Hi there,
I'm sorry but I don't have the book to hand and I wish I had.
But I also like to think of as this - I have a purpose, an end in mind and I use goals to achieve that purpose. So if I want to visualise that purpose I realise that sometimes it is very difficult to do this because a purpose is usually intangible. SO I use goals as a way of visualising that purpose but I always have the 'end in mind' and that is my purpose. As an example, let me say that I have a purpose to, say, help the unfortunate. This is a difficult thing to measure and so I use goals and indicators to help me do this. For example, I will give to charity, I will do voluntary work x times per week, I will help an old lady (or man) across the road, etc. All of these goals are tangible and help me to achieve my purpose. So I can hopefully visualise my purpose "to help" through these tangible actions.
Another example - I want to teach. Is this a goal or a purpose? Before I answer, I can think of it as this. I see knowledge as a wonderful thing. I love reading. I love explaining things and watching 'the penny drop' when someone suddenly understands something. I love imparting knowledge. Therefore I think I will study subjects XYZ and be accepted as a teacher, and get a job as a teacher, and teach people whatever, so that I am able to impart knowledge. Therefore, is "I want to teach!" a goal or a purpose? I believe it to be a goal. The purpose, FOR ME, would be to impart knowledge and feel happy when people understand something etc... The former can be measured, the latter is very difficult to be measured (but it can be recognised very easily by the individual whose purpose it is).
I hope that I have explained what I believe to be the difference or at the very least, given you something more to think about, so that you can try and see that there is a difference, however small, between goal and purpose.
Also, if you think about it, someone sitting an exam has passing that exam as a goal or one of their goals, but for each individual, there is a (PERSONAL) purpose.
Purpose is more individual whereas goals are usually not.
Maz
