Goal progress tracker
Write up to three goals in your own words and rate how close you are to each at every session, with a short note.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
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Goal progress tracker
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Tracking progress towards my goals
Based on the Goal Based Outcomes approach of Law & Jacob (2015). This sheet is our own layout and name, not the official form. It has up to three goals and a rating for each at every session, with a note.
This sheet helps you and your therapist see how you are moving towards what you want, in your own terms. It is not a test and it has no right answers. Your ratings are your own view.
If going over this brings back urges to hurt yourself, stop and use your safety plan if you have one, and tell your therapist. If you might act on the urges, call 999 or go to A&E. To talk to someone now, call Samaritans free on 116 123.
My goals
Write up to three goals, in your own words, as things you want to be doing or feeling. It usually takes up to three sessions to find the right wording, and you can reword them. Put the most important one first.
My ratings over time
At each session, rate how far you are towards each goal. 0 means you are nowhere near it, 5 means you are part of the way there, and 10 means you are there. Make your first row when you set the goal: it is your starting point. Use the note for what helped, what got in the way, or what changed.
| # | Date | Session | Goal 1 (0 to 10) | Goal 2 (0 to 10) | Goal 3 (0 to 10) | Note | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||
| 2 | |||||||
| 3 | |||||||
| 4 |
Looking back
Look at the pattern every few sessions with your therapist. A goal that has not moved is useful to know about: it may need rewording, a smaller step, or a different approach.
Safety and support
No one checks this sheet for urgent messages. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or feel unable to stay safe, contact your therapist, GP or urgent-care service now rather than writing it here. In an emergency, call 999. For urgent mental health help, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option (in Northern Ireland, call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000). For emotional support, call Samaritans free, day or night, on 116 123. This sheet supports your therapy. It is not a crisis service and does not replace professional care.
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When to use the Goal progress tracker
The Goal progress tracker is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) worksheet. As a core CBT skill it is used right across the model, with presentations including depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and low self-esteem, rather than being tied to a single diagnosis.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist introduces it, works through it collaboratively, and helps make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full worksheet above, then assign it digitally for clients to complete between sessions on any device or download it as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 5 minutes. It moves through five short steps:
- Tracking progress towards my goals: Based on the Goal Based Outcomes approach of Law & Jacob (2015). This sheet is our own layout and name, not the official form. It has up to…
- My goals: Write up to three goals, in your own words, as things you want to be doing or feeling. It usually takes up to three sessions to find the…
- My ratings over time: At each session, rate how far you are towards each goal. 0 means you are nowhere near it, 5 means you are part of the way there, and 10…
- Looking back: Look at the pattern every few sessions with your therapist. A goal that has not moved is useful to know about: it may need rewording, a…
- Safety and support: No one checks this sheet for urgent messages. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or feel unable to stay safe, contact your therapist,…
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, the Goal progress tracker works by noticing the links between situations, thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviour and finding practical ways to change unhelpful patterns. The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
Evidence & sources
This worksheet is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Law, D., & Jacob, J. (2015). Goals and goal based outcomes (GBOs): Some useful information (3rd ed.). CAMHS Press.
- Edbrooke-Childs, J., Jacob, J., Law, D., Deighton, J., & Wolpert, M. (2015). Interpreting standardized and idiographic outcome measures in CAMHS: What does change mean and how does it relate to functioning and experience?. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 20(3), 142-148. doi:10.1111/camh.12107
- Jacob, J., Edbrooke-Childs, J., Holley, S., Law, D., & Wolpert, M. (2016). Horses for courses? A qualitative exploration of goals formulated in mental health settings by young people, parents, and clinicians. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21(2), 208-223. doi:10.1177/1359104515577487
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
- Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- NHS 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland): 111 — choose the mental health option for urgent help, in England, Scotland and Wales (in Wales, press 2)
- Lifeline: 0808 808 8000 — for urgent help in Northern Ireland, free, day or night
- Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
- Shout: 85258 — text SHOUT, free, day or night
- SANEline: 0300 304 7000 — 4pm–10pm, every day
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