Goals vs quests: A different way to think about what you're building
You set the goal. You hit the goal. And then... nothing.
A brief moment of satisfaction, maybe. Then immediately: what's next? What's the next target, the next milestone, the next thing to chase?
Or worse… you didn't hit the goal. And now you feel like a failure, even though you grew enormously in the attempt.
Something's off about how we've been taught to think about goals.
What if there's a different way?
The problem with goals
Goals push you toward results.
Hit the revenue number. Reach the follower count. Sell out the CSA. Get to X markets. Scale to Y acres.
Goals are about the destination. You either arrive or you don't. Success or failure. Binary.
And there's nothing wrong with results. Results matter.
But what about when farmers hit their goals and feel empty?
Farmers who miss their goals and feel worthless.?
Farmers who achieve everything they set out to achieve and wonder why they're still unhappy?
The goal was supposed to be the thing. But hitting it didn't change how they feel.
Because goals focus on the outcome. They don't account for who you become in the process.
Enter the quest
A quest is different.
Quests pull you toward growth.
A quest isn't about arriving at a destination. It's about the journey and who you become along the way, what you learn, how you transform.
Think about it like a story. The hero doesn't go on a quest just to get the treasure. The treasure is almost beside the point. The quest is about who the hero becomes through the challenges, the failures, the growth.
Goals ask: did you get the result?
Quests ask: who did you become in the pursuit?
What this looks like on the farm
Goal mindset: "I need to hit $100K in revenue this year."
You either hit it or you don't. If you hit it, brief celebration, then the goalpost moves. If you don't, you're a failure - even if you grew 40% and learned more than any other year of your life.
Quest mindset: "I'm building a profitable farm business, and this year I'm becoming the kind of farmer who understands my numbers, makes confident pricing decisions, and runs a sustainable operation."
Now the revenue is still a target. But it's not the only measure of success. The growth counts. The learning counts. Who you become counts.
You can fall short of the revenue goal and still be on a successful quest. Because the quest was never just about the number.
The becoming is the point
Here's what I focus on in my coaching: becoming the person who is capable of achieving the goal.
Not just hitting targets. Becoming.
Because what happens if you become the person who can build a profitable, sustainable farm? The results will follow. Maybe not on the exact timeline you planned. But they'll come.
And if you hit a goal without becoming that person? It won't last. You'll self-sabotage, burn out, or lose what you built.
The external result is a byproduct. The internal transformation is the real work.
So what’s that look like in practice?
Goal: "I want to take one day off per week."
Quest version: "I'm becoming the kind of farmer who values rest, trusts others to help, and doesn't need to be in control every moment. Taking a day off is how I practice that becoming."
Goal: "I want to raise my prices."
Quest version: "I'm becoming the kind of business owner who knows my worth, charges accordingly, and doesn't apologize for it. The price increase is an expression of that growth."
Goal: "I want to stop feeling overwhelmed."
Quest version: "I'm becoming someone who sets boundaries, says no, and doesn't try to do everything. Reducing overwhelm is the evidence that I'm becoming that person."
See the difference?
The goal is the WHAT. The quest is the WHO.
Why quests work better for farmers
Farming is long. There's no finish line.
If you're only focused on goals, you're always chasing the next one. Hit the goal, move the goalpost, repeat forever. It's exhausting. And hollow.
But if you're on a quest? Every season is part of the journey. Every setback is character development. Every challenge is an opportunity to become more of who you're trying to be.
Quests make the whole thing meaningful - not just the wins.
And quests let you celebrate growth even when the results aren't there yet. You can be "failing" at the goal and succeeding at the quest.
How to shift from goals to quests
1. Start with who, not what.
Before you set the goal, ask: who do I need to become to achieve this? What skills, mindset, habits, beliefs?
That's your quest.
2. Measure growth, not just results.
At the end of the season, don't just ask "did I hit the number?" Ask: "How did I grow? What did I learn? Who am I becoming?"
Count the becoming, not just the arriving.
3. Reframe setbacks as part of the quest.
In a goal mindset, failure is failure. In a quest mindset, failure is a plot point. It's part of the story. It's where the growth happens.
Ask: what is this setback teaching me? How is this challenge helping me become who I need to be?
4. Let the quest pull you forward.
Goals push. You have to force yourself toward them with discipline and willpower.
Quests pull. They inspire you. They connect to meaning and purpose. They make you want to keep going even when it's hard.
If your goal doesn't inspire you, you might be chasing the wrong thing. Find the quest underneath it.
The quest you're already on
Just in case you didn’t know, you're already on a quest. Whether you've named it or not.
You're becoming someone. Every decision, every challenge, every season is shaping who you are.
The question is: are you conscious of it? Are you intentional about the becoming? Or are you just chasing goals and wondering why you feel empty when you hit them?
You get to decide what quest you're on.
You get to define who you're becoming.
And when you do - the goals start to matter less, and the journey starts to matter more.
The invitation
What if you stopped asking "what do I want to achieve?" and started asking "who do I want to become?"
What if the results were just evidence of your growth, not the point of the whole thing?
What if you're not failing at your goals? You're just in the middle of your quest?
The treasure isn't the point. The becoming is.
So, who are you becoming?
If this resonated, you might also like:
You can't grow your farm business past who you're willing to become — Why the becoming matters more than the doing
What if enough was the goal? — When the quest isn't about more
You're playing small because big feels dangerous — When the quest requires you to become someone new
You're doing a good job. Even when the goals feel far away.
If you need help figuring out the quest underneath your goals — or who you're becoming through all of this — I'm here. You can schedule a free chat with me anytime at FarmCoachKatia.com/work-with-me.