There is a difference between milestones and goals. Goals are the destinations we work towards and milestones are the points along the way we use to measure our progress on the journey towards our destinations. We need always to keep in perspective that it is not just about the destination but about the journey. It is not about perfection but about the progress we make, and it is not the results but the actions we take that are often the real gift of setting and achieving goals.

Imagine you are driving to a town you have never been to on a road you have never travelled before. It always seems longer the first time you go there, and it always seems shorter on the return trip. People can tell you how far it is in miles or kilometres or even in hours, but somehow you need those mileage markers or milestones along the way to measure your progress.

When it comes to defining long-term goals, companies and individuals are different. Over the past 10 years I have worked with Toyota and had the opportunity to travel to Japan and meet with senior company executives. It was at one of these informal meetings on a floating junk on Tokyo Harbour that I asked, ‘How far in advance do Toyota plan to produce a car for the mass market?’ I knew that Japanese companies are famous for having 100-year visions, but the response still amazed me:

‘We have working models for cars that we will launch in five years’ time, clay models used in wind tunnels for cars in seven years’ time and a research facility at Mt Fuji with 2000 researchers working on modes of transport for 40 years from now.’

Just imagine you are a 50-year-old researcher and are working on a project you may not see realised in your lifetime! Now I am not saying you need a 40-year plan, but you do need a plan.

People have differing timeline perspectives when it comes to thinking about their goals. For some people it is easy to think of long-term goals; others find it difficult to think beyond the week ahead. There are people who find it very easy to plan, prepare and produce in the short term; others find it difficult to get down to the detail of what needs to be done today to produce a long-term result in the future. The challenge for all of us is to think about our goals in three timeframes — long-term, medium-term and short-term …

• Short-term goals. These goals can be completed in one day or one month, require few steps to achieve and can be reached through short, concentrated effort.
• Medium-term goals. These can have a timeline of one month to one year; they often involve a number of tasks, objectives and milestones along the way.
• Long-term goals. This is where you start to create your long-term vision. These goals have a timeline of anywhere from one year to five years. Long-term goals need to be broken down into short- and medium-term goals.

The best way to describe these three types of goals is to give you some examples by following one goal through the three phases. So, once again starting with how you want to feel first …