There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

If you know Norton National, you know that we goal, and we goal hard. From long-term to short-term, once a week we meet to talk about company, professional, and personal goals. Allowing ourselves to create a vision through our goals ensures that we are accomplishing our dreams. Curious on goaling and where to start? Take a look at the four different types below. 

Stepping Stone

These are transitional goals that are used as a platform to reach your larger life goals, the babies of the goals’ family. Typically, you will find that these goals are similar to a checklist, being that they should be easily obtainable. Let’s say that your long-term goal is to complete an Ironman Triathlon. The first stepping stone goal that could apply to the long-term goal would be scheduling out a training program that you want to complete. This simple step will set you up for a short-term goal of completing the training program, and eventually the long-term goal of being an Ironman (or Iron-Woman).

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

Short-Term

Short-term goals may not always be short, but they are important milestones to reach the end game. When planning these out, it is best to break them down even further into weekly or monthly stepping stone goals. This will build the foundation to what you want to reach. Say you have a long-term goal of losing 25 pounds in a year. A short-term goal that would directly relate to that would be running 4 times a week. Interested in more short-term goal examples? Check them out here.

Long-Term

Also known as the “workhorse” goals, long-term goals should have specific time limits on them for you to complete. Whether it be one year or ten years, your long-term goals should be achievable through multiple short-term goals, and goals that you are serious about. An example of a long-term goal could be setting aside $150,000 for retirement by the year 2035. There will be some seriously delayed gratification with these, but they will be well worth it! 

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years”. – Bill Gates

Lifetime

Do you have a bucket list? Maybe a dream board of everything that you want to accomplish in your lifetime? These could be considered lifetime goals. A great starting point with planning your lifetime goals is looking ahead to the person you want to be. This could include a career, traveling, a family, or what you define as success. The goals can be ones that are accomplished within a year, or will take you a lifetime. An example of this could be getting married in Greece one day (yes, that is 100% mine). The largest disruption in your lifetime goals will be age. As you grow older, your values and your dreams may shift, and that’s okay! While they may seem vague or far-fetched now, the best part is, you have a whole lifetime to complete them. 

Feeling ready to conquer your life now? Good, that’s the plan. Your goals and dreams are what make you who you are, so stick with them and be a boss!

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Chances are you have heard of the power of goal setting. How people who set goals are 275% more likely to achieve significant results than those who simply, “work hard”. You might know the different types of goals already. But you are still unsure of where to start…

Before you can start setting effective goals, you need to understand the types of goals out there.

Simply put:

There are four type of time-based goals and the seven different categories of goals.

If you are confused about the different types of goal and which styles might be “best” for your situation, then you are in the right place. In this post, we'll talk about the difference between time-based goals and then we will talk about the seven major goals that to help with your personal development journey.

Let's get to it…

What You Will Learn

  • What are Goals?
  • RELATED: 21 Examples of SMART Goals
  • Setting Too Many Goals
  • 4 Types of Goals Based on Time
    • #1. Lifetime Goals
    • #2. Long-Term Goals
    • #3. Short Term Goals
    • #4. Stepping Stone Goals
  • The Dangers of Not Setting Enough Goals
  • 7 Types of Goal Setting
    • #1. Career Goals
    • #2. Financial Goals
    • #3. Personal Development Goals
    • #4. Spiritual Goals
    • #5. Educational Goals
    • #6. Relationship Goals
    • #7. Physical and Health Goals
  • Final Thoughts on These Seven Type of Goals

What are Goals?

First things first, let’s take a look at the term “goals”. Many people think that a goal should be something earth-shattering and important. That goals should be include significant change in finances, achieving some massive success or changing society in some important way.

This is not true.

Major goals, like the one above, could be your goal, but goals are often much more personal. For example, one of my lifelong goals is simply to run a marathon in every state in the US. This goal combines my love of fitness and travel into one major goal. (20 out of 50 so far).

The point is that all goals do not need to be massive. If you think the only goals worthwhile are earth-shattering one, you might want to change your thinking. Later on in this article I will go into greater detail about the different types of goals.

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable.

Denis Waitley, The Psychology of Winning

Want to set goals you can actually achieve? Then watch this video that provides a quick overview of SMART goals with 21 examples.

