In this paper we analyse different notions of the concept of goal starting from the idea of sequences of "alternative acceptable outcomes". We study the relationships between goals and concepts like agent's beliefs, norms, and desires, and we propose a formalisation using Defeasible Logic that will be able to provide a computationally feasible approach. The resulting system captures various nuances of the notion of goal against different normative domains, for which the right decision is not only context-dependent, but it must be chosen from a pool of alternatives as wide as possible.