Step 3: Create Quests & Goals
What it is
With your direction defined, it's time to set your objectives. In Metanoia OS, we use Quests and Goals — a system inspired by OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) from the business world, but reimagined for personal growth with a touch of gamification.
- A Quest is the big outcome you're working toward (e.g. Improve cardiovascular endurance)
- A Goal is the specific, action-oriented step that gets you there (e.g. Run 1K every day for 30 days)
Quests set the direction. Goals take you there.
How to use it
- From the left navigation, tap Quests
- The Quest page is organized into four columns:
- Quest Folders — organize your quests by theme or domain
- Quests Board — see and manage your active quests
- Quest Goals — the steps that drive each quest forward
- Goal Details — track progress, deadlines, and linked actions
- To create a quest, tap New Quest — or use the AI Quest Builder for a faster start:
- Type what you want to work toward, or choose from ready-made examples
- Review the suggested structure, adjust if needed, and add it to your list
- Inside each quest, add Goals — the specific, time-bound milestones that move you forward
- Link each goal to daily actions (habits, tasks, routines, or projects) so progress connects back to what you do today
💡 Tip: Start with one or two quests across the areas of life you most want to improve. It's better to have fewer quests you're actively working on than a long list you ignore.
Step 4: Your Action Types
What it is
Actions are the building blocks of your daily system. Every action in Metanoia OS belongs to one of five types, and each one belongs to a life domain — ensuring your growth stays balanced, not concentrated in just one area.
The seven life domains are:
- Health & Fitness — physical vitality and well-being
- Social Engagement — relationships and communities
- Professional Mastery — skills, career, and contribution
- Avocational Interests — hobbies and creative pursuits
- Resource Management — finances, environment, and daily systems
- Continual Education — learning and knowledge
- Existential Purpose — spirituality, ethics, and meaning
Every action you take feeds into one of these domains, building your level in that area over time.
You can access all action types from the Action Center in the left navigation. There you'll see all seven domain cards, each showing your current progress. Selecting a domain gives you a full view of all actions within it, alongside your domain mission and personal vision as a reminder of why you're doing the work.
Abilities
What it is
Abilities represent major areas of development — core capabilities you want to strengthen over time. Think of them like skill trees: each ability grows through levels, and completing skills at one level unlocks the next.
Structure:
- Each ability has four levels: Foundation → Intermediate → Advanced → Mastery
- Each level contains specific skills to complete
- Skills are interconnected — lower-level skills unlock higher ones
How to use it
- From the Action Center, tap Abilities
- Tap New Ability to add one manually, or use the AI Ability Builder:
- Type the ability you want to develop (e.g. Data Analysis, Public Speaking)
- Or browse from ready-made examples
- Review the generated skill tree and add it to your list
- Inside an ability, tap any skill to see its requirements:
- Input requirements — reading, watching, practicing, listening, or creating
- Output requirements — a submission, text entry, or file upload to demonstrate learning
- Link skills to daily actions (habits, tasks, routines, or projects) so you always know what to do today to make progress
- Complete requirements to unlock the next skill in the tree — working your way toward mastery
💡 Tip: Outputs are powerful. Writing a reflection, sharing a project, or uploading work proves to yourself that the learning stuck. Don't skip them.
Habits
What it is
Habits are the building blocks of consistency. They're the small, repeatable behaviors that — done daily — compound into real transformation over time.
How to use it
- From the Action Center, tap Habits
- Tap New Habit and set it up:
- Give it a name
- Assign it to a domain
- Choose an icon
- Set the schedule: daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly
- View habits in grid view or list view — whichever works best for you
- The calendar on the right tracks your completion history — you can even switch to a yearly view to see your long-term consistency at a glance
- Complete habits daily to build a streak — streaks unlock a streak bonus that multiplies the XP you earn
💡 Tip: Start with just two or three habits. The goal isn't to track everything — it's to build the habit of being consistent. Once those feel natural, add more.
Routines
What it is
A routine is a stack of habits arranged in sequence — a structured flow you move through in one session. When habits work together, the impact multiplies.
