Aligning Goals and Values

“If you have tried to do something and failed, you are vastly better off than if you had tried to do nothing and succeeded.”—Richard Martin Stern

As any reader of this blog knows, I believe in setting goals. Even if not fully achieved, goals provide us with a direction for our daily, weekly, monthly and annual activities. They are benchmarks that measure change. Achieving a goal provides a sense of accomplishment. Setting goals also helps us to determine our priorities. The question for today is, “Do your goals reflect what you most value in life?”

Coaching clients have told me that one of the most effective exercises I ask them to do is reflect on and identify their core values. When things become difficulty in a coaching conversation, going back to one’s stated values provides both motivation and clarity.

For example, if a client has said that family is a core value but he keeps adding on responsibilities that take him away from family, how consistent is this in relation to his values? For another example, a person may say that she values a personal relationship with God but she fails to set time aside for those things that will help her grow as a believer, is she really committed to this aspect of her life?

As we think about our direction for the New Year, our values can serve as a compass pointed toward true north. We may deviate from the course from time to time, but our values will always call us back to the path we need to follow.

I encourage you not only to set good goals for the coming year but to make sure that they are consistent with your deepest values.

(Originally posted on Barnabas File on December 31, 2015)

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