Process or Outcome Goals? Which Are More Important to Focus On?

So, you want to set some goals for yourself. Should you focus on putting in place consistent practices or processes — like jogging two miles every morning or making 20 lead-generation calls each day — trusting those efforts will ultimately deliver? Or is it better to focus on a specific result, such as completing a marathon, getting a six-figure job?

This is a question that boils down to deciding which of two different types of goals are more appropriate —  process or outcome. You can use both to improve your health, your relationships and your financial wellness.

Process Goals. These often focus on “fundamentals” although they don’t have to. But they can be particularly useful in areas where you’re less experienced. If you’re new to the game of tennis, for example, you may want to shoot for hitting 100 backhands a day before you focus on winning matches.

Outcome Goals. Once you’ve gained some proficiency in an area, outcome goals may start to become more helpful. Once you’ve penned your first book or two, you could set a goal to write a bestseller (outcome goal).

However, these two types of are not discrete. There’s actually a third option.

Intermediate Goals. These combine features of both process and outcome goals. Maybe you’re no longer a tennis newbie, but you’re also far from being a pro. An intermediate goal might be hitting practice serves until you land five in a row in the service box.

So which types of goals are best? Ultimately, this isn’t really an either/or question and you’ll probably need to do a little of both. And sometimes, when you work backward from an outcome to the likely process you’d need to put in place to get there, you’ll realize your processes are inadequate to the task, which can lead you to change tactics.

You can uncover more strategies for setting effective goals by downloading the free Branches Productivity guide. In it, you can learn five goal characteristics that get results, no matter what type they are. Think of process and outcome as dimensions on a continuum and then consider where along it to best position your goals to achieve the results you’re looking for.