How to use it
- From the Action Center, tap Routines
- Tap New Routine and give it a name, an optional description, and a domain
- Build your routine step by step:
- Select habits you've already created
- Set the time for each one
- Arrange them in sequence
- Add short breaks between steps if needed
- Review the summary before saving: total XP, total duration, active time, and a timeline of the sequence
- When you're ready to run a routine, tap Start Routine:
- You'll see your start time, estimated end time, and total XP reward
- A timer keeps you on track with progress bars and XP earned
- You can pause, skip, or add extra minutes as needed
- At the end of each step, you get a quick summary. When you finish the full routine, you get a complete report: time spent, steps completed, and XP earned
💡 Tip: Your morning or evening routines are a great place to start. A simple 3-step routine — even just 20 minutes — builds powerful momentum when repeated daily.
Tasks
What it is
Tasks are individual, actionable to-do items. They're flexible and simple — great for capturing anything you need to do, from quick errands to work deliverables.
How to use it
The Tasks section has five views:
- Inbox — Your brain dump space. Anything that comes to mind goes here, even if you don't know which domain or type it belongs to yet. Process and organize later.
- Folders — Group related tasks together, break them into subtasks, and hide completed ones to keep your view clean
- All Tasks — Everything at once, organized by life domain. Add new tasks directly under the domain they belong to.
- Kanban View — Move tasks visually from Backlog → In Progress → Review → Completed
- Events — Time-bound tasks like meetings, submission deadlines, or appointments. Once set, these show up in your Today calendar so you never miss what's coming.
💡 Tip: Use the Inbox as a capture habit. When something comes to mind, drop it there immediately — don't let it live in your head. Set aside a few minutes each week to organize your inbox into the right domains and action types.
Projects
What it is
Projects bring tasks together into structured, goal-driven initiatives. When a goal requires multiple steps over time, a project gives it shape, timeline, and trackable progress.
How to use it
- From the Action Center, tap Projects
- All your projects are organized by domain — each card shows progress at a glance: tasks completed, XP earned, and time remaining
- To create a new project:
- Give it a name, domain, and due date
- Break it into phases (e.g. weeks or milestones)
- Add specific tasks inside each phase
- Use the three view modes to work the way you prefer:
- Phases View — structured steps with tasks inside each phase
- Kanban View — track all tasks by status, filtered by phase
- Timeline View — see how the project unfolds over time, with progress mapped against deadlines
- Edit project details anytime from the right panel
💡 Tip: Link your project to a Quest Goal so that completing project tasks drives visible progress on your bigger objective. This keeps the connection between daily work and long-term direction clear.
Step 5: Schedule Your Day
What it is
Actions are still just a list of things to do — until you put them in your day. The scheduling feature is where Metanoia OS truly comes alive. It turns your intentions into a daily rhythm through Day Templates and Focus Mode.
How to use it
Building a Day Template
- From the Today Page, tap the top bar to open Schedule View
- You'll see your calendar in month, week, or day view. Days with colored bars already have a template applied.
- Tap Manage Templates to create or edit templates
- Each template is built from time blocks. For each block, set:
- Name
- Start and end time
- Domain category
- Block type: habit block, routine block, task block, project block, or task folder block
- Once saved, the template shows your active time vs. free time balance — a useful sanity check before applying it
Applying a Template
- In the calendar, tap any day to open the day ruler on the right
- Select a template to apply — or create a new one
- The template populates into your schedule. You can interact with each block directly: check off habits, add tasks, or follow routines — all inside the day view.
Focus Mode
When a time block begins, you can enter Focus Mode — a distraction-free view that surfaces only the actions relevant to that block:
- A countdown timer for the current block
- A progress bar showing your completion
- A preview of what's coming next
At the end of each block, a report card appears showing your effort and XP earned for that session.
Calendar Views
- Month View — see which templates were applied across the whole month
- Week View — a structured timeline across several days
- Day View — includes a circular clock mode for a visual breakdown of how your time is distributed
💡 Tip: Create a few different templates for different types of days — a workday template, a rest day template, a creative day template. Plan once, apply anywhere. No more rebuilding your schedule from scratch.