If you use Google Calendar and Goals, you’ve probably received the notification that your goal has reached retirement age. As of November 2022, the features will no longer be available for new goals. Google suggests using repeating events or tasks to replace Goal time-based alerts, but there’s a better app for that on your phone.
I use the Goals app because it’s the easiest way to track habits. Goals takes care of everything, including figuring out which habits are most important to you and when they’re best done. You don’t have to set up any appointments yourself – Goals does all the work for you.
The Calendar feature with Goals will help you remember your goals, keep track of upcoming events, and mark them as complete. As the Calendar feature learns from your habits, it’ll adjust over time to work better for you.
It seems that two things can keep Goals alive–either a new Google Calendar update or an install of the pending new version of Goals.
Eventually, you may want to move on from Goals in Google Calendar. When that happens, follow the steps below for a smooth transition:
Setting up recurring events in your Google Calendar is easy.
Tap the floating action button (plus sign) at the bottom right of Google Calendar’s home screen. This is the same button you would use to create a goal. However, we’re going to tap “Event” instead.
Add your event in the first field and then fill in next day, start time, and repeat settings. For repeating events use the “custom” option. The other fields are optional but you can use them as you see fit. Hit “Save” to add it to your calendar.
Events were always a struggle for us to use. They lacked intelligent scheduling and progress tracking, but they allowed you to add location information missing from Goals.
In the wake of Google Calendar’s demise, Goals helped me show how awesome it is with a little trick. When I created my recurring workout event on Goals, Calendar pushed it back four-minutes to 9 p.m. every weeknight instead of leaving it at its usual 8:15 p.m. slot.
Tasks in Google Calendar
You can also schedule a recurring task to remind you of important tasks that need completing. This event will appear on Google Calendar and Tasks for your account. You can set the title and recurrence as you would for an event, but unlike events, tasks cannot have a location associated with them.
An important part of your task management is making sure it’s properly organized. Tasks are collected into lists, and if you want to add a task to a new list, you’ll need to do that in the Tasks app. Add a new list from the tabs at the top of the home screen or by tapping the hamburger button in the upper-left corner to reveal your existing lists. Either way, type in its title, then tap “Done” to set up the list.
Creating tasks in the Tasks app is similar to the process in Calendar. Start by tapping the plus button at the bottom of your screen on the list where you want your task to live, then add a title and tap “Save” when finished.
Tasks and goals are two different types of content. Tasks lack the weekly tracking feature that Goals offer, which makes it difficult to see degrees of completion for a task.
Download Goaly from the App Store
For a similar, but not identical, app created by a passionate developer in response to Google’s death sentence on Goals, try Goaly.
First, select the “+” button to add Goaly access to Google. To make the connection, tap “Accept” in the pop-up dialog box to continue.
To start with your goal, Goaly has a simple, similar process. All of the parameters are on one screen instead of multiple screens.
For now, you can try Goaly for free. Once you decide to upgrade, you can opt for monthly subscriptions or a one-time payment to unlock the app. However, if you’re looking for something more robust, think about downloading Google Goals instead of Goaly.