Vision vs. Goals vs. Objectives

by Rick
(Chicago)

What is the difference between your vision and your goals? Your goals vs. your objectives?

Kell's response:

Hi Rick

The foundation of personal or company goal setting success is having a clear vision of what you want and take purposeful steps to achieve it.

This is the idea of cascading of organizational vision, goals and objectives.

Many companies have a vision of their preferred future.

Fore example "We will sell the best lemonade in the world by exceeding our customers expectations?

At the personal level a vision is also a picture of what you want to achieve. This preferred picture describes what your personal future looks like.

Basically it is a statement that describes the ultimate aims.

Personal goal setting creates a bridge between today?s vision and tomorrow?s reality.

A goal is an ultimate aim. It is the destination that you are aiming for and what you need to do to get there.

For example, "I want to be millionaire by the time I am 40 is a goal" or "I want to lose 5 pounds by the end of the month" is a goal.

It has a clearly articulated target and timeline.

Hopefully when you set goals, those goals articulte a vision that is based on the values that you or your company hold.

Objectives can be thought of as the stepping stones to achieving goals. They are also known as short-term goals. Objectives that follow the principles of SMART goals are most likely to be achieved.

These goal setting templates help you to break down long-term goals to short-term goals.


By having a vision that cascades into goals and objectives allows you to bring the abstract to the concrete and create steps to achieve what you are aiming for.

This is done through planning and constant monitoring.

Wishing you the best,

Kell