Short-term vs Long-Term Goals: Why You Need Both to Succeed

Difference short-term vs long-term goals infographic

What is a long-term goal?

Long-term goals reflect the most meaningful objectives in your life, taking longer than a year to achieve. It’s your grand vision that includes life goals, your personal vision, and professional goals.

They provide direction and a sense of purpose, guiding your decisions and actions. Aspirational goals also help you channel your short-term objectives into a focused direction, driving continuous success and fulfillment.

Some examples of long-term goals include:

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What is a short-term goal?

Short-term goals are specific and achievable objectives, ranging from a few days to several months – but less than a year. Common types include weekly goals, monthly goals, and quarterly goals.

Immediate goals can serve different purposes:

The power of short-term objectives is that they provide a clear roadmap for immediate action. And they provide frequent rewards and feedback, fueling motivation and self-confidence.

Some examples of short-term goals include:

Before we dive into the differences, let’s first understand the…

Similarities between long-term and short-term goals

All types of goals do – or should – share the following similarities:

  1. They provide clarity: Distant and immediate goals both clarify your intention and provide a target to aim at.
  2. They increase personal fulfillment: Pursuing any goal channels your energy in a positive direction, increasing satisfaction.
  3. They can relate to each other: Many short-term objectives are stepping stones to greater personal goals.
  4. They should be SMART goals: Good goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. While this concept applies to both goals, there are some nuances within the SMART formula between short-term vs long-term goals, which brings us to the…

Differences between short-term and long-term goals

Long-term goals provide a big-picture overview, take 1+ year to achieve, and are aspirational in nature. Achieving short-term goals takes a week to several months and provides clear stepping stones for action.

The key differences between the two are:

  1. Purpose
  2. Timeframe
  3. Specificity
  4. Goal orientation
  5. Trackability

Let’s dissect this:

#1: Purpose

Purpose of short and long term goals

#2: Timeframe

It’s worth noting that there’s no set definition for short-term vs long-term goals. It differs per individual or organization.

For example, you may prefer these four types of goals:

But let’s continue with our current and most common definition of short-term goals (

Timeframe of short and long term goals

#3: Specificity

The general rule is that the shorter the period to achieve your goal, the more realistic and achievable it should be.

Specificity of short and long term goals

#4: Goal orientation

The shorter the period, the more important it becomes to set process goals – that are 100% within your control – instead of outcome-oriented ones.

While there’s a place for short-term outcome goals (making 3 sales), ensure you set action-oriented ones too (making 30 sales calls). The opposite is less important, although long-term process goals can help you track progress.

Goal orientation of short and long term goals

#5: Trackability

Now you know all about the similarities and differences between short-term and long-term goals, one question remains.

Trackability of short and long term goals

How to set long- and short-term goals?

There are several ways to set powerful goals.

But I’ve found the best way is to identify all your desires and aspirations. And then, turn these into life goals with this step-by-step guide to set goals.

Part of that guide is breaking up your long-term goals.

For example, break up 10- and 5-year goals into yearly goals. And I break my yearly goals up into quarters. I then take the first quarter and make a rough draft for what I want to achieve for each of the next 3 months.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Every week, I set weekly goals and daily goals. And every day, I check in with these goals to stay on track. These daily goals consist of process goals and tasks that form a clear plan of action.

Do you want a more in-depth example?

In this goal-setting guide, I provide an easy step-by-step approach to set goals, including a personal example to illustrate the process.

If you want a general idea, here’s a…

Personal goal example

Below are some long-term goals examples of my own, including smaller goals that I want to accomplish:

Do you notice how my mission goal trickles down from long-term to more immediate goals? And how other goals are standalone objectives?

Also, I lack immediate adventure goals to achieve my 5-year goal because I plan to go on a longer road trip within a couple of years.

While this is only a snapshot of my goals, hopefully you get the point.

What’s next?

Combining short-term with long-term goals serves as a compass that guides your decisions and actions, propelling you toward your dreams.

By harnessing the direction of a greater vision and the motivation of small wins, you’ll unlock more personal growth and inner fulfillment.

Key takeaways:

Further resources:

Take action: Identify one long-term goal that aligns with your passion and purpose. Break it down into smaller, actionable steps.

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