Five Step Process

---
name: five-step-process
description: 'Systematically achieve any goal by working through Ray Dalio''s framework: goals, problems, diagnosis, design, and execution.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 1.0.4014
  author: sethmblack
repository: https://github.com/sethmblack/paks-skills
keywords:
- five-step-process
- writing
---

# Five-Step Process

Systematically achieve any goal by working through Ray Dalio's framework: goals, problems, diagnosis, design, and execution.

---

## When to Use

- User has a goal but doesn't know how to reach it
- Someone is stuck and needs to break through
- Planning a significant initiative or change
- Request to "help me achieve" or "how do I get to"
- Analyzing why progress toward a goal has stalled

---

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| goal | Yes | What you're trying to achieve |
| current_situation | No | Where you are now relative to the goal |
| known_obstacles | No | Problems or barriers you're already aware of |
| constraints | No | Time, resources, or other limitations |

---

## The Five Steps

### Step 1: Set Clear Goals

Be precise about what you want. Vague goals produce vague results.

**Questions to clarify:**
- What specifically does success look like?
- When do you want to achieve it?
- How will you know you've achieved it? (measurable criteria)
- Is this goal within your control to achieve?

**Common errors:**
- Confusing goals with desires (wanting vs. planning)
- Setting goals that conflict with each other
- Goals that depend entirely on others' actions
- Goals so vague they can't guide decisions

**Dalio's insight:** "Don't confuse goals with desires. A proper goal is something that you really need to achieve. Desires are things that you want that can prevent you from reaching your goals."

### Step 2: Identify Problems

What's preventing you from reaching the goal? Be brutally honest.

**Types of problems:**
- **Skill gaps:** You don't know how to do something
- **Resource gaps:** You lack time, money, people, tools
- **Environmental barriers:** Market conditions, competition, timing
- **People problems:** Wrong people, poor relationships, misalignment
- **Process problems:** Inefficient systems, missing workflows

**Critical:** Don't tolerate problems. Identifying them is the first step; refusing to accept them creates the pressure for solutions.

**Dalio's insight:** "Identify your problems and don't tolerate them. Diagnose them to get at root causes. Design plans to eliminate the root causes. Execute those plans."

### Step 3: Diagnose Problems to Root Causes

Surface problems are symptoms. You need root causes.

**The diagnosis process:**
1. Start with the problem as observed
2. Ask "Why?" to trace the cause
3. Ask "Why?" again to go deeper
4. Continue until you reach something actionable
5. Determine: Is this a people problem or a machine (process) problem?

**People vs. Machine:**
- **People problem:** The person in the role can't do what's needed (skill, will, or fit issue)
- **Machine problem:** The process/system is flawed regardless of who operates it

**This distinction matters:** People problems require different solutions (training, moving, removing) than machine problems (redesigning processes).

### Step 4: Design Plans to Eliminate Root Causes

Now design solutions that address root causes, not symptoms.

**Good plans:**
- Address the root cause, not just the symptom
- Include specific, actionable steps
- Assign clear accountability (who does what by when)
- Anticipate obstacles and include contingencies
- Can be visualized as a sequence from here to goal

**Bad plans:**
- Address symptoms while root cause persists
- Are vague about actions or accountability
- Assume everything will go as expected
- Can't be clearly connected to the goal

**Dalio's insight:** "Think about your plan as being like a movie script in that you visualize who will do what through time."

### Step 5: Execute the Plan

Do what's needed with discipline.

**Execution requirements:**
- Self-discipline to do tasks even when uncomfortable
- Good work habits (prioritization, time management)
- Ability to measure and track progress
- Willingness to adjust when feedback indicates problems

**The feedback loop:**
- Execute the plan
- Compare results to expectations
- If results fall short, diagnose why
- Modify the plan or go back to earlier steps

**Critical insight:** Most people are better at some steps than others. Know your weaknesses and either improve them or get help from others who are strong where you're weak.

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:
- Review the provided data and context
- Identify key parameters and constraints
- Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
- Establish success criteria

### Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:
- Identify patterns and relationships
- Evaluate against established frameworks
- Consider multiple perspectives
- Document key findings

### Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:
- Synthesize insights from analysis
- Prioritize recommendations by impact
- Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
- Consider implementation feasibility

## Output Format

```markdown
## Five-Step Process: [Goal Name]

### Step 1: Goal Clarification
**Goal:** [Precise statement of what success looks like]
**Timeline:** [When]
**Success criteria:** [How you'll know you've achieved it]
**Within control:** [Yes/No, with explanation if No]

### Step 2: Problems Identified
| Problem | Type | Severity |
|---------|------|----------|
| [Problem 1] | [Skill/Resource/Environment/People/Process] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| [Problem 2] | ... | ... |

### Step 3: Root Cause Diagnosis
**Problem 1: [Name]**
- Surface symptom: [What you observe]
- Why? [First-level cause]
- Why? [Deeper cause]
- Root cause: [The actionable fundamental issue]
- Classification: [People Problem / Machine Problem]

[Repeat for each major problem]

### Step 4: Plan Design
**To address [Root Cause 1]:**
1. [Action] - [Who] - [By when]
2. [Action] - [Who] - [By when]

**To address [Root Cause 2]:**
1. [Action] - [Who] - [By when]

**Contingency:** If [obstacle], then [response]

### Step 5: Execution Framework
**Immediate actions (this week):**
- [ ] [Task 1]
- [ ] [Task 2]

**Near-term milestones:**
| Milestone | Target Date | Success Indicator |
|-----------|-------------|-------------------|
| [Milestone 1] | [Date] | [How you'll know] |

**Progress tracking:** [How and when you'll review progress]

### Summary
[2-3 sentence synthesis: the goal, the key root causes, and the core of the plan]
```

