Here is what dictionary.com says:
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1.(in football, soccer, rugby, hockey, and some other games) a pair of posts linked by a crossbar and often with a net attached behind it, forming a space into or over which the ball has to be sent in order to score.
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2.the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.“going to law school has become the most important goal in his life”
synonyms: objective, aim, end, target, design, intention, intent, plan, purpose;
The object of a person’s ambition or effort, an aim or desired result. So, does ‘I wish my my marriage was better’ qualify as a goal? How about, “I will make more time for my spouse’?
Have you heard of the SMART system
Specific = What do you want? House, car, job, write a book, stronger marriage, better relationships
Measurable = Can you measure it? Time, dollars, milestones
Attainable = Do you have the resources to achieve it? Time, money, space
Realistic = Can you really reach that goal? I can’t sing, so no matter how much I might want to have a goal of opera singer, it will never happen.
Timed = Set a deadline or date it will be achieved by
I love what informationanthology.net says: “Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.” According to those definitions, a dream exists only in the mind while a goal exists in the mind but is planned and it has a determined deadline. The first step to create a goal is to have a clear vision of your dream.
Wow. A dream is only in the mind while a goal is planned and has a deadline. If your goal is to be more gentle towards your spouse or children and you think about it and want it, but don’t do anything to move towards it or set a deadline to achieve it, then it is simply a dream.
I want to be a writer, but don’t ever do anything towards it. It’s a dream.
I want to be a writer and make a goal of writing two new blog posts a week. That’s a dream with an action plan! That makes it a goal.
I love to write about family, scrapbooking, goal setting and encouraging others. I’ll write on Monday and Thursday. It’s a plan with a deadline.
Do you have dreams?
Do you have any goals you are working towards? I would love to hear from you.
