How to Run Annual Planning in ClickUp

ClickUp gives teams a powerful workspace to turn high-level annual goals into clear, trackable work. This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to build a complete annual planning system using features inspired by the best practices in the official templates library.

You will learn how to structure your workspace, define measurable goals, design roadmaps, and keep execution aligned with strategy all year long.

Step 1: Prepare Your ClickUp Workspace for Annual Planning

Before you start planning, set up a structure that keeps strategic work separate from day-to-day tasks while still tightly connected.

Create a dedicated Space
Set up a Space called something like Annual Planning or Strategic Planning. This keeps roadmaps, goals, and strategy documents together.
Add Folders for each planning layer
- Company Strategy
- Annual Goals & OKRs
- Roadmaps
- Department Plans
- Review & Reporting
Use standard Custom Fields
Create Custom Fields you will use across Lists, such as:
- Priority (High, Medium, Low)
- Owner (People field)
- Department
- Target Quarter
- Status (Idea, Planned, In Progress, On Hold, Complete)

This structure makes it easier to report on your plan later using views and dashboards.

Step 2: Capture Strategic Inputs in ClickUp Docs

Bring all your strategic thinking into one place before translating it into work items.

Create a Strategy Doc
Inside the Company Strategy Folder, create a ClickUp Doc for your upcoming year. Include sections for:
- Vision and mission recap
- Key challenges and opportunities
- Market or customer insights
- Strategic themes for the year
Use collaborative editing
Invite leaders and stakeholders to the Doc so they can add comments, suggestions, and ideas directly in one shared source of truth.
Convert ideas to tasks
When you identify concrete initiatives, highlight the text and convert it to a task or subtask. This keeps your plan connected to real work.

Step 3: Set Measurable Annual Goals in ClickUp

Turning strategy into measurable goals is essential. Use the goal-tracking features to define clear outcomes and link them to real work.

Create top-level company goals
From the Goals area, add goals such as:
- Increase revenue by a specific percentage
- Improve customer satisfaction scores
- Launch a defined number of new features or products
Break goals into targets
For each goal, add measurable targets. You can track them as numbers, tasks, monetary values, or true/false milestones.
Align department goals
Create separate goal sets for teams like Marketing, Sales, Product, or Operations that roll up into your main company goals.

With this setup, progress on tasks directly contributes to your annual goals and you always know how execution is tracking.

Step 4: Design Your Annual Roadmap in ClickUp Whiteboards

Use visual planning to map the year before locking anything down in Lists and tasks.

Create a roadmap Whiteboard
Inside your Roadmaps Folder, create a Whiteboard labeled Annual Roadmap. Add swimlanes for quarters or months and lanes for each department.
Brainstorm initiatives
Use sticky notes or shapes to capture initiatives aligned with your strategic themes and goals. Place them roughly in the quarter where you expect to execute.
Group and prioritize
Cluster related ideas, remove duplicates, and mark dependencies. Use colors to show priority, owner, or goal alignment.
Convert roadmap items into tasks
Once aligned, convert key roadmap elements into tasks or epics in your planning Lists so they move into execution.

Step 5: Build a ClickUp Annual Planning List

Now that your roadmap is clear, create a List that holds your main initiatives for the year.

Create a master Annual Initiatives List
In the Annual Goals & OKRs Folder, add a List called Annual Initiatives. This becomes the backbone of your plan.
Add core fields
Make sure every task in this List includes:
- Owner
- Department
- Target Quarter
- Associated goal
- Current status
Use multiple views
- List view for detailed editing
- Board view by Status or Department
- Calendar view to see timing
- Timeline or Gantt for dependencies and schedules

Use this List to review and refine your yearly work before breaking it down into more granular projects and tasks.

Step 6: Connect Projects to Your ClickUp Annual Plan

Annual planning only works if it stays connected to real projects and sprints.

Link initiatives to project workspaces
For each annual initiative, link or embed the relevant project Lists or Folders so you can jump directly from strategy to execution.
Use subtasks or related tasks
Break initiatives into subtasks, or use relationships to connect them to epics, sprints, or work packages managed by each team.
Standardize templates
Create task templates for common initiatives (product launches, campaigns, events) so each new effort follows a consistent process.

Step 7: Track Progress with ClickUp Dashboards

Dashboards keep leaders and teams aligned all year by turning data into visual, real-time reporting.

Create an Annual Planning Dashboard
Add widgets such as:
- Goal tracking widgets for top company goals
- Task status breakdown by department
- Burndown or cumulative flow for key projects
- Workload by owner to spot bottlenecks
Filter for annual initiatives
Use filters so widgets only show tasks and projects tagged as part of your current year plan.
Share with stakeholders
Share this Dashboard with leadership, team leads, and key partners so everyone sees the same up-to-date information.

Step 8: Run Quarterly and Monthly Reviews in ClickUp

Annual planning is not one-and-done. Use recurring reviews to keep plans relevant and achievable.

Schedule recurring review tasks
Create recurring tasks for quarterly and monthly reviews. Assign them to leaders or project owners with clear checklists.
Use review templates
Build a Doc template for reviews that includes:
- Goal progress summary
- Key wins and learnings
- Risks and blockers
- Adjustments to roadmap or scope
Adjust goals and plans directly
During reviews, update goal progress, change task priorities, or shift timeline dates so your workspace always reflects reality.

Best Practices for Annual Planning in ClickUp

Keep everything connected: Link Docs, tasks, goals, and Dashboards so you never lose context.
Limit manual updates: Use automations where possible to update fields or statuses when work changes.
Standardize naming: Use consistent naming for initiatives, projects, and goals to keep searches and reports clear.
Use permissions wisely: Keep sensitive strategy limited while letting teams see the work they need.

Using Official ClickUp Templates for Faster Setup

You can speed up this entire process by adapting existing annual planning templates from the official resource at this ClickUp annual planning guide. Customize the structure, Lists, and views to match your company size, industry, and planning style.

When to Refine Your ClickUp Annual Planning System

Review your planning setup at least once per year and after major changes.

When your company grows or restructures
When your product or service strategy shifts
When you change how you run projects or sprints

If you need expert help optimizing your workspace, consider working with a productivity and systems consultant such as Consultevo to refine processes and templates.

Turn Your Yearly Strategy into Action with ClickUp

With a clear structure for strategy, goals, roadmaps, projects, and reviews, ClickUp can serve as a complete operating system for your annual planning. Start by setting up a strategic Space, defining measurable goals, mapping your roadmap visually, and then connecting every initiative to real work and dashboards.

Once your system is in place, your annual plan becomes a living, dynamic framework that guides decisions, keeps teams aligned, and makes it easy to adjust as priorities change throughout the year.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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