What is the Difference Between a Goal and a Task?

One thing that comes up when I am coaching clients, is the difference between a goal and a task. So, in this post I wanted to share –

• What is a Goal?
• What is a Task?
• What is the Difference Between a Goal and a Task?

Let’s get started!

What is a Goal?

The definitions of goals I discovered were –

• “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.” ~ Google and Oxford Dictionaries
• “the end toward which effort is directed.” ~ Merriam-Webster Dictionaries
• “an aim or purpose” ~ Cambridge Dictionary
• “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed” ~ Dictionary.com

Generally goals follow the SMART process – S for Specific, M for Measurable, A for Achievable, R for Relevant and T for Time-Based. An example of a goal would be doing your black belt in karate or creating a book (and aligning them to the SMART process).

What is a Task?

The are many definitions of tasks including –

• “a piece of work to be done or undertaken.” ~ Google
• “usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time” ~ Merriam-Webster.com
• “A task is an activity or piece of work which you have to do, usually as part of a larger project.” ~ Collins Dictionary
• “something that you have to do, often something that is difficult or unpleasant” ~ Macmillan Dictionary

A task is something that needs to be done and they are generally short and small. For example – buy groceries, call a friend for their birthday or enter your receipts into accounting software.

What is the Difference Between a Goal and a Task?

As you can see by the above, the key difference between a goal and a task is –

• a goal is what you want to DO or ACHIEVE (i.e. the bigger picture), and
• a task is the small steps you do to move towards the GOAL.

Another way I have learnt to identify the difference between a goal and a task is identifying how I feel when something is completed. When I complete a task, I generally feel relieved and when I finish a goal, I feel greater joy.

Questions for Reflection –

The following questions might help you get a sense of the differences between a goal and a task –

1. How will you feel when you complete the task or goal? If it is relief, for me it is a task, if it is greater joy, it is a goal 🙂
2. Have you tried combining goals and tasks? If so, feel free to share your insights below!

Over to You…

I hope this post has helped you identify the difference between a goal and a task. If you have any further questions, please comment below.

If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and opening your heart, why not join our Toolkit?