Looking at goals or pursuing "goals" in a nebulous sense is misleading. This vagueness could very well be some aspect of the basis why the best laid plans for the New Year often go awry. It therefore is required to roughly lay out a number of goal types that aid our understanding of how to target the right type of goal for the right situation.
Immediate Goals: This is a general ideal of goals which are usually conditionally important to some larger, long-term goal. While the general nature of "short-term goal" is only slightly less vague than "goals", it is a step in the right direction. For example, a New Year's resolution to stop smoking entirely would require short term goals such as "I will smoke one less cigarette today." It is plain to see that short-term goals are applicable, but only to the extent that they contribute to one's overall.
Extended Goals: On the other side of the coin we have long-term goals; the thing that is at the end of the day being worked toward. Long-term goals have a very wide range, but these goals are more involved and consequently more gratifying than short-term goals. To take the smoking example, "quitting smoking" is a better achievement than "smoking one less cigarette today" for readily apparent reasons. And it is for these reasons that both make long-term goals definitively more sufficient to one's well-being relative to other types of goals.
Achievable/Unachievable Goals: This may seem an obvious argument to make, but it is worth bringing to the table, since some goals are simply too lofty to pursue. In many cases, goals which seem believable to the subject are far beyond their abilities. These types of goals can definitely lead to vexation, anxiety, stress, and disappointment because the person has the illusion that they can achieve an unachievable goal. This is not to be overly negative about goal striving, but it does seem to be the case that in particular instances it is a good idea to think about whether or not a specific goal is legitimately attainable. If it is not attainable, then trying to achieve the goal in question not only will be a time suck, but it will also cause the goal striver to become downtrodden. It is then a good idea to assess one's goals and be sure that it is actually achievable. Essentially, sticking to one's goals can contribute to the mood connected to goal striving, which is a highl
y important aspect of actually reaching current and future goals.
Judgment and Development Goals: One other way of evaluating goals is to reason with them them in terms of their relation to the personal. In this way, judgment goals are individual attempts to authenticate an attribute or trait in oneself. For example, a judgment goal would be looking for evidence that one is intelligent, and looks for evidence that conveys this intelligence while filtering conflicting evidence. A development goal on the other hand involves the effort to attain the desired attribute or trait. Instead of looking for evidence that one is smart, the person strives to improve to become intelligent. The most prominent difference is basically between passive and active goals. In judgment goals, a person receives information to justify a goal, whereas development goals demand engagement to attain a preferred trait.
Idiographic and Nomothetic Goals: The difference between idiographic and nomothetic goals is simple. Idiographic goals are most similar to 'subjective' goals (those which are fairly distinctive to each person), while nomothetic goals are 'objective goals' (those which are pursued by almost every person). These objective goals are separated into three categories: goals of achievement, goals of affiliation, and goals of power. For example, a nomothetic goal could be seeking the close company of others, while an idiographic goal may be learning to play the piano.
Extrinsic Goals: Delving into academic interpretations of goals, we find two extra types that are defined in the scope of humanistic psychology. The first are the class of 'extrinsic goals', the second, 'intrinsic'. Between the two there is a more ideal type - intrinsic. However it is crucial to address both. Extrinsic goals are "those motivated primarily by defensiveness and security needs and are reflected in pursuits for wealth, possessions, status, popularity, attractiveness, and image." These external pursuits are less than preferred for a variety of reasons, but basically they are not enough to well-being because they are contingent upon externalities of which a person has far less ability to control. These material pursuits arguably have no inherent value or meaning, do not resolve existential conflicts, give little to internal self-improvement, do not advance psychological awareness of the subject, and as such cannot gratify establishing meaning or contentment in one
's life. Because the focus is on outward objects, one's happiness is contingent upon these objects to which the subject is unable to really direct, consequently yielding his or her happiness to the whims of the outside world.
Intrinsic Goals: Intrinsic goals on the other hand, are inclined toward the inward integrity of the individual. To be more specific, "intrinsic values are in theory directly motivated by psychological needs. Intrinsic values are typified by those for personal development and self-acceptance, affiliation and intimacy, and a sense of generativity and connection to the broader community. Such standards are more likely to lead people to engage in behaviors and have incidents that are satisfying in their own right and that contribute strongly to individual's growth and psychosocial progress. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic goals should be readily apparent - strengthening and attending to psychological and internal needs make a person more resilient to outside forces that may affect their happiness, whereas extrinsic goals depend on these changing forces that dictate one's happiness. The best analogy would be warm versus cold-blooded organisms. Warm-blooded animals
regulate a stable temperature despite external influences. Cold-blooded animals' temperature depends on the outside temperature. It seems intuitive that a static happiness, much like a stable warm-blooded temperature is preferred to a happiness that must be persistantly attended to, much like a cold-blooded temperature.
Life and Existential Goals: Life and existential goals can be understood as long-term goals, but since they encompass a person's life and meaning, there does seem to be a categorical difference between mere "long-term" goals and goals that involve a important holistic overview of one's life. Life goals can also be understood as a type of nomothetic goal, insofar as they are pursued by virtually everyone. Happiness is one such goal. Not only does everyone want to be satisfied, it is also a goal since it has been understood as something that can be achieved. Similarly, existential goals establish meaning in one's life that once again, if satisfied, would prove to be an acceptable goal in and of itself. This may seem a bit conceptual, but it does make sense after some deliberation. Life goals such as happiness and existential goals such as determining the meaning of one's life are not conditionally valuable - they are valuable in and of themselves. For these reasons they are se
parated from "long-term" goals because long-term goals are, in almost every case, conditionally valuable to happiness and existential fulfillment.
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This is an article about the importance of setting goals during the recovery process. Mike Writes is contributing these insights for Passages Malibu, an alternative addiction treatment center.
http://www.passagesmalibu.com/addiction-rehab/alcohol-rehab-center/
http://www.passagesmalibu.com/detox/alcohol-detox-center/
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