Free tool

Reverse planner: start from done

Write your goal as if it is already done, pick a date, and get the milestones planned backward, with one step you can take today.

Your goal, written as done

Done by

30 days90 days1 yearPick a date

Finish date

Plan it backward

Free. No account. Only your goal line and the date are sent to write the plan. Nothing is stored.

What reverse planning is

Most plans start from today and push forward: a list that grows faster than it shrinks. Reverse planning flips the direction. You begin at the finish line, written as if it already happened, with a real date. Then you ask one question, again and again: what had to be true just before this? Each answer becomes a milestone, and the last answer is something small enough to start today.

The idea is old and practical. Project managers call it backward scheduling, and teachers plan lessons the same way, starting from what students should be able to do at the end. Research on goal pursuit adds a useful twist: picturing the finish alone tends to help less than pairing it with the obstacle in the way and a specific plan for it.

How to use the planner

1. Write the goal as done. Past tense, specific, something you could check. "I ran my first half marathon" works better than "get fit".
2. Pick a real date. Thirty days for a sprint, ninety for a season, a year for something big. A date turns a wish into a plan.
3. Read the milestones from the finish back. Each one is a checkpoint the finish needs. Change any that do not fit your life.
4. Do the first step today. It is sized for about 45 minutes. Starting matters more than starting perfectly.
5. Keep it where you will see it. Save it in the free app to get a daily 45 minute sprint and a Done list that shows your progress.

Want to go deeper? Read reverse goal setting for the full method, the WOOP method for planning around obstacles, and the done list for keeping proof of progress.

Questions

What is reverse planning?

Reverse planning starts at the finished goal and works back to today. You fix the finish line and its date first, then ask what has to be true just before it, and before that, until you reach one step you can take now.

Is the reverse planner free?

Yes. It is free, needs no account, and works on any phone or computer. Saving the plan in the Start From Done app is free too.

What happens to what I type?

When you tap Plan it backward, only your goal line and the date are sent to plan the milestones with AI. If AI is busy or switched off, the plan is made on your device instead. Nothing is stored by us.

How is this different from a to-do list?

A to-do list starts from today and grows. A reverse plan starts from done, so every milestone is there because the finish needs it, and the first step is small enough to start in the next 45 minutes.