Key Takeaways:
- Distinguishing Goals and Objectives: goals are long-term achievements while objectives are specific steps to reach those goals.
- Three Types of Goals: time, focus, and topic-based goals are not mutually exclusive and can coexist.
- SMART Plan Strategy: use SMART plan (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Responsible, Time-bound) for goal achievement, emphasizing accountability and planning.
Editor’s Note:This article was originally published in 2014 and has been comprehensively updated for 2026 to reflect the latest research in behavioral science and organizational productivity.
The "New Year, New You" energy is in full swing. Now that we’ve officially stepped into 2026, many of us have spent the last week outlining big ambitions for the months ahead. But as the initial excitement of January 1st begins to settle, the challenge of execution begins.
Goals can be a tricky thing. Set a bad goal and you could end up wasting time and energy. Set the wrong goal and you could end up in a situation you really didn't want. In fact, a staggering 91% of people who set New Year's goals fail to achieve them by the time the calendar turns. (The Ohio State University, 2023).
To ensure you stay within that successful 9% this year, it is vital to understand the structural difference between a vision and a roadmap.
The difference between goals and objectives
- Goals are long-term achievements. They're usually future-focused and don't include actual steps to accomplish them. For example, a company might say they have a goal "to be number one in customer satisfaction." That’s the goal, but it doesn't outline how they will get there.
- Objectives are the specific achievements that help you reach the goal. Typically, they're measurable and have a timeline. If we use the example above, an objective might be "to improve customer satisfaction scores by 5 points each quarter." This distinction matters: employees who use structured objectives are 14.2 times more likely to feel inspired by their work (Bi Worldwide, 2025).
Example: Learning to Code
Goal: "I want to learn how to code well enough to attend a hackathon." There's no way I'm going to learn coding overnight, so it's a long-term goal. It's future focused and doesn't have any specific steps on how I plan to achieve the goal.
Objective: "I'm going to download the Hopscotch app to my iPad and complete one activity a day." This is very specific - download an app and complete one activity a day. (BTW, if you have a secret goal like me to learn a bit about coding, check out the Hopscotch app.)
Knowing the difference between goals and objectives will help you develop achievable goals.
Three types of goals
Now comes the fun part: actually establishing your goals. Generally, they fall into three types:
- Time-Based Goals: These are the ones we refer to as short-term or long-term. An example would be having a short-term goal of learning how to make a roux with a long-term goal of learning how to make gumbo.
- Focus Goals: These remind me of a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal). It's the one thing driving the majority of your decisions. For instance, I had a goal to write a book. It was a huge endeavor that impacted many of my personal and professional decisions.
- Topic Goals: These can be personal, professional, career, or financial. Maybe you want to save a certain amount of money or complete a leadership program.
Time, focus, and topic goals are not mutually exclusive. We can have short-term financial goals that support a personal BHAG.
Using a SMART plan
After establishing your goals, you have to create a plan to make them happen. Think of the plan as creating a series of objectives. I'm a big fan of using SMART plans, but as we move into 2026, the definition of the acronym has evolved to meet the needs of a more complex work environment.
Specific: What is the specific goal you're trying to accomplish? Be as detailed as possible!
Measurable: How can you measure your success? Think about how you will know when you've hit the finish line.
Actionable: What are the tiny steps (aka objectives) needed? Break the goal down and list every step.
Relevant (The 2026 Update): In older versions, "R" often stood for "Responsible." But today, the most critical question is: Is this goal relevant? Does it align with your broader vision? This is a major pain point, as only 32% of employees feel strongly connected to their organization's mission or purpose (Gallup, 2025). If the goal isn't relevant to your "North Star," you're just busy, not productive.
Time-bound: When do you want to achieve this?
Whenever I have a goal, I outline it on a sheet of paper and post it on my office wall. It’s staring me in the face every day! Having a written plan works: research by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those who don't. Even better, those who send weekly progress updates to a friend have a 76% success rate (Dominican University)
Goal setting and business success
Goal Setting and Business Success
In 2026, goal setting isn’t just a management "to-do"—it is a survival mechanism. However, the secret isn't just in the setting of the goal, but in the frequency of the follow-up. A 2026 OKR statistics review reports that companies conducting weekly OKR check-ins achieve 43% higher goal-completion rates than those only checking in quarterly (OKRs Tool, 2026). This highlights a critical shift in modern business: success is driven by the frequency of review and agile execution, rather than just the initial plan.
Small goals lead to big accomplishments. Short-term goals create long-term achievements. Professional goals can help us realize our personal goals. So, what are your goals for this year? It's time to make things happen.
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