Setting Too Many Goals

One of the most common goal setting mistakes is setting too many goals. The goal-setting “experts” disagree on how many goals is too many. I have heard three goals, five goals, or four to seven goals. All of these numbers are thrown about as the “proper” number of goals.

I think a lot depends on how aggressive your goals are. Having the goal of creating your own tech startup, for example, is going to take the bulk of your time for years to come. This goal is frighteningly complex and might keep you from working on much else for a long period of time.

However, goals like my running/states goal are fairly simple.

I run three to five days a week: every week. And twice a year, I set a series of stepping stone goals (more on this soon) where I train for a marathon. Then I go do it, and check off another state from my list.

If your goals are easier you can afford to have a few more. If your goals are more complex you need to aim toward having fewer goals.

Now, let's move on and talk about time-based goals…

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

4 Types of Goals Based on Time

When you set goals, the time you set to achieve the goals makes a big difference in the type of goal. There are four different types of goals: stepping stone goals, short term goals, long term goals, and lifetime goals.

When people talk about “too many goals” they are really only talking about the last two. Long term goals and lifetime goals. Those are the only types of goals where you need to worry about not overloading yourself.

If you take on too many short term goals for instance, you may bite off more than you can chew and fail a few. However, there is always time to try them again with a better understanding of your personal limits.

(Sidebar: You can learn the difference between process goals and outcome goals in this post.)

#1. Lifetime Goals

Lifetime goals are the goals that will take anywhere from a year to an entire lifetime to achieve.

The best way to figure out your life goals is to picture a future version of yourself, you would like to become.

You can identify lifetime goals by asking questions like:

What has this future version of yourself accomplished? Are they happy with the things they have? Are you single or in a family? What does that version of you have? What have they achieved? Are they wealthy, or just “comfortable”? What would be talked about at their/your funeral by friends and family?

When you think about a future version of yourself in this light, you are checking out your goals. These are the goals that are central to being you. Then make goals that will help you transform into that person.

Furthermore, lifetime goals happen when they are perfectly aligned with what you value in life. To learn more about this concept, I recommend checking out these three articles:

  1. What is Your Why: A Step-by-Step Process for Finding Your Purpose in Life
  2. Core Values: 70 Examples of Values to Live By
  3. Bucket List Inspiration: 553 Ideas to Try Before You Die

Simply put: If your lifetime goals directly related to what you value, then you'll increase the likelihood that you'll achieve them.

Finally, you should be mindful of how your life goals will change as you get older.

My life goals at 20 were different than they are at 40, so it may be natural for them to change over time. This change doesn’t happen quickly; so every 5 years you might want to tweak your lifetime goals.

These goals encompass the really long term versions of goals. You will want a mix of lifetime goals and more actionable (and immediate long term goals) to meet whatever goal limit you set for yourself.

(Sidebar: An “if-then” plan can help you stay on track while you're achieving your goals. Learn more about how to make one in this post.)

#2. Long-Term Goals

These are your workhorse goals. They need to have the specific time limits put on them: typically 5 or 10-year goals. (To see what these look like, I recommend checking out this post that has 25 examples of long-term goals.)

One thing to keep in mind is the famous quote by Bill Gates: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

In other words, if you're serious about a goal, then you should make a long-term goal that's many years in the future, and then use a series of short-team goals to achieve it.

Example: Setting aside $100,000 in savings for retirement by Sept. 2026

Let's say that you have this long-term goal, then let's talk about how you would achieve it through a series of short-term goals…

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

#3. Short Term Goals

Short term goals are not always that short. They may be a month, six months or a year. These are the stepping stone goals with the express purpose of reaching long term or lifetime goals. These goals can further be broken down into daily goals and weekly goals.

(If you want to get an idea of these these look like, then here are 27 examples of short-term goals.)

Example: Let’s continue our example of saving $100,000 for retirement within 10 years. (A goal that is achievable for most people even if you have modest means.)

If saving is your goal the first two short term goals should be:

  • Stop using credit cards (right away)
  • Pay off credit cards within 1 year

Interest on credit cards is typically between 10% and 27% depending on your credit. This is a lot more than any savings account. By paying off your cards for the following 9 years you will have more free money for saving and investing.

