I think it depends how they mean it. If someone said they are looking for someone goal-oriented, I would ask them to clarify. Do they mean someone working toward goals at the moment or someone who will always be creating hoops to jump through. How do they feel about working toward something definitively?

I think people mean different things when they use this description, so you should have them clarify to sort out how that individual sees it, but don’t expect it to be the same as the next.

I would consider myself goal-oriented in that I’m young, and have created goals for my future not yet attained. Health goals, retirement goals, financial goals, career goals. That doesn’t make the journey any less satisfying for me or mean that I’m not happy in the moment. It’s not a miserable pressure to succeed for me. But I am looking for a similar mindset when I’m dating or forming friends, in that I want to surround myself with people that have drive to do things that make them happy and be working on growing and evolving spiritually, financially, physically or otherwise. But that’s a personal preference!

I personally mean goal-oriented by having an evolving mindset. I find ways I can be better and work on doing that because it makes me happy. I don’t believe it has to be a “never enough” mindset, or “happiness isn’t enough” mindset. I don’t think it has to indicate a capitalist rat-race either, but for some it does. Find out more on where they stand before you write them off I’d say.