Are Goals Measurable?

Setting goals is essential for anyone who wants to change their life and make their dreams come true. But are goals measurable? Should you make all of your goals measurable? Let’s find out.

It’s good to keep in mind that leveling up your life takes a lot of work and knowing what exactly you should work on is important. It’s much easier to work on goals that are measurable.

That’s why you should think twice if you’re not sure what would count as reaching your goal. Making your goal measurable makes it more achievable.

Are goals measurable?

Many goals are measurable or at least you can make them measurable. For example ‘get into law school’ or ‘double your income’ are clearly measurable goals.

Some goals are harder to measure, for example ‘learn French’. Does being able to have a short conversation about your hobbies or being able to read a news article count? Or is it about how extensive your vocabulary is? At which point can you say that you are fluent?

However, to make a goal like this measurable, you can simply rephrase it and make it more specific. For example, ‘pass the level B2 exam’ is both specific and measurable.

Measurable goal examples

There are plenty of measurable goals to choose from if you are looking for inspiration. These are often goals that come with a number or they are pass/fail goals.

Examples of measurable goals include making more money, having more followers on social media, waking up earlier, exercising more often, and traveling more.

Other goals that you can easily measure are getting a better job, writing a book, getting into law school, or reading one book per week.

Do goals have to be measurable?

Goals don’t necessarily have to be measurable, but it helps you to reach them. If you know exactly what counts as having reached the goal and you can measure how much progress you are making, it’s much easier to work on your goal.

It’s also rewarding to see the progress you are making and knowing that it is possible to reach your goal makes it easier to keep going when things get difficult.

That being said, some goals are not easily measurable and they can still be valuable. For example ‘be happier’ is hardly measurable, but trying to become happier is still important and can make your life better in a matter of days.

Can all goals be measured?

Not all goals can be measured. A goal needs to be clearly defined to be measurable in the first place. If it’s something that you can’t measure by time, amount, or by achieving something certain, you’re dealing with an unmeasurable goal. The problem with these kinds of goals is that technically you can never reach them.

Generally speaking, I would encourage you to have measurable goals or try to make your goals measurable. However, sometimes this isn’t possible or even necessary. There are small goals that you don’t necessarily need to take so seriously or spend much time working on.

For example ‘trying new foods more often’ can be a fun little goal that you remind yourself of every so often and act on it when the time is right.

What goals are not measurable?

There are plenty of goals that aren’t measurable. For example, better health, confidence, a better mindset, better friends, and better mental health are all goals that you can’t measure.

You might also want to ‘learn more’ or ‘improve your skills’, which can be hard to measure, since learning something new or becoming better at something doesn’t mean much on its own.

‘Become better at math’ is not a clear goal, unless you define being better at math by for example being able to pass a certain test. ‘Get along with other people’ is also hard to measure, unless you’re getting into fights on a daily basis.

Changing a certain character trait is also not a measurable goal. Whether you want to become more perseverant, creative, or independent, you will have a hard time knowing when you have really achieved your goal. It’s still good to try to be all these things!

How do you measure your goals?

Usually you can measure your goal either by numbers or whether you pass or fail them. If your goal is about something that either happens or it doesn’t, you are dealing with a pass/fail goal. For example, getting a certain job or a promotion would be this kind of a goal.

Another way to measure a goal is by time. If you want to exercise more, deciding to go to the gym three times a week or 60 minutes per day would make the goal measurable.

Other goals you can measure by numbers. For example, if you want to get 10 000 Instagram followers, that goal is obviously easy to measure!

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What goals are you working on right now? Did this post inspire you to set some new goals? If you are interested in some ideas for monthly goals, read this post next:

30 Monthly Goal Ideas that Will Change Your Life

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