Intentions Vs Goals: What’s The Difference?

Picture this: You’ve just achieved something you’ve been gunning for forever. Maybe you finally landed that job you’ve been dreaming about since college, or you stepped on the scale and saw the number you’ve been working towards for months. Or perhaps you’re standing in the living room of your very first house, keys still warm in your hand. You should be over the moon, right? But instead, there’s this… emptiness. This nagging feeling that something’s missing. If you’re nodding along, thinking, “Yeah, that sounds familiar,” well, join the club. A lot of us have been there, checking off our life’s to-do list only to find that the satisfaction we were banking on is playing hard to get.

The Tug-of-War Between Future Goals and Present Happiness

This whole situation shines a light on a pretty big conflict in the world of personal growth: the tug-of-war between our future-focused goals and our present-day happiness. We get so caught up in the “what’s next” that we forget to enjoy the “what’s now” or make sure our actions line up with what really matters to us. But here’s a thought: What if there was a way to bridge this gap? To chase our dreams without losing sight of what makes life worth living right now?

Enter the concept of mixing goals with intentions. It’s like taking the concrete, measurable nature of goals and blending it with the present-focused, value-driven approach of intentions. The result? A more balanced, fulfilling path to personal growth. This mash-up lets us not only reach for the stars but also find joy and meaning in our day-to-day lives.

Decoding Goals and Intentions: What’s the Difference?

Now, let’s break this down a bit. What exactly are we talking about when we say goals and intentions?

Goals are like the destination on a road trip. They’re specific outcomes we’re aiming for, usually with a clear finish line and a deadline. Think “lose 20 pounds by beach season” or “get that promotion within two years.” They’re the stuff of vision boards and New Year’s resolutions.

Intentions, on the other hand, are more like the mood music for your journey. They’re about how you want to be or feel, rather than what you want to achieve. Maybe it’s “prioritize self-care in my daily routine” or “approach challenges with patience and curiosity.” They’re less about the finish line and more about how you run the race.

The main differences? Goals are often about external achievements and future results, while intentions focus on internal states and the present moment. Goals are usually easier to measure (Did you lose the 20 pounds or not?), while intentions are more fluid and open to interpretation.

Both have their place in personal growth:

• Goals give us direction and a kick in the pants when we need it. They’re the North Star that keeps us moving forward.
• Intentions help us stay true to ourselves and enjoy the process, not just the end result. They’re the compass that makes sure we’re heading in the right direction.

By understanding these differences, we can start to see how goals and intentions can work together. Goals give us a destination, while intentions make sure we’re traveling in a way that feels right to us.

The Pitfalls of Goal Obsession: Sarah’s Story

Now, here’s the thing about focusing too much on goals: it can sometimes backfire. Always chasing the next big thing can lead to burnout faster than you can say “productivity hack.” You might find yourself hitting your targets but feeling empty inside, or so focused on the future that you forget to enjoy the present.

Take Sarah, for instance. She’s not just a corporate climber. She’s a 32-year-old marketing exec who still feels like an imposter most days. She grew up in a blue-collar family in Detroit, the first to go to college. Her Northwestern degree and tech company job in Chicago are points of pride, but also sources of guilt. She calls her mom every Sunday, usually while meal-prepping sad-looking chicken and broccoli for the week.

Sarah’s 60-hour workweeks aren’t just about ambition. They’re a coping mechanism, a way to outrun the nagging fear that she doesn’t really belong in this world of ping-pong tables and cold brew on tap. Her friends don’t just joke about her being married to her job – they’ve mostly stopped inviting her out.

When she misses her sister’s baby shower, it’s not just because of work. It’s because baby showers make her think about her own ticking biological clock and the fact that her love life consists of sporadic Hinge dates that go nowhere.

Landing the Director of Digital Marketing role should feel like vindication. Instead, as she stares at her reflection in her office window at 9 PM on a Friday, she wonders if she’s been chasing the wrong thing all along. The VP position catches her eye not because she wants it, but because she doesn’t know how else to measure her worth.

The Power of Intentions: Tom’s Journey

This is where intentions come in handy. They can help us:

• Bounce back better when life throws us a curveball
• Appreciate what’s happening right now instead of always looking ahead
• Stay connected to what really matters to us

Think about Tom. He isn’t your stereotypical tech bro. He’s a 28-year-old software engineer with a slight stutter and an obsession with tropical fish. His Austin apartment is more aquarium than living space. He names each fish and swears they have personalities.

Tom’s startup dream wasn’t just about success. It was about proving something to his dad, who still doesn’t really understand what Tom does for a living. “So you… type stuff?” his dad asks every Thanksgiving.

His project management app was born out of frustration with his own ADHD. He thought if he could just make task management more like caring for his fish tanks – a system of interdependent parts that need regular, small attentions – he could help people like him.

When the startup flops, it’s not just 18 months of work down the drain. It’s a dream deferred. But as he’s packing up the office, giving away the bean bags and selling the foosball table, he realizes he’s not devastated. He thinks about the late-night coding sessions fueled by nothing but passion and gas station coffee, the rush of solving a particularly tricky bug, the laughs shared with his small team. He’s proud of what they built, even if no one else will ever use it.

Tom decided to “approach work with creativity and enthusiasm.” Even when his startup idea flopped, he didn’t feel like a failure. Why? Because every day, he was living out his intention to be creative and enthusiastic. The journey itself became rewarding, regardless of the destination.

