Have you ever experienced waking up one day not knowing what to do? Did you ever feel like you just do not know what to do or where to go? Was there a point in your life when you felt like you had no purpose here on earth? Try doing a personal evaluation of your wants and needs. Think about how far you have reached your ambitions and dreams. You may need to clearly establish goals in life to give you a sense of direction and purpose.

Everyone has goals. Some of us probably want to run a personal business, or some might want to become successful career individuals. Some people want to improve their general wellbeing, while some are after building good relationships with others. These are just a few examples of the common goals we all share. Individual goals are like a compass; they provide direction in a person’s life, and they lead us to where we should be heading. They give us reason and purpose for living.

Goals vary according to type, duration, degree, and manner of achieving them. In a broader sense, goals can be quantitative or qualitative. The difference between the two will be elaborated further in this article.

Quantitative Goals

These are the kind of goals that can be measured using various means. In SMART goal setting, M stands for measurable goals. This means that the progress of your goal has to be determined in an objective approach. For example, if your goal is to lose weight in two month’s time, the first steps should include the identification of a specific number of pounds to lose in a week.

When you are engaged in business, your goal may be to increase profits or revenues by a certain percentage value in the next quarter or so. If the goal is to save money and increase bank savings, you will have to decide to allocate another 5 percent of your salary every month for your savings. Common goals of purchasing your ideal car, dream house, and a high compensation package for your job belong to quantitative goals. We can come up with a list of quantitative goals in the many aspects of our life. We can objectively keep track of its progress because of its measurability.

Qualitative Goals

A qualitative goal is the type that is felt more than measured. The achievement of such goals is not based on measurable terms but on the impact of the satisfaction and worth it creates on a person. Goals for career and professional development, customer satisfaction, performance enhancement, and personality development are some examples of qualitative goals. Although these goals are pretty hard to measure regarding their progress, they are very motivating and inspiring.

Setting Quantitative Goals in a Qualitative Manner

We can easily establish measurable goals such as having a house, car, traveling to places, and getting a good job, but behind all of these is the qualitative reason for having such goals. The quantitative goals give inspiration that will lead us to achieving our qualitative goals. For example, you aim to become a supervisor in 3 years so that you will see progress in your career after years of hard work. Setting the 3-year timeframe for your goal of becoming a supervisor is the quantitative approach; a development in your career is the qualitative aspect of your goal.

The basic principle is to be clear about your qualitative goals. From there, you can create quantitative goals that are closer and more achievable. So, if the qualitative goal is to get a better job position, then create measurable goals to attain such a goal. This would mean doing better in your quarterly performance appraisals so your superior takes notice. With the quality of performance you are showing, you will be on your way towards achieving a qualitative goal.

Both qualitative and quantitative goals are equally important because they motivate us to work harder and improve on our capabilities. However, be careful not to overemphasize on quantitative goals. You might end up being too focused on increasing the figures for your sales or the amount on your savings that you neglect the actual quality of your goal.