Hopes and Wishes and Goals, Oh My!

How is a goal different from a wish or hope? First of all, let’s look at how they are similar. Each one is a good thing to have, and each concerns something we would like to see happen in the future.

A wish or hope is something we long for, like children wishing on a star or a birthday wish when we blow out the candles on a cake. But it is not likely to be something we think about very much. And, if it should happen to come true, we may think of it as a miracle, something we might need a “fairy godmother” to grant.

Goals, however, are much different. Goals cause us to focus our energies, very much like a goal in hockey or football. They are very specific, achievable and measurable. A clearly stated goal helps us to tune into our environment. We become very sensitive to things we may not have noticed before that can help us do what we want to do, get where we want to be.

Here is the most important part: goals are much more likely to happen than wishes or hopes, because they are so specific and because we think about them so much. We write them down, develop action strategies to help us make them happen, and we take them very seriously.

Do you have any wishes or hopes that you would really like to see come true? If so, why not turn them into goals and take accountability for accomplishing them? You will be surprised at how your life will change once you do. There is an incredible sense of satisfaction when a goal is achieved, as well as the knowledge that you have the energy and creativity to do it again, and again.