5-year plan template

You’ve got big goals, but every time you try to plan ahead, something gets in the way. Urgent tasks pile up, team priorities shift, and suddenly long-term planning gets pushed to next quarter. Or next year. Without a clear roadmap, your ambitions risk staying just that: ambitions. That’s where this 5-year plan template comes in handy.

This ready-to-use 5-year strategic plan template helps you turn long-term goals into a structured action plan. Whether you're launching a startup, setting career goals, or creating a life plan, the template helps you define milestones, set deadlines, and collaborate with stakeholders. Built-in sections for timelines, objectives, and ownership make project planning more organized and measurable. You can use it to brainstorm ideas and create a clear path to achieving your 5-year goals.

Who benefits from 5-year plan templates?

One of our design leads used to juggle a dozen spreadsheets to track team goals until she moved everything into this 5-year plan template. It’s ideal for teams, individuals, and organizations working toward long-term growth.

Entrepreneurs can use it to chart a 5-year business plan, while HR teams may use it to support career development or team-wide initiatives. It’s equally helpful for personal development planning, startup growth, and department-level strategic planning. Regardless of your industry, having a roadmap helps teams connect and make progress on both long-term and short-term goals.

Why use Asana's 5-year plan template

One nonprofit used this template to coordinate a five-year fundraising strategy and hit every milestone along the way. Asana’s 5-year plan template transforms your big-picture ideas into actionable, trackable steps. With a pre-built framework and integrations that simplify collaboration, your team can move from goal-setting to execution in less time.

This 5-year plan template is ideal for those:

• Choosing from multiple project views like Timeline, Board, Calendar, or List to manage your workflow in the format that best fits your planning style.

• Defining and visualizing your long-term goals with built-in milestones.

• Breaking down each year into phases with dedicated action steps.

• Assigning responsibilities and timelines to relevant team members.

• Tracking progress and adjusting as priorities evolve.

• Maintaining consistency across departments or teams.

How to use this 5-year plan template

This planning template is designed to be flexible, reusable, and customizable. It’s preloaded with timeline sections, task fields, and project views so you can hit the ground running. Want to explore more? Head to Asana’s template library for workflows across every function.

Step 1: Assess your current situation

Start with the Current Situation Assessment section to document where things stand today. Identify your team’s current strengths, weaknesses, and available resources. Record known risks and dependencies that could affect your plans. Establishing a clear starting point with a self-assessment helps anchor your five-year goals in reality.

Step 2: Define your vision and goals

Use the Vision and Goal Setting section to outline your long-term objectives. Write a vision statement that captures your vision for the next five years. Break that vision into high-level goals and key themes. Goals should be measurable, time-bound, and relevant to your mission.

Step 3: Set annual objectives and quarterly milestones

Go to the Annual Objectives section to map out yearly goals. Each year should serve as a stepping stone toward your five-year vision. In the Quarterly Milestones section, break each year into manageable phases. Add specific outcomes or achievements to aim for every three months.

Step 4: Plan monthly and weekly steps

Use the Monthly/Weekly Steps section to list short-term tasks that drive progress on your milestones. Break quarterly goals into specific, actionable steps with owners and due dates. Include task details and attachments to streamline collaboration, and check off completed items to maintain momentum.

Step 5: Schedule reviews and make updates

Open the Review and Revision section to plan regular check-ins. Review what’s working and where adjustments are needed. Update tasks, timelines, or resources as priorities change. Use team feedback to refine your plan and keep it actionable year after year. Schedule regular reviews to assess your progress and adjust your strategy. 

Update timelines, resources, or deliverables as business needs evolve. Make sure your goals still reflect your vision and current opportunities. Use feedback from your team to improve future planning cycles.

Asana planning features

Features are the tools that make this template more than a simple worksheet. They add structure, automation, and visibility to your five-year plan so you don’t have to micromanage every task. Want to explore more tools? Visit our full list of features to see everything Asana can do.

Timeline View

Visualize your entire 5-year plan at a glance. Track overlapping initiatives across quarters and adjust start dates as your priorities shift. Teams get a clear view of what’s happening and when.

Goals

Connect high-level goals to the tasks and projects that bring them to life. Keep teams aligned across departments by linking strategy to execution. Progress is visible and measurable as work moves forward.

Custom Fields

Tag tasks by priority, department, or quarter to organize your workflow. Filtering by year, initiative, or owner helps you stay on top of multiple objectives. Team members can instantly find the details they need.

Task Dependencies

Set task relationships so work flows in the right order. Dependencies clarify what needs to happen first and what follows. Project managers can spot blockers early and reassign tasks if needed.

Milestones

Mark critical achievements to measure progress over time. Milestones, such as product launches or hiring goals, provide your team with direction and motivation. Everyone knows what success looks like at each stage of development.

Recommended integrations

Integrations connect your Asana 5-year business plan template with the other tools your team already uses, so you can keep everything in one place. Looking for more ways to connect your workflows? Explore our integration hub for the complete gallery.

Google Drive

Attach relevant files, such as documents, worksheets, and reports, directly to your plan. Keep your most important documentation easily accessible within each task. Stakeholders can open, review, and reference the most current materials without having to leave Asana.

Slack

Share updates and milestones in your team channel without leaving Asana. Send automatic notifications when deadlines shift or new work kicks off. Team members stay informed in real time without needing to toggle between platforms.

Outlook or Google Calendar

Sync tasks and deadlines so you never miss a key date. Add project milestones directly to your calendar for better visibility. Cross-functional teams can stay coordinated with shared scheduling.

Tableau

Visualize progress with dashboards that reflect your key metrics and KPIs. Turn your long-term goals into clear, real-time data stories tailored to your audience. Stakeholders can quickly understand trends and adjust plans accordingly.

Zapier

Automate recurring tasks, such as monthly check-ins or stakeholder updates. Set up custom workflows that trigger based on key project events, like completed milestones or overdue tasks. These automations keep work moving without constant oversight.

FAQs about 5-year plan templates