Key Difference: A goal is a desired result that a person wishes to achieve. It is a target that a person wants to reach. It is an end-point of where a person sees himself after a certain period of time. Resolution actually has various different definitions. It is used in various different fields including technology, audio, image, logic, law and the resolutions that we make at New Years. In most cases, resolution refers to a decision that was made to keep.

Goals and resolution are two words that are often confusing for many people, specially during New Year’s time. The objective of a New Year Resolution is to make some changes in a person’s life. However, many people end up setting goals instead of resolutions, which they still break. Goals differ from resolutions in many ways. Many people do not realize the distinction between goals and resolution as they are really similar, both include making some changes or following a different pattern from what the person has been doing now. However, they differ in terms of duration and what exactly they are. Let’s explain them individually first.

A goal is a desired result that a person wishes to achieve. It is a target that a person wants to reach. It is an end-point of where a person sees himself after a certain period of time. Goals can be short term or long term. Short term goals are goals that are placed after a small amount of time, while long term goal require a life-altering decision. A person can also set personal goals as well as professional goals. Personal goals include a vision for personal things such as marriage, child, home, etc; professional goals are related to the professional aspect of life such as job, career and so on.

Dictionary.com defines ‘goal’ as:

• The result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

Resolution actually has various different definitions. It is used in various different fields including technology, audio, image, logic, law and the resolutions that we make at New Years. In most cases, resolution refers to a decision that was made to keep. In terms of audio and image, it refers to the quality of the audio clip or the image. Resolutions made at New Years are promises to live a better and healthier life. It seems as a way to make changes in the current way of living and attempt to live a better and fuller life. Many people make resolutions on New Years, but according to research more than 80% people fail at keeping their resolutions. Resolution requires making long term changes and requires putting even more effort to maintaining them.

Dictionary.com defines ‘resolution’ as:

• A formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization.
• A decision or determination; a resolve: to make a firm resolution to do something.
• The act determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

Many people end up failing in keeping resolutions is because they actually make unrealistic goals. Goals and resolutions often-go-hand as setting goals eventually helps at maintaining a person’s resolution. Resolutions are supposed to long-term and are supposed to something you keep instead of completing. Making resolutions such as exercising every day or eating running a marathon are actually goals. It tells you what you have to do and when do you have to do it. For example, it tells you that you are supposed to exercise everyday or run in an upcoming marathon, etc. However, many people fail to keep it as it sometimes becomes too demanding or over reaching. Goals should be short term when used with resolutions; it should exercise for 3 days a week for a month. It should also be specific, so that when this goal is completed, another goal can be set. Now resolutions are vague. Exercising in general, eating healthier foods, following a good sleep habit are all examples of resolution. These can be kept for longer periods of time. However, if a person directly jumped to a resolution, they would find it very difficult to switch and it becomes a handful. Hence, it is best to make short-term and easy goals that help maintain the overall resolution.

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