Why should goals be measurable?

When a goal is vague or unclear you might have a problem finding out whether you are making progress or not. When a goal is measurable you can easily track your progress.

When a goal isn't clear, for example, 'I want to be good at basketball', you might feel lost and fail to find a starting point. A measurable goal such as 'I need to practice 200 hours of basketball' is more likely to get you moving.

When a goal is measurable you can easily divide it into sub goals and so create milestones that can help you keep your motivation.

When a goal is measurable you will easily be able to tell how much you achieved by comparing the numbers. When achieving a significant percentage of the goal, let's say 50%, you will experience a strong sense of achievement. (See What does it feel like to achieve your dreams?)

You can hardly stay motivated if you aren't able to track your progress or compare it against a measurable number. A measurable goal is more likely to keep you motivated.

If the goal is measurable it becomes easier to set a realistic deadline. If the goal can't be measured then this might open the door for procrastination.

When a goal is measurable it becomes easy to evaluate your strategy and find out whether you are making progress or not. (See How do dream catchers catch dreams?)