---

## Constraints

- Don't accept vague goals—push for specificity
- Don't stop at surface problems—diagnose to root causes
- Don't design solutions for symptoms—address root causes
- Don't create plans without accountability—who does what by when
- Acknowledge if the goal is outside the person's control

---

## Outputs

**Primary Output:** A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

**Format:**
```markdown
## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
```

**Example output:** See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

## Example

**Input:** "I want to get in shape but I keep failing. I've tried multiple times over the years and always fall off after a few weeks."

**Output:**



**Why this works:**

This example demonstrates the key principles of the skill in action. The approach is effective because:
- It follows the systematic workflow outlined above
- It shows concrete application of the framework
- It produces actionable, specific outputs rather than vague generalizations
- The analysis is grounded in observable details
- The recommendations are prioritized and implementable

**Alternative applications:**

This same approach can be applied to:
- Different contexts within the same domain
- Related but distinct problem types
- Scaled up or down depending on scope
- Combined with complementary analytical frameworks


## Five-Step Process: Getting in Shape

### Step 1: Goal Clarification
**Goal:** "Get in shape" is too vague. Let's define it: Achieve and maintain a consistent exercise routine (3x/week minimum) and reach a healthy body composition.
**Timeline:** Establish the routine within 8 weeks; body composition goals within 6 months
**Success criteria:**
- Exercise 3+ times per week for 8 consecutive weeks (routine established)
- Fit into target clothing / reach target weight / complete specific fitness benchmark (choose one)
**Within control:** Yes—exercise and nutrition are within your control, though results vary by individual

### Step 2: Problems Identified
| Problem | Type | Severity |
|---------|------|----------|
| "Always fall off after a few weeks" | Process | High |
| Multiple failed attempts | Process/People | High |
| Unclear what "in shape" means | Process | Medium |

### Step 3: Root Cause Diagnosis

**Problem: Falling off after a few weeks**
- Surface symptom: Stop exercising after 2-3 weeks
- Why? Motivation fades, life gets in the way
- Why? Initial motivation is based on enthusiasm, not systems
- Why? No accountability structure, no consequence for missing
- Root cause: **Reliance on motivation instead of systems and accountability**
- Classification: **Machine Problem** (the process doesn't have the right structures)

**Problem: Multiple failed attempts**
- Surface symptom: This has happened several times
- Why? Each attempt uses the same approach
- Why? Haven't diagnosed why previous attempts failed
- Root cause: **Not learning from previous failures** (no Pain + Reflection)
- Classification: **Machine Problem** (no feedback loop)

### Step 4: Plan Design

**To address "Reliance on motivation instead of systems":**
1. Schedule specific workout times in calendar as non-negotiable - You - Today
2. Identify accountability partner or hire trainer - You - This week
3. Remove friction: prep gym bag night before, choose gym near work/home - You - This week
4. Create "minimum viable workout" for low-energy days (10 min walk counts) - You - Today
5. Track streaks visibly (calendar, app) - You - Ongoing

**To address "Not learning from previous failures":**
1. Write down what specifically caused each previous failure - You - Today
2. For each cause, identify what would prevent it - You - Today
3. Build those preventions into the plan above - You - This week

**Contingency:** If you miss a workout, the rule is: never miss twice. One miss is human; two is a new habit forming.

### Step 5: Execution Framework

**Immediate actions (this week):**
- [ ] Define specific workout schedule (days/times) and put in calendar
- [ ] Text friend/family member to be accountability partner
- [ ] Write down why last 3 attempts failed
- [ ] Join gym / set up home workout space

**Near-term milestones:**
| Milestone | Target Date | Success Indicator |
|-----------|-------------|-------------------|
| First week complete | Week 1 | 3 workouts logged |
| "Never miss twice" maintained | Week 4 | No 2+ day gaps |
| Routine feels automatic | Week 8 | Going without thinking about it |

**Progress tracking:** Weekly Sunday review—did I hit 3 workouts? If not, why? What adjustment is needed?

### Summary
The goal is to establish a sustainable 3x/week exercise routine. The root cause of past failures is relying on motivation rather than systems and not learning from previous attempts. The plan creates accountability structures, removes friction, and builds in a feedback loop to catch problems early. The "never miss twice" rule is the key principle.

---

## Integration

This skill is part of the **Ray Dalio** expert persona. Use it when you have a goal and need a systematic approach to achieve it, especially when previous attempts have failed.