Short term goals

What measurement systems are there for goal setting to decide what is a short term goal versus a long term one versus one where you want an immediate solution or immediate achievement? Individuals often have significant difficulty understanding the levels or layers of complexity of tasks or how long something takes to achieve it due to the gaps in their own knowledge. Providing this knowledge over a period of time to fit in with their own ability to regulate themselves can be helpful in managing comprehension about what is necessary to meet the set goals. A lack of ability to deviate from the goals that have been established earlier needs to be analysed to determine whether these are being thought of as ‘demands’ versus something that hides others goals underneath.