The Magic of Integrating Goals and Intentions: Maria’s Quest

When we bring goals and intentions together, some pretty cool things can happen:

1. We stay motivated even when the going gets tough.
2. We enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
3. We create a more consistent sense of satisfaction and purpose.

Let’s look at Maria. She isn’t just another eco-conscious entrepreneur. She’s a 35-year-old former fast fashion buyer with a closet full of clothes she now feels guilty about. Her Los Angeles apartment is a peculiar mix of high-end designer pieces from her previous life and thrift store finds as she transitions to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Her sustainable fashion brand idea was born in the midst of a panic attack in a Chinese factory, surrounded by mountains of discarded fabric. She’d flown there to oversee production for a major retailer, and the sight of all that waste hit her like a punch to the gut.

Starting over isn’t easy. Maria’s parents, immigrants who saw her fast-fashion career as the American Dream realized, don’t understand why she’d give up a six-figure salary to “make clothes out of bamboo.” She hasn’t told them she’s dipping into her 401(k) to fund this venture.

Every small victory – finding a supplier of deadstock fabric, convincing a boutique to carry her first collection – is tempered by setbacks. The organic cotton shipment that arrives late? It got held up in customs because of a paperwork error she made. The investor who backs out? It’s her former boss, who takes one look at her business plan and says, “Oh honey, you’re in over your head.”

But on the days when it all feels too hard, when she’s tempted to call her old boss and beg for her job back, she remembers why she started this. She looks at the mood board in her tiny home office, full of images of clear streams and happy workers, and she gets back to work.

Maria pairs her goal of starting a sustainable fashion brand with intentions like “learn and grow from every experience” and “create value for others while respecting the planet.” This approach not only keeps her motivated towards her goal but also helps her find meaning in the day-to-day grind of building her business. Even on days when everything seems to go wrong, she can still feel good about living her intentions.

Putting It Into Practice: Steps to Integrate Goals and Intentions

But how do we actually put this into practice? Here are some concrete steps:

1. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of “get in shape,” try “run a 5K race in under 30 minutes by June 30th.”
2. Craft meaningful intentions: Reflect on your values. What qualities do you want to embody? Frame these as present-tense statements like “I approach challenges with curiosity and resilience.”
3. Use the “Be-Do-Have” model:
   • Be: Set an intention for who you want to be.
   • Do: Identify actions (goals) that align with this way of being.
   • Have: The results will naturally follow.
4. Create a vision board that includes both your goals and your intentions. This keeps both aspects front and center in your mind.
5. Start each day with a quick intention-setting ritual. Ask yourself, “How can I live out my intentions today?”
6. Regularly check in during goal-oriented activities. Ask yourself, “Am I pursuing this goal in a way that aligns with my intentions?”

The Journey, Not Just the Destination

Remember, integrating goals and intentions isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. Each day is a new opportunity to align your actions with your intentions and move steadily towards your goals. It’s about crafting a life that feels authentic and purposeful, both in the big moments and the small ones.

So, why not give it a shot? Take a moment to think about your current goals. How do they line up with what really matters to you? What intentions can you set to make pursuing these goals more meaningful and enjoyable?

Maybe you want to advance in your career. That’s your goal. But perhaps you also want to be a person who values work-life balance and contributes positively to their community. Those could be your intentions. As you work towards that promotion, you might also volunteer at a local non-profit or make sure you’re home for dinner with your family most nights. This way, you’re not just climbing the ladder, you’re building a life that feels good every step of the way.

Or perhaps you’re aiming to get in shape. Instead of just focusing on a number on the scale, you might set an intention to treat your body with kindness and respect. This could mean celebrating small victories, like choosing a healthy snack or enjoying a walk in nature, rather than beating yourself up over every calorie.

The beauty of this approach is that it’s flexible and personal. Your goals and intentions will be unique to you, reflecting your values, dreams, and the life you want to create.

Conclusion: Your Life, Your Journey

In the end, it’s about creating a life that feels good now and sets you up for where you want to go. It’s about finding that sweet spot between ambition and contentment, between striving and appreciating. It’s about becoming the kind of person who can achieve great things while also enjoying the process.

So, as you move forward, keep your goals in sight, but let your intentions guide your steps. Be patient with yourself as you learn to balance the two. Some days you’ll nail it, other days you might struggle. That’s okay. That’s part of the journey too.

Remember, this is your life we’re talking about. Not someone else’s highlight reel or society’s definition of success. Make it count, both in the big moments and the small ones. Because in the end, it’s not just about what you achieve, but who you become along the way.

Now, why don’t you take a moment to set one intention for today? How do you want to show up in your life right now, as you work towards your goals? What quality do you want to embody? By starting with this small step, you’re already on your way to a more balanced and fulfilling approach to personal growth.

The journey of integrating goals and intentions is ongoing, but it’s one that promises rich rewards. So, take that first step. Experience the transformative power of pursuing your ambitions while staying true to your deepest values. Your future self – and your present self – will thank you for it.

Check out Jade’s video on Goal vs Intention to learn more about this topic:

More on Goals and Intentions

• Goals vs Objectives: What Are Their Differences?
• 15 Daily Intentions to Set for a More Driven Life
• How to Write SMART Goals (With SMART Goals Templates)