---
slug: goal-vs-task
title: Goal vs task — what is the difference
category: definition
status: published
tags: [goal, task, difference, compare, 目标, 任务, 区别]
aliases: [goal-vs-task-diff]
lastEditAt: 2026-04-26
---
**What's the difference between a goal and a task?**  
A goal is the outcome you want (weeks to months). A task is one piece of work to move toward it (hours to days). One goal usually drives many tasks. A goal answers "where are we trying to get to?" A task answers "what are we doing right now?"

**How do they work together?**  
When you set a goal, Astra figures out what work would move it forward and proposes tasks. When you send a task, Astra checks which goal it serves — if none, she may ask whether it's worth doing.

**Why does the distinction matter?**  
Tracking only tasks looks busy but drifts off course. Tracking only goals looks ambitious but ships nothing. The team uses both — Astra makes sure today's tasks ladder up to this quarter's goals.