The Power Behind Every Goal, That Gives Our Life Real Meaning...

I was having a discussion with a young friend of mine recently that revolved around setting the right kind of goals. She was planning a change in career direction, but wasn’t quite sure how she should ‘adjust’ her goals.

I naturally asked what her motives were behind making the move, and what she now thought her ‘purpose’ to be. I was inferring that there had to be something more fundamental at work here, since she was both taking a risk and leaving a role (and company) that she had often talked about really enjoying.

She then asked a great question: ‘So what’s the real difference then between having a goal and having a purpose?’

I think she knew the answer (most of us can come up with a reasonable explanation for what the difference is), but she was also teasing out a deeper discussion about it.

It got me thinking. I had often talked about the importance of having a purpose, but I had rarely been asked to explain it…

Goals vs Purpose

Having goals, in my view, is very important. Without a goal or goals, it’s a bit like having a bow and arrow but without a target to shoot at - we are simply not going to hit anything. People who don’t have goals tend to live ‘aimless’ lives when it comes to their careers.

But the definition of a goal can also vary substantially, depending on who you talk to.

I have met many world-class athletes who speak about the goals they meticulously create for themselves - setting the big ones first (such as winning an Olympic gold medal) and then breaking these down into the smaller goals required to eventually reach the principal one(s).

But I have also met many, especially in the performing arts, who have said that they have never set themselves any goals at all, except to deliver whatever is in front of them, to the very best of their ability. Although this may present less of a target to shoot at, it is still a goal. Creating the ‘best version of you’ and always performing to the best of your abilities are still significant goals to set.

Many have also expressed how goals are vital because they help us to track our progress. Unless we set ourselves clear benchmarks, we will not be able to measure exactly how well we are performing or how much we are improving.

So, while goals can be defined as the objectives we set ourselves around what we need to do, purpose provides the ‘why’ we are doing what we want to do.

When we have a purpose behind what we do, it makes the goals we set far more meaningful. While goals are practical, purpose is much more fundamental.

So what then do we mean by purpose?

While our goals tend to be more selfish - and I don’t mean that in a negative sense -our purpose (when we have one) tends to align with the impact we desire to make on others and the wider world.

While goals define our direction and destination, purpose acts as our compass, helping us to align our goals with the impact we want to make.

If we want to pursue a particular career because we care about other people and their welfare (such as Medicine or Biomedical Science, for example), that’s a true purpose because we want to make an impact through the work we’re able to deliver.

But if we want to become a musician, because we dream of a ‘pop-star lifestyle’, that is certainly not a purpose! If we dream about creating beautiful music that people will love to listen to, and how we want to entertain a room full of people when we perform for them, and make them happy, that’s a purpose.

But even an Olympic athlete’s goal to become the best in the world (which might seem like a relatively selfish pursuit) can be truly purposeful because of how their individual success has the power to impact others. Sport both entertains and inspires others to excel.

So, purpose is where we look outward; what impact can we make on people’s lives? What value can we add to the world?

Lando Norris has just won the 2025 Formula One World Championship after an extraordinarily spectacular season. During his main TV interview after the race, he talked emotionally about how much he simply loves making people happy with his performance and his success on the track.

Winning the World Championship was his primary goal, but entertaining and inspiring millions around the world has always been a real purpose for him… and it showed.

For anyone who aspires to enjoy a successful career and life, setting goals is a crucial part of creating direction and the benchmarks needed to achieve this.

Having a purpose, however, gives meaning to our lives and ultimately is likely to become our primary source of fulfilment.

I will leave you with a few words from Sir Keith Mills, the hugely respected entrepreneur who founded Airmiles and Nectar Card, and who successfully led the bid to bring the 2012 Olympic Games to the UK in 2012.