking a box"—you're taking one small step toward your annual objectives. This feeling makes daily execution more meaningful.
Periodic Review and Adjustment
OKR isn't set-and-forget—it needs regular review and adjustment.
Choosing Review Rhythm
Review frequency should match your O cycle:
| O Cycle | Suggested Review Rhythm | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual O | Quarterly review | Spend 30 minutes at quarter-end checking KR progress |
| Quarterly O | Monthly review | Spend 15-20 minutes at month-end checking KR progress |
If using Quarterly O, quarter-end is "settlement" time: evaluate whether O is achieved, then set next quarter's O.
How to Do an OKR Retrospective
Check KR Progress
Enter the Project center, check completion status of each KR project.
- On track: Keep going
- Behind schedule: Analyze reasons, adjust plan
- Already abandoned: Face it honestly, archive from project list
Evaluate O Achievement Status
Return to Milestones, look at your O:
- If all KRs completed but O still feels far away—KRs weren't set well
- If KRs half completed but already feel close to O—might have set too many KRs
Adjust Next Cycle's Plan
OKR's spirit is "70% achievement rate counts as success." If goals were too conservative, be more aggressive next cycle; if you clearly overestimated yourself, adjusting expectations down is fine.
What matters is learning and adjusting, not chasing perfect achievement rates.
Use FLO.W Notion template's Retrospective Module
FLO.W Notion template has built-in weekly and monthly retrospective features as supplementary tools for OKR reviews.
Enter the Retrospective center from the top navigation to see Weekly Retrospective and Monthly Retrospective modules.
The retrospective template uses a "Facts → Feelings → Findings → Future" structure:
| Dimension | Core Question |
|---|---|
| Facts | What key tasks/projects completed this week/month? |
| Feelings | When did you feel efficient/happy? When stressed/inefficient? |
| Findings | What did you learn from this experience? Any patterns or insights? |
| Future | What improvements for the next cycle? |
Through regular retrospectives, you can catch KR execution problems early rather than discovering you've veered too far at quarter-end.
For detailed retrospective instructions, see Periodic Retrospective.
Create Retrospective Notes
Consider creating a note for each OKR retrospective, recording:
- What was achieved this cycle?
- Which KRs weren't completed? Why?
- What to adjust next cycle?
Note linking approach: FLO.W notes can simultaneously link to multiple dimensions—Area, sub-Area, Project, Task.
For OKR retrospective notes, recommended:
- Link to Area: Such as "Health Management" or "Career Development," for viewing all retrospectives by macro direction
- Link to sub-Area: If retrospective content focuses on a specific area, link there too
- Link to Project: If retrospective mainly addresses a specific KR project, link that project
The benefit: All thoughts and retrospectives related to that area can be found on the corresponding page, forming long-term knowledge accumulation.
Specific Scenario References
Different types of O have different implementation approaches. Here are some specific scenario tutorials for reference:
Health Goals
O Example: Establish a sustainable healthy lifestyle / Build regular exercise habits
Recommended Reading: Creating a Short-Term Fitness Plan with FLO.W — Details on setting fitness goals, creating habit tracking, designing periodic review tasks
Career Development Goals
O Example: Successfully transition into target industry / Get promoted in current position
Recommended Reading: Job Hunting with FLO.W — Complete process from target company research, resume preparation to interview retrospective
Learning and Growth Goals
O Example: Systematically master core knowledge in a field / Pass a professional certification
Recommended Reading:
- Exam Preparation with FLO.W — For scenarios with clear exam objectives
- Skill Mastery with FLO.W — For long-term skill improvement scenarios
Content Creation Goals
O Example: Build professional influence in a vertical field / Form stable content production rhythm
Recommended Reading: Managing Content Creation with FLO.W — From topic management, creation process to publishing tracking
