Many people confuse the definition of a goal with an objective or purpose, and even with a dream or aspiration. It is important to recognize the differences between these concepts in each area in which they can be developed.
For example, there are personal goals, business goals, and social goals. All are characterized by determining elements, but internally they function in the same way. Therefore, in order to establish what a goal is, we are going to present its functionality in two key points: personal goals and organizational goals.
On a personal level, an individual needs to consecutively set goals to achieve their particular objectives. In the same way, the strategic management of companies is based on the definition and coordination of goals in correlation with the objectives and purpose of the organization. Regarding the social, the economic and political systems of a country also define specific goals to achieve objectives of social transformation.
There are many types of goals and each one can be intensely different, since they will always depend on the aspirations or dreams of each person or company that is considering them. For example, a personal goal may be to lose weight and a business goal to increase sales for this year.
So that you no longer have any doubts about the definition of goal, we will explain to you what are the differences between goal, purpose, objective and dream; We will describe its characteristics and we will develop each type of goal with practical examples so that you can better assimilate all this information.
Continue reading and you will discover why it is so important to set goals in personal and business life? What are the risks of confusing a goal with a dream? And how to define goals consistent with the purpose you have?
A goal refers to the specific end or result that is expected after taking an action or moving on a path; that is, it is about what you hope to achieve or achieve through a certain process. All organizations, individuals and groups in general, outline defined goals based on instruction patterns that will help make them a reality.
The term meta comes from the Latin language. In this language, it designated a succession of cones that were located at each end of a racetrack, in Roman circuses. These cones marked where the beginning was and specified the end of the space of the trajectory that the participants had to travel.
What is an objective?
It was from this original use that we saw the term goal that the word became a metaphor to represent the place that an action is expected to reach. The objective is what you want to achieve, which has to be very clear before defining the goals.
There are many ways to interpret goals. In Western culture, the achievement of individual goals is very important; topics such as individual happiness are prioritized. While, in oriental culture, collective or social goals are prioritized, although the fulfillment of individual goals is closely related to it.
The main difference between goal and objective is the specific nature of the objective, what do I want to achieve?; while the goal is characterized by being the succession of actions that lead you to achievement, that is, the How?
What is planning?
For goals to work they have to be organized strategically. The sequential determination of goals is known as planning; while and the fulfillment of the goals in the established time is called efficiency.
This terminology is used more than anything in the corporate language of the different organizations. However, it can be used in personal terms as well. Strategic planning is a means of business or organizational management; which allows specifying the trajectory of a society and the aspirations to achieve the objectives that have been created.
In the process of planning the goals, several strategies are specified, taking into account the exchanges and the demands that their environment or context requires. In this sense, it is an essential tool for making internal decisions in any organization.
It must be viable
There is no unattainable goal. Therefore, the trajectory must be feasible. For this, it is important to determine the viability of the goal, considering the elements that can intervene in the trajectory.
If the intervening elements can hinder reaching the goal by 80%, the goal has a low feasibility index; therefore, it would be advisable to reformulate the goal or consider specific strategies to deal with these elements.
For example, if your personal goal is to lose weight, one of your strategies may be to exercise daily. However, if you suffer from a physical difficulty or chronic illness that prevents you from exercising, you will have to consider another option, such as modifying your eating habits more rigidly.
Must be measurable
Each goal must be part of a systematization of evaluable actions. In order to be evaluated in each process, they must be measurable. In other words, a goal must be able to calculate you in terms of measurement, in relation to the starting point and its evolution in the trajectory. Otherwise, you could not know when it will be fulfilled.
In order to measure the evolution of a goal in its trajectory, there are many instruments. It all depends on the scope or environment in which the goal is developed. For example, it can be through a quantitative or qualitative record of achievements; furthermore, the method of measurement will also depend on the nature of the goal.
For example, if your personal goal is to learn a language, you can measure at what evolutionary level you are through a test that tells you how much vocabulary and grammar rules you have learned in the new language. Of course, in proportional relation to how much you need to fully master the language.
Must have a deadline
Every goal must be able to be met in a specific period of time, because it cannot be perpetual. The period of time is closely related to the viability of its realization. Therefore, it is important to get a good idea of the period or periods of time that each goal will need to be accomplished.
Generally, the ranking of goals is determined based on time. That is, the types of goals are organized according to the term that corresponds to be achieved. Goals can be categorized as short-term, medium-term, or long-term.
Tips
In relation to the time they will require to be achieved, the goals can be classified as short, medium and long term:
- Short term: they are those that demand a shorter period of time to be able to be carried out, which can be days, weeks, months or even a year, everything will depend on the objective. Generally, short-term goals are transitory; In addition, because they are of such a short scope, they are not effectively evaluable in terms of measurement, but rather are considered to have been achieved or not.
- In the medium term: they are those that need a sustained effort in the trajectory during a certain time to be able to be carried out. Generally, they are plotted over months or years; therefore, one of the most important criteria to evaluate is the sustainability of the systems used to execute the actions.
- In the long term: these kinds of goals need a longer period of time to be able to materialize. Generally, it goes from years to decades and even 30 years, but not a lifetime. In order to evaluate the trajectory of a long-term goal, it is important to take into account sustainability, viability and feasibility in its future realization.
Why is it important to set goals?
Every entrepreneur, every human being and every company that wants to be successful in life needs to set goals. Without goals you cannot develop a plan to achieve your dreams, nor develop your purpose in life.
Organizing your life plans into goals, focusing on specific tasks, will guarantee the right path towards what you intend to achieve, using your skills and knowledge in a disciplined way. Strategic planning is your map; without a map you can get lost on the way to your dreams.
But, what is a dream? A dream is a desire that does not have a defined action plan to achieve it; in other words, it is a fantasy. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth, things don’t change just by dreaming them, the dream becomes something actionable when it becomes a purpose.
What is a purpose? It is why you want to achieve a goal. The goal gives you the clue towards the objective, while the objective leads you to develop your purpose. The objective is defined, the goals are achieved with an action plan and the purpose is developed. Here is the importance of goals, because without an action plan, how do you know where to go?
The risk of confusing a goal with a dream
Remember, the objective refers to being clear about what you want to achieve; the goal projects that objective to you, certifying that your objective was achieved. On the other hand, the purpose reveals the usefulness of what you are going to get, that is, what you really want it for.
So dreams are not part of the action plan to really reach a goal. The term dreams is confused with objective and that is why the goals are never adequately defined. That is why many times people get frustrated, because they reach goals that are not really useful for what they really want to achieve.
Dreams have no real foundation, goals do. Therefore, in reality you do not set dreams but goals. Dreams are beautiful illusions, but since they lack an action plan, they are generally not achievable.
A practical example
What do you want?
Objective: Achieve personal financial stability.
What will certify you that you achieved the objective?
Goal: Face expenses, both planned and unexpected, without falling into debt.
How to achieve it?
Strategy: Reduce or evade financial risk.
What do you want it for?
Purpose: Maintain the well-being of my family and achieve a better quality of life.