Goals vs Outcomes

I was sitting with a good friend of mine at breakfast, Steve Tucker of Enviro-Master Services in Atlanta. We were discussing Foundational Core Values, life, work, and various other things when I asked him, “What do you think the difference between a goal and an outcome is?”

You see, in the coaching model I developed around Foundational Core Values both the world’s model of achievement and the Foundational Core Values model of achievement both have goals within the models.

When considering a goal vs and outcome some might say they look the same and are described the same way. In fact, many people might say they are the same- except they aren’t the same.

I think Steve’s answer to my question is a great way to look at it. When I asked him what the difference was, he casually said, “A goal is what you would like to achieve, and the outcome is the result.”

Well stated!

So, what’s the difference between a goal and an outcome? The answer is, “It depends on what side of your Foundational Core Values they sit.”

If you have an opportunity and you filter it through your Foundational Core Values to make sure you aren’t violating any of them, and then set a goal to achieve- then it is a goal. But you have to be willing to give up the goal, if obtaining it requires you to violate one of your Foundational Core Values.

If you have an opportunity and you immediately set a goal to achieve, then later filter it through your Foundational Core Values- then your goal has changed into an “outcome focus.” This is when it becomes a “by any means necessary” or “the ends justify the means” to get there.

Having an outcome focus is when the end result becomes more important than how you get there. You might have some very noble reasons for wanting that end result, but when you are outcome focused you greatly increase the odds of violating your own Foundational Core Values.

Those values that God imprinted on you from the very beginning are there to serve as your first filter for all the decisions you make. If you use them, you will find that you will experience more positive outcomes. The reason? Because you aren’t causing stress, anxiety and a dozen other negative and damaging emotions that occur when you violate your own Foundational Core Values.

Your circumstances may not change, but your perspective will and so will your life satisfaction. When we stop violating ourselves and our values we actually stop the majority of the stress and chaos that we complain about on a daily basis.

Peace, contentment and fulfillment are never achieved by controlling others or your environment. In fact, that’s impossible. They can only be achieved internally by refusing to violate your own personal Foundational Core Values.

Before you can use your Foundational Core Values, you must first be able to identify them. For a free copy of our Foundational Core Values Assessment, email us using our contact page by clicking here.