Goals, objectives, are they one in the same? I think there are some distinctions between the two. Objectives may have a goal component to them, but objectives are efforts or actions intended to attain or accomplish a purpose, while goals focus more on a certain result. For instance, a goal could be to lose 30 pounds, but the objective is health and well-being. Losing weight is a one-time, short-term goal. Establishing and maintaining healthy eating habits has a lifetime of benefits.

Often, we are asked “What are your goals or priorities for the year?” We talk about finishing strong or finishing well which is important. Whether its setting goals or determining objectives, I believe the starting line is as important as the finish line. If a sprinter at the Olympic games competing in the hundred meters doesn’t get out of the starting blocks well, the result at the finish line is unlikely to be a victory.

The beginning of a new year is frequently a time when people begin something new. They make new year’s resolutions. Resolving to do something and starting it are vastly different. Perhaps you’ve heard of the SMART method for setting goals. The SMART acronym was coined by George T. Doran in 1981. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. I’ve used this method for most of my working career and for setting personal goals. But I’ve transitioned to, and prefer, the PACT method.

PACT stands for Purposeful, Actionable, Continuous and Track-able. Purposeful. Your goal or objective should be meaningful to your long-term purpose in life, not just relevant to the here and now. Actionable. Your goal should be actionable and controllable. It’s a shifting of your mindset from distant outcomes in the future to present outputs you can control. Continuous. It’s important that the actions you take are simple and repeatable.  It’s about continuous improvement rather than reaching a supposed end goal. And it’s Track-able, not so much measurable. Stats and metrics aren’t the end game.  Maybe you’ve heard the saying if you torture the numbers long enough, they’ll confess to anything. Focusing on just metrics, or the bottom line on the ledger sheet is short sighted.

The SMART method focuses on the finish line, the end metric, while PACT focuses on the starting line. SMART pays attention to lagging indicators, the PACT model on the leading indicators. For instance, a lagging indicator would be a sales goal of 50 new customers in 2024. A leading indicator would focus on process such as how many sales calls are you making a week. Are you up to speed on understanding your product and developing compelling presentations? Is your pricing competitive, what “value add” do you bring to your customer? Lagging indicators measure what’s happened you can’t control them.  Leading indicators are things you can continually monitor, measure and control.

Another example could be around personal finances. A SMART goal to pay off $5000 in credit card debt versus a PACT objective, establishing and executing permanent disciplines for a lifetime of financial success and freedom. SMART goals focus on the outcome, the PACT approach focuses on the output. It’s about continuous growth rather than the pursuit of a defined achievement.

Finishing life well, is certainly our ultimate objective, how we manage the starting line goes a long way toward determining our destination and destiny. The Apostle Paul in 2^nd Timothy 4:7 says, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Fighting the good fight of the faith is about perseverance and continuing on, even when the road is challenging. Paul’s determined purpose in life is stated this way. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death. He goes on to say, “Not that I have already attained, (in other words, met or reached the goal) but I press on, (continuously) that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

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