Rethinking Goal Management: Distinguishing Tasks from Goals

Hello everyone!

Recently, I was asked a question about goal management that stopped me in my tracks. It wasn't your typical inquiry about "how do you set goals?" but rather something that dug much deeper. Initially, it seemed to be about goals, but as I pondered the question more deeply, I realized it was actually about tasks—and knowing the difference between the two is crucial.

The Crucial Distinction

This epiphany made me realize how often we confuse the two, which can lead us astray in our pursuit of success. Tasks are like the plays we execute in a football game—they’re the strategic actions we take to move the ball up the field. The actual goal, however, is scoring a touchdown and winning the game.

In our professional and personal lives, when we break down each task, it's crucial to review the play: what worked, what didn't, and how we can refine our strategy to make the next play more effective.

For instance, consider a common scenario: you go to a networking mixer with the task of meeting three new people. This task, while valuable, is not the end goal. The goal is to build a network. Each interaction is a play on the field; not every play scores, but each is crucial to eventually scoring the goal of building a valuable network that enhances your professional or personal growth.

The Risk of Misalignment

When we mistakenly set tasks as our goals, we risk losing sight of what we're actually aiming for, or worse, we end up with a constantly moving goalpost. Goals represent our longer focus, but don't have the micro-reviews necessary to make changes in the play. And while our game may change from running to passing to get there, our focus remains steadfast on the endzone. Misalignment occurs when we overly congratulate ourselves merely for completing a play—like meeting new people at a mixer—without ensuring these steps contribute to a larger, meaningful outcome.

To effectively manage our efforts and truly succeed, it's essential to define our tasks and goals clearly:

• Task: Meet three new people at a networking event.

• Goal: Build a network that can offer support, insights, and opportunities for collaboration and growth.

  
  

By keeping our eye on the actual goal, we can better strategize our tasks and ensure that each step taken is meaningful and purposeful. It also allows us to set better metrics for success. For the task, success might be simply having engaging conversations with new contacts. For the goal, success is measured by how these new contacts fit into and enhance your broader network, how they contribute to your professional growth, and how they assist in achieving your long-term objectives.

This method of differentiating and focusing ensures that we don’t just keep moving the ball up the field but also score the touchdowns that matter most in our lives.

Let's not just perform tasks; let's achieve goals that propel us towards true success.

Smash That Goal!