ysabetwordsmith: Text -- three weeks for dreamwidth, in pink (three weeks for dreamwidth)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote in [community profile] goals_on_dw2025-05-15 02:38 am

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)

This year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about goal-setting frameworks for [community profile] goals_on_dw. Read Part 1: Introduction to Goal-Setting FrameworksPart 2: The 1-3-5 RulePart 3: The 12-week YearPart 4: ABCS (Achievable, Believable, Committed, Specific)Part 5: Backward GoalPart 6: BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)Part 7: BSQ (Think Big, Act Small, Move Quick)Part 8: CLEAR (Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable)Part 9: Goal PyramidPart 10: Golden CirclePart 11: GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward)Part 12: HARD (Heartfelt, Animated, Required, Difficult)Part 13: KPI (Key Performance Indicators)Part 14: MASTER (Measurable, Achievable, Specific, Transforming, Evolving, Relevant)Part 15: NCT (Narratives, Commitments, and Tasks)Part 16: OKR (Objectives, Key Results)Part 17: PACT (Purposeful, Aligned, Continuous, Tracked)Part 18: Tiered GoalsPart 19: Theme WordWISE (Written, Integrated, Synergistic, Expansive), Part 21:  WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan).


Part 21: WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)

WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. This goal-setting framework promotes positive thinking to attain goals, while also accounting for realistic challenges that might make them difficult to achieve. It can apply to personal, educational, or professional objectives. It also combines well with other frameworks such as Objectives and Key Results.

First, make a wish. This frames your desire as a clear target. Be concise yet specific about what you want to attain. Start the statement with "I wish..." For example, "I wish to learn oil painting."

Next, visualize the outcome. Focus your imagination on the benefits from reaching your goal. Think about what you would be doing and feeling in that ideal future. For example, "I see myself selling my oil paintings through the local art gallery."

Consider the obstacles in your path. Identify at least three possible challenges that may block your progress. Be honest with yourself and pay attention to the situation around you in order to spot problems. For example, "Oil paint supplies are expensive. I only know watercolor painting, which is totally different. My preferred subjects aren't popular in oil painting."

Then make a detailed and actionable plan to deal with the challenges you have acknowledged. Frame these to specify the actions you will take when you encounter each of the obstacles. For example, "In order to afford oil paint supplies, I will watch for sales at the art store and I will choose a limited palette such as Zorn. To learn oil painting, I will choose three basic techniques, then practice each one daily for at least one week. To pursue my preferred subjects, I will identify which techniques I need to paint them, then look for instructions about those techniques in tutorials about other subjects."

Finally, you may want to find a quote that supports your wish. For example, "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint! And that voice will be silenced."