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Tasks vs Goals

17 December 2012

Whilst preparing our Business Life radio show last week, I chatted with Julie Bishop (my co-host) about the difference between goals and tasks and how some people confuse the two.

If a goal is to reach the top of a mountain, then climbing for an hour is a task.

If a goal is to grow our business to a certain size then a task is to sell more units.

Without clear goals to keep us pointing in the right direction we might get lost amongst the tasks on our to-do list and forget where we were trying to reach.

Now, I know this is day-one content of any business course and yet I wonder how many of us confuse goals with tasks?

One goal that I reached this year was to publish my fifth book. Tick. Only taken me 10 years …but well worth the effort!

I now have a contract for book six, which is in the planning stage. However, I’m aware that I need a new goal, or my writing could just become a repetitive task.

I’ve decided that my next goal (and book six is a task to help get me there) is to have my own national BBC radio show. I love radio and I’m good at it and am sure my style will find a home there somewhere.

So, that’s my goal: BBC.

Everything else is a task that gets me closer to my goal.

What’s your goal? Do tell me! If we name and share our goals then we’re more likely to make them happen!