Rethinking the goal setting process

Yesterday, I talked about mission, vision and purpose statements. Today. I'm continuing in a similar vein.

We're going to talk about goals, dreams and wishes, and what they mean. You may have heard this one before:

But how true is it? And what are the differences between the three?

From Time Thoughts:

Wishes

In Achieve Planner, we use the concept of wishes to capture things that you potentially desire or want without having to commit to actually doing them. This is an important distinction because it allows you to brainstorm freely about the things you want without your judgments regarding how/when to accomplish them getting in the way.

Use a Wish List

Your wish list is the list of everything that you may need, want or desire someday, but that you are not actively pursuing at this time. You can build your wish list first, and then prioritize and decide which of these wishes to pursue further.

When you find a wish that you really want to accomplish, you simply convert it into a dream or goal. If you find a wish that you no longer need or want, simply demote it (give it a low priority) and choose something else instead.

Difference Between Dreams and Goals

Dreams are your ultimate destination, while goals are the intermediate stops along the way. Dreams represent what you want and why, while goals represent your plan to get you there.

And from Time Management Ninja, here are 10 Big Differences Between Goals and Dreams That You Must Know:

1. Goals are something you are acting on. Dreams are something you are just thinking about. Goals require action. Dreams can happen without lifting a finger, even while you are asleep.
2. Goals have deadlines. Dreams are just, well, dreams. Goals must have a deadline. They have a time limit. Dreams can go on forever. In fact, many people maintain dreams their entire lives without ever reaching them.
3. Dreams are free. Goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals don’t come without a price. Time, money, effort and sweat. How will you pay for your goals?
4. Goals produce results. Dreams don’t. Want to change your life? Your job? Your status in life? Goals can do that. A good friend of mine made six-figures on the ebook he published. He did that. Had it stayed as a dream, his life would have been as it always was.
5. Dreams are imaginary. Goals are based in reality. You may dream of being Superman, but that is probably not going to happen. Goals are about what you can actually accomplish. They are grounded in the reality of our world. Goals should be big, but not supernatural.
6. Goals have a finish line. Dreams never have to end. Dreams can go on forever. They don’t have to have an ending point. Goals must have a specific outcome.
7. Dreams can inspire you. Goals can change your life. Dreams can bring you motivation. They can inspire you. But, goals can change your life forever.
8. Goals must have focus. Dreams don’t. Dreams can be drifting, ever-changing thoughts. Goals must be laser-focused. They must be specific and they must be always on your mind.
9. Goals require hard work. Dreams just require your imagination. Dreaming is easy. Almost everyone has a dream. But, fewer people have goals. Goals are hard and they require hard work. (See #3)
10. Dreams stretch your imagination. Goals stretch you. Dreaming leads to bigger dreams. They stretch the limits of your imagination. But, goals stretch you. They increase your skills, your abilities, and change you forever

Here's more on the difference between wishes and dreams from Medium:

In life, there is a very close similarity between ‘Dreams’ and ‘Wishes’. However, ‘Dreams’ are more complex than ‘wishes’. While dreams are active, wishes are passive. We are not talking about dreams as in sleeping. We are talking about being ambitious to achieve something in the future.

Dreams usually bring about a course-of-action which gives you the mentality and the drive to aspire for something. It makes you set goals and gives you definition of purpose which enables you to work hard towards your goal. It also serves as a focal point of your life. As a popular saying that goes thus: “a journey without destination is like an animal without house.” It is your dream that gives you the passion you need to achieve your desired goal. It serves as a marker of where you intend to be in the future.

Wishes can just be a fantasy, such as wishing you could fly, wishing you were invisible, taller or shorter, better looking, etc. There are lots of things we can wish for that can never come true. But there are other things that we wish for that could come true, such as taking a trip to a foreign country, learning to speak a foreign language, having a million dollars. If we really want something, we can start dreaming about it...fleshing out the idea, imagining what it feels like, tastes like, smells like, etc. Then if we still want it, we can develop a plan to get it.

We'll go more into goals, dreams and wishes tomorrow...including the bucket list. As well as introducing the idea of outcomes. Then hopefully we'll tie it all together.

Interesting days

Today - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

Tomorrow - World Theater Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day, Spanish Paella Day and Manatee Appreciation Day

Next Tuesday - Ferret Day, Children’s Book Day, Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Love Your Produce Manager Day and World Autism Day

April 26 - Hug an Australian Day, Pretzel Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Alien Day, Help A Horse Day, Richter Scale Day and International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day