A Goal is Not a Number
The Difference between a Metric and a Mission
On the subject of goals, here is a note from an aspiring blogger that caught my attention:
“My goal is 1,000 subscribers.”
It reminded me how often people set numbers as goals. And honestly, they’re usually terrible goals. Hot take, for sure.
Let me show you what I mean. Here are a few real goals I’ve heard, and the unhealthy outcomes they produced:
“I want to lose 30 pounds.”
That was me, at 18. And I started throwing up after meals. I lost 30 pounds and almost ruined my body.“We want to be the biggest youth group in the state.”
So we focused on filling seats, not shaping lives. That church no longer exists and, of the youth, only a handful stayed in church.“Our bank is the #1 regional bank.”
The target moved so often the company didn’t even know what #1 meant. Number 1 based on what measure?“Let’s set a goal of finishing 15 requests every week!”
Suddenly, it wasn’t about value, it was just about finishing tasks. They just split their requests and counted each step as a unique “request.”
For all of these types of goals, I now ask two simple questions:
And then what?
Why?
❓ “And Then What?”
When I challenge number-based goals, people usually say, “Well of course there’s a reason, but numbers are easier to understand.”
My friend Taylor once told me, “People just need to know the finish line. People understand numbers.”
And I get that. Numbers feel like a finish line.
But if your goal is 1,000 subscribers, and you hit it, then what?
What did that really get you?
There are unhealthy ways to hit any number. Add fake emails. Ask your family. Spam groups.
When I ask, “Why not do that?” people say, “Well that’s cheating, I want real subscribers.”
Bingo. Real subscribers.
What does that mean?
It means you don’t just want a number.
You want people who love your content. You want to resonate.
That’s your actual goal:
👉 Write a blog that resonates with people.
Subscribers are how you measure it. But they’re not the goal.
1️⃣ The Most Critical Distinction
You may think this is a needless distinction. It’s not.
It’s the most critical one.
🎯 The goal is the aim of your effort.
If the goal is a number, your effort will go towards that number, even in unhealthy ways.
If the goal is an outcome, your effort goes toward real change, and numbers just help measure progress.
⚖️ The Contest That Proved the Point
Back in 2014, my company partnered with a wellness provider to host a weight loss contest. The top prize? A $100 Amazon gift card.
The other team had a plan:
“We’ll eat as much as possible before weigh-in. Then fast from food and water the day before the final check-in.”
Their goal was to lose weight.
My goal was to become the healthiest version of myself. They had no shot…
While they plotted water-weight hacks, I changed my eating habits. I exercised. Tracked my food. Improved each week. They were eating junk. I was running stairs.
At the end, two of their four teammates had gained weight. The others lost 11 pounds combined.
My team? We lost 21 pounds. I still remember that pair of Fresh Foam New Balance shoes I bought with the $100…so I could run in comfort.
The contest ended. They went back to their old ways.
Me? Six months later I had lost 55 pounds and would eventually run my first marathon.
🎯 What Are You Really Aiming For?
The lesson is simple, but not easy:
Don’t chase numbers.
Chase outcomes.
Let numbers measure progress, not become the goal.
If you're writing, speak to your audience. If you’re coaching a team, focus on real customer impact. If you're leading a project, aim for clarity and transformation, not just deliverables.
Because at the end of the day, we don’t want 1,000 subscribers.
We want to matter to someone.
And that’s a much better goal.
🛬 Landing the plane
If your goal is defined by a number or “be the best,” try this approach to improve it:
Step 1: Ask, “What happens if I hit this number? What would that mean?”
Step 2: Then ask, “Why do I want that outcome?”
Step 3: When you can express the real result in a phrase - not numbers - that’s your true goal.
For example, in 2024 I started with a goal to run 1,000 miles. Instead of fixating on the number, I asked, “What outcome would those miles give me?” The answer was, “That’s what healthy, strong runners average.” I wasn’t after the miles themselves, I wanted to be a healthy runner. At one point, I lost sight of that and focused solely on the numbers, which left me injured and grouchy for weeks. It took an intervention from my family to remind me that health was the goal, not just mileage.
After that year, if you were to ask me, “Tristan, how’s running going?” I’d tell you I ran over 1,500 miles, raised more than $5,000 for my nephew’s cancer fund, and even clocked 147 consecutive running days. Those numbers are fun milestones, but they were never the goal. They were simply markers showing I was moving in the right direction toward being a healthier, better runner.
The bottom line: Numbers are flashy and easy to understand, but they’re just signposts on your journey. Focus on the transformation, the growth, and the real impact you want to make. When you chase outcomes instead of digits, the digits will be the proof that you’re achieving your outcome. Maybe you can treat yourself to a spiffy pair of sneakers for your next run.
Until next time, Keep Learning. Keep Growing.