A new year lies ahead. Take a moment to make a list of your top three life goals. These can be in any areas of your life – a new career position, healthy body, new car, exotic vacation, you name it!
You may not realize it, but most of the things that are on your list aren’t actually goals, but strategies.
Goal vs. Strategy
So what’s the difference, exactly, between a goal and a strategy?
A goal is the feeling you ultimately want from the thing you’re seeking. Ask yourself, “How will I feel when this happens?” The answer to that question becomes your new goal.
A strategy, then, is the path required to get there. Your strategies could include action steps, milestones, or events that need to happen in order for you to achieve that goal.
When you’re clear on the difference between your goals and strategies, you’ll be more in touch with the big-picture purpose of what you’re striving for.
Most of us keep pushing toward the goals and then don’t understand why we’re not satisfied or happy once we achieve them. Redefining your goals according to how you want to feel is the best way to achieve them.
Rewrite your goals so that they evoke a feeling, not just an action step or something you hope will happen.
Once you get in touch with what your goals truly are—that is, how you want to ultimately feel, you will realize that the strategies you listed aren’t the only ways to achieve that goal.
So what is a big goal you want to go after? And what is the strategy?
Happy New Year!
