Difference between Vision and Goal

Key Difference: Generally, people get confused with the words, ‘vision’ and ‘goal’ but there’s a vast difference in both the terms. Vision means the ability to see, or plan something for the future. Goal is an aim or purpose to achieve or obtain.

The main difference between the two is that, 'Goals' are always specific but 'Vision' is foresight. It has a long view that how you and your organization will look like. Goals have a plan of action but vision is a dream which has a long term view. In any organization, vision and goal plays a vital role.

Dictionary.com defines ‘vision’ as:

  • The act or power of sensing  with the eyes; sight.
  • The act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the  vision of an entrepreneur.
  • An experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present, often under the influence of a divine or other agency: a heavenly messenger appearing in a vision. 
  • Something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience: The vision revealed its message.
  • A vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation: visions of wealth and glory.
 

Dictionary.com defines ‘goals’ as:

  • The result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
  • The terminal point in a race.
  • A pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated.
  • An area, basket, cage, or other object or structure toward or into which players of 
  • Various games attempt to throw, carry, kick, hit, or drive a ball, puck, etc., to score a point or points
  • The act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object.

Vision is always a future-oriented program. It is an image that what you want to create. It is not about an individual’s image, it is about what they want to become. Vision should be greater than goal and to have a vision, one has to visualize and imagine a lot of things.

Establishing a personal vision begins by asking yourself some simple, but profound question:

  • Every year how would I spend my 365 days?
  • If I could have it any way I wanted it, what would my life look like?
  • What kind of engineering or dentistry or any work would I being doing?
  • What efforts it would take to relieve my stresses and make my life fulfilled?
  • What would my economic freedom plan require?

Once you have answers for these questions, you’ll have a clear vision.

Goal is what one is determined to do so whatever he wants to achieve in his life. They are dreams with deadlines. One should clearly know if they can hit that or not. There should be a correct planning and management to reach their goals.

They are not dependent on each other, but they do have a relation to reach some where what one has planned. For a vision to be meaningful and motivating it should come by looking deep into the ideal future and according to that perspective you can set goals. When we need to set a goal, a person has to leave their past and think about the reality. However, in order to create an effective vision, one has to free himself with the current reality and think in terms of possibilities.

Image Courtesy: valvai.com, teamaltman.com

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