Stop using credit cards is a short term goal you then likely want to renew each and every year. Paying off your credit cards within a year is something that may take a lot of sacrifice, but unless your debt is crazy, should hopefully be achievable using a series of stepping stone goals. (For more on this, check out the 17 money-saving apps we have profiled on this page.)

#4. Stepping Stone Goals

These are transactional goals. Think of these as action steps that allow you to reach bigger goals. For instance. They are the bricks that build the short term goals the build you long-term and lifetime goals.

Example: Let's look at a couple of examples using the finance example of paying off credit card debt within a single year.

  • Take a class on managing money and creating a budget.
  • Set a budget
  • Cut expenses
  • Sell stuff
  • Get a side job/promotion
  • Make hard decisions: Get rid of cable. Limit mobile device plans. Eat out rarely.
  • Pay off as much debt as you can every month.

This is not an article on finance, so I will not go into details on these options. (If you would like to learn more about this, then check out the article on 26 better money habits.) Suffice to say that stepping stone goals above will help most people to reduce their debt drastically, if they are willing to put in the sacrifice and hard work.

The Dangers of Not Setting Enough Goals

Yes, there is a danger in setting too few goals. Let’s look at Jack.

(Hi Jack!)

Jack wants to get ahead at work. He sets a lot of short term goals for his long term goal of advancing to management at job.

His short term goals include:

  • Completing a self-paced learning course for his job. (There are many to choose from on a platform like Skillshare.)
  • Increasing his sales by 20% over the next year.
  • Reading 3 self-help/leadership books a month for the next year. (Hopefully, he remembers my books.)
  • Finishing his Master’s by the end of the year.
  • Getting his next promotion.

All of these are great goals, and will probably get him that promotion. But as you know, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

The truth is Jack doesn't have:

  • Relationship goal
  • Goals for physical fitness
  • Any health goals
  • Spiritual goals

You get the picture…..

Jack needs to be a little bit more well rounded in his goals. Which brings is to the seven categories or types of goal setting.

So let's talk about that next.

7 Types of Goal Setting

There are seven types of goals. Many goals can be set from a single section, or a single goal from each one. It all depends on the priorities of the individual.

To be “well rounded” you will want to mix it up a bit, and not JUST focus on a single target. But ultimately any decision on where to put your effort is yours and yours alone. Don’t let anybody tell you any different.

These are not cookie-cutter decisions that require one from each category. They are choices based on your life.

The idea of their being seven Goals (and their names) comes from Jack Canfield and his book, The Success Principles. (You can read the review of this book here.)

#1. Career Goals

This is the most commonly what people think about then they think, “Goal setting activities”. And are often the things that pop into people’s head when they think about the different types of goals they could be setting.

​Reminder: ​Again, if your goals are related to your career or business, ​​then be sure to check out this FREE newsletter is a 5-minute that's ​chock-full of great business information

With career goals should focus on how to:

  • Get a promotion
  • Improve job performance
  • Learn a new skill related to your career
  • Look for a career change
  • Improve communication
  • Develop your soft skills (Here is a list of 135 soft skills)
  • Get a specific award/accolade
  • Start your own business
  • Create a side hustle for extra money
  • Become the “go to” expert on _____
  • Increase creativity
  • Make more money for company and yourself

If you would like to create great career goals, then I recommend checking out these 36 work habits that will help you become a better employee.

For more specific examples, check out these articles:

  • 8 SMART Goals Examples for Your Nursing Career
  • 9 SMART Goal Examples for Teachers
  • 7 SMART Goals Examples for Administrative Assistants
  • 8 SMART Goals Examples for HR (Human Resources) Professionals
  • 15 Leadership SMART Goals Examples for Your Workplace

#2. Financial Goals

This is another big goal choice. It is common to want to make more money and plan how to do that. To reach financial goals you need to budget, adjust spending habits, save as much money as possible, and hopefully make more money.

