how you can really keep constant together with your targets for 2026? This 12 months, I’ve determined that I don’t simply desire a checklist of targets. I desire a imaginative and prescient board backed by actual metrics to trace my progress month after month.
The issue I’ve been going through these previous few years is fragmentation. There are 1,000,000 apps on the market that can assist you observe finance, coaching, or day by day habits, however I may by no means discover a single, centralized tracker. Even tougher was discovering one thing that might scale: a system that follows a objective whether or not it’s day by day, weekly, month-to-month, quarterly or yearly.
For that reason, I made a decision to construct my very own objective tracker. This app is only one instance of what works nicely for me, however the intention goes past this particular implementation. The objective is to share the product considering behind it: how you can design a system that aligns metrics, visuals, and construction in a approach that really helps quick and long-term targets.
Earlier than leaping into the code, it’s necessary to know the design selections behind the app.
The Design
The logic
In actuality, our ambition operates on totally different scales. Most trackers fail as a result of they concentrate on a single decision (typically monitoring day by day habits). In my case, I wanted a system that might assist totally different frequencies of targets so i categorized my goals into 2 classes:
- Excessive-frequency targets (day by day / weekly): These are issues I need to do on a day by day or weekly foundation. I name these habits as a result of they require issues to be checked shortly and with excessive frequency.
- Low-frequency targets (month-to-month / yearly): These are issues I need to do on a month-to-month or yearly foundation. I name these strategic targets as a result of they require much less repetition, however extra course and changes over time.
The app I designed was meant to seize all of those frequencies in a single system. This makes it attainable to watch execution each day, but in addition keep an outline of progress all through the entire 12 months.
The Consumer Interface
When it got here to the interface, I intentionally prevented complexity. I’m not a UI knowledgeable, and I didn’t need an app stuffed with buttons, menus, or pointless interactions.
As an alternative, I selected a grid-based matrix. This permits to easily examine containers for habits or accomplished targets. In information visualization, an empty cell is simply as informative as a crammed one. Seeing gaps within the grid turns into a strong and really concrete sign. It instantly reveals the place consistency is lacking and helps adjusting.
The Structure
For this challenge, I had two necessary necessities for the structure:
Zero Database Administration: I didn’t need to set up something regionally or handle servers. I selected Neon, a cloud-free PostgreSQL database, to behave because the again server of the app.
Python as the one programming language: I needed to make use of a language I grasp. For that reason, I selected Streamlit for the UI and fundamental Python for the back-end logic. This alternative lets me construct knowledgeable interface in pure Python with out touching HTML or CSS. It’s nice for small apps, although it has its personal limits that we are going to focus on later.
A Fast tour of the App
Let’s begin with the touchdown web page. This web page permits the consumer to create an account and log into the app.
By the creator: View of the touchdown page
As soon as logged in, you arrive on the Technique Setup web page. Right here, you may enter your objective with a reputation and class. I’ve created eight classes you can change after you have the code. For the remainder of this demo, I’ve saved solely a few of my non-confidential targets seen. The remainder are private and hidden with the purple colour.
By the creator: View of the setup page
Subsequent is the Execution web page, which I actually like. Right here you could have containers you can examine to trace your day by day, weekly, month-to-month, and yearly targets. You’ve got each a day by day view and a long-term view that permits you to validate your targets execution.
By the creator: View of the execution web page (The day by day setup)
By the creator: View of the execution web page (The long-term setup)
To complete, I’ve created a Studies web page. It gives a snapshot of your objective execution. That is my favourite half as a result of it helps me see if I’ve reached my day by day, weekly, and long-term targets. If a objective is late, the system will clearly show it.
By the creator: View of the report web page
Let’s Soar Into the Code
Step 1: The Venture Organization
Knowledgeable app wants a clear construction so the “logic” is separated from the “visuals”. Create a folder named vision_2026 with this construction:
By the author
Step 2: The back-end (Neon & Database Setup)
Create a free account on Neon.tech. When you create a challenge, retrieve your Connection String and paste it into .streamlit/secrets and techniques.toml precisely like this:
DATABASE_URL = "your_connection_string_here"
By the creator: How you can create a challenge on Neon
By the creator: How you can retrieve your connection string
Step 3: Constructing Your Tables on Neon
Within the Neon SQL Editor, execute this script to ascertain the 5 basic tables:
- long_term_tracking: Retains Month-to-month, Quarterly, and Yearly information of strategic progress.
