Purpose Vs Goals

Purpose and goals are related but different. A goal is a destination: lose 20 pounds, get promoted, finish the degree. Once achieved, its motivational pull evaporates.

Purpose is a direction: become healthier, contribute to your field, keep learning. It never fully arrives. It is a compass heading that guides decisions. Goals are what you do. Purpose is why you do it.

Goal-driven people often achieve and still feel empty — the arrival fallacy. Purpose-driven people may never arrive, but they find meaning along the way.

Research by Adam Grant found that workers who understand the purpose behind their tasks outperform those who only know what to do.