With financial goals you will focus on how to:

  • Save for retirement
  • Buy a home
  • Pay off loans
  • Afford any large purchase
  • Create an emergency fund
  • Build a nest egg of savings, stocks, bonds, and income producing assets
  • Get completely out of debt
  • Save enough money to change jobs and do work you love (that pays less)
  • Increase your charitable donations

#3. Personal Development Goals

Personal development goals are the ones that are about making you a better person. This is not a judgment. For example, I am not saying that if you only speak a single language there is something wrong with you. But if you feel you need to learn another language then it becomes an important goal that will make you a bit better.

Personal development goal examples:

#4. Spiritual Goals

What can you do for your spirit? What can bring you authentic happiness? These can be religious goals for any religion. They can be goals that help you contribute to society. These include any goals that are about more than yourself and your immediate family.

Examples of spiritual goals:

  • Volunteer regularly
  • Go to church regularly
  • Become a church leader
  • Be more mindful
  • Mentor a junior
  • Meditate daily
  • Donate more money to those less fortunate
  • Start/join a prayer group
  • Give hands-on help in a foreign country: build homes/schools etc.

If you want to leave a meaningful life, check out the spiritual goals examples in this post.

#5. Educational Goals

Educational goals are a bit of a hybrid. In college, this will be of paramount importance as you struggle to learn and set yourself up for a career. Later on in life, this does not become as important, but you are fooling yourself if you think that as a 50-year-old manager, you still do not need to educate yourself.

Education goals have some crossover. They often crossover with personal development and Career. But mostly your educational goals after college will deal with specific things you need for your education/career/job/future job.

Since this “educational” training varies greatly from career path to career path I will not list all the items on the list.

If you're looking for examples of SMART goals students can set for themselves, check out this post.

#6. Relationship Goals

A few relationship goals are:

  • Leave stress at work
  • Dedicate alone time with your child/spouse
  • Get more free time
  • Increase family time
  • Find a significant other
  • Have children
  • Get married
  • Save for children's goals

#7. Physical and Health Goals

Common physical and health goals are:

  • Start each day with this nutritious green drink
  • Keep vital signs in normal ranges
  • Stay fit and active
  • Have a regular exercise routine
  • Achieve a massive physical fitness goal.
  • Keep your immune system operating at peak condition
  • Have the energy to get more done
  • Live forever. Or at least live to your 90s and beyond being healthy the whole way.

Final Thoughts on These Seven Type of Goals

So there you have it: A simple overview of how to set goals related to the different aspects of your life. The key here is to not just focus on one category, instead, you should strive to be a well-rounded person who has goals related to your career, relationship, finances, and personal life.

A good goal-oriented planner can help you get started on determining what your goal are. Here are our favorite goal-setting planners.

To get started, I recommend setting what are called S.M.A.R.T. goals, which can be broken down as follows:

S Specific making sure that the goal is clear as written.
M Measurable Making sure that any metric requirement in the goal is clearly defined and has specific numbers attached to it.
A Achievable. Meaning that the goal can be accomplished and is not some crazy “pie in the sky” dream-like tripping your salary in three months or losing 50 pounds in a month.
R Relevant, and this just means that the goal really matters and is worth your time and effort.
T Time-bound where the goal starts and stops (and any steps along the way) are all tied to specific dates.

If you'd like to learn more about this concept, grab a free S.M.A.R.T. goal setting worksheet. And if you'd like to learn how to build any skills related to your goals, ​then I recommend this resource that has ​over 25,000 self-educational courses on their platform. (You may also use the WOPP goal setting strategy alongside SMART goals.)

If you need more convincing, learn about the power of creating big hairy audacious goals and how they can change your life.

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

There are four goal categories. what are the four categories

What are the 4 goal categories?

Goals can be separated into four types of organizational categories..
Time-based goals. Long-term goals. ... .
Performance-based goals. Performance-based goals are short-term objectives set for specific duties or tasks. ... .
Quantitative vs. qualitative goals. ... .
Outcome- vs. process-oriented goals..

What are the four goal categories of NSLS?

Keep dreaming and keep setting those goals! And remember to keep them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.

What are the 4 elements of a goal?

Goal is a target and objective for future performance..
Goal Acceptance: Effective goals need to be not only understood but also accepted. ... .
Specific Goals: ... .
Challenging Goal: ... .
Monitoring and Feedback:.

What are goals categories?

There are three types of goals- process, performance, and outcome goals.