- customers: Retains safe account info.
- goals_catalog: This “Architect” desk outlines objective titles, classifications, and incidence frequencies.
- daily_tracking: Retains information on all high-frequency day by day check-ins
- weekly_tracking: Logs completion of weekly milestones by ISO weeks.
By the creator: How you can create your tables on the database
Step 4: Environment Set Up
conda create -n vision_app python=3.9
conda activate vision_app
pip set up -r necessities.txtThe Connection Script (db_utils.py):
This script permits Python to speak to Neon utilizing a RealDictCursor, making information very straightforward to deal with.
The “Mind” (core_logic.py)
That is a very powerful a part of the logic. Normal calendars are messy, so we use the “Thursday Rule” to remain mathematically correct in metrics computation for our day by day and weekly targets.
Designing Visuals with AI (ui_pages.py)
As soon as your database and logic are prepared, don’t wrestle with UI syntax. To be trustworthy, I didn’t code all of the UI myself. I used a immediate to generate the primary mannequin, then adjusted it to my wants.
The Orchestrator (app.py)
This fundamental file manages the touchdown web page and navigation. Streamlit has its personal session state to handle logins, which could be very useful for a private use app or an MVP. With out mastering complicated authentication ideas, you may create a touchdown web page the place customers can create an account and log in. Simply remember this strategy has its personal safety limitations for bigger scales.
Step 5: The Deployment
Guarantee all of your recordsdata are dedicated and pushed to a GitHub repository.
Hook up with Streamlit Cloud:
- Check in to
share.streamlit.ioutilizing your GitHub account. - Click on “New app.”
- Choose your repository, the department, and the primary file (
app.py).
The “Secrets and techniques” Configuration: That is probably the most important step. Since it’s best to by no means add your secrets and techniques.toml file to GitHub, it’s essential to present these secrets and techniques on to the Streamlit platform:
- Within the deployment settings, go to the “Secrets and techniques“ part.
- Paste your
DATABASE_URLprecisely because it seems in your native secrets and techniques file.
By the creator: How you can copy your secret variable within the streamlit cloud
To run appropriately on a distant server, guarantee packages.txt (for Postgres connections on Linux) and necessities.txt are within the github repository.
And that’s it! If you wish to create your individual visible board, you may observe these steps. All of the code is out there right here: https://github.com/sbendimerad/VisionBoard2026
Should you don’t need to deploy your individual, be at liberty to make use of my stay model right here: Vision Board 2026
For the app to run appropriately on a distant server, you have to guarantee two particular recordsdata are excellent:
packages.txt: That is important for Postgres connections. Streamlit Cloud runs on Linux, and it wants a system-level driver to speak to your database.
necessities.txt: This tells the cloud which Python libraries to put in.
And that’s it 🙂 If you wish to create your individual visible board, you may observe these steps, all of the code is right here: https://github.com/sbendimerad/VisionBoard2026
In case you don’t need to deploy yours, you may completely use the url I’ve deployed without cost simply right here: Visionboard2026
I hope this app helps you set and observe your 2026 targets! If you wish to add any new options, don’t hesitate to fork the challenge.
Please needless to say whereas Streamlit and Python are excellent for creating a fast, practical app, this isn’t essentially a long-term answer for a full-scale enterprise software. For knowledgeable, high-traffic product, you’ll in the end want a devoted front-end and back-end structure.
🤝 Keep Linked
Should you loved this text, be at liberty to observe me on LinkedIn for extra trustworthy insights about AI, Information Science, and careers.
👉 LinkedIn: Sabrine Bendimerad
👉 Medium: https://medium.com/@sabrine.bendimerad1
👉 Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/datailearn
