Sunday, December 18, 2005
what came first the value or the goal?
for many of us setting goals is great way to motivate ourselves to get things done, to achieve big things and go after what we really want. but what happens if in the midst of your determined pursuit of a goal you find yourself questioning whether you are ending up where you really wanted to be?
sometimes the answer is that our commitment to our goal led us to leave our values in the dust. jeremy's recent post over at lifestylism is a great reminder of the importance of making sure our values our driving our goals and not the other way around. he links to a post from superordinate which states:
one of the dangers of letting our goals supersede our values is feeling like we have failed at achieving a goal, when in reality we've simply outgrown that goal and continuing to live our values means moving in new directions.
thinking of our values as the foundation upon which are goals are built can help us to remember that our goals will only truly bring us success if they are in line with our values.
are your goals in line with your values?
what values do you want to make sure are informing your goals?
as always, share your thoughts...what helps you keep your goals on track and heading you towards living your values and finding success?
dream big,
-kirsten
sometimes the answer is that our commitment to our goal led us to leave our values in the dust. jeremy's recent post over at lifestylism is a great reminder of the importance of making sure our values our driving our goals and not the other way around. he links to a post from superordinate which states:
We need to understand who we are and what we're about, and realize that values come first. If our goals are revealed to be out of sync with those values--or our understanding of those values changes so they are--we change the goal. Putting the goal down and committing to it makes it more likely to be achieved; however, we must understand we are committing to what the goal represents to us. The goal is a means to realize our potential and productively apply our values; it is not an end in itself.
one of the dangers of letting our goals supersede our values is feeling like we have failed at achieving a goal, when in reality we've simply outgrown that goal and continuing to live our values means moving in new directions.
thinking of our values as the foundation upon which are goals are built can help us to remember that our goals will only truly bring us success if they are in line with our values.
are your goals in line with your values?
what values do you want to make sure are informing your goals?
as always, share your thoughts...what helps you keep your goals on track and heading you towards living your values and finding success?
dream big,
-kirsten
# posted by kirsten johnson @ 6:00 PM 
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Excellent post. Excellent question. Excellent point. I agree. Our values change with age or a change in circumstance, environment, etc... Sometimes, this shift renders goals obselete. The important thing, I think, is to recognize the incongruence and realign or reframe our goals accordingly. And NOT to continue to pursue goals for the sake of the goal. Goals are important. But the purpose...the value gained from achieving the goal is much more important. If the goal is no longer aligned with your values, there is a good chance the value of the goal is not what it was when the goal was set.
Hi,
I really like your blog. I'm going to have to add it to my links on my blog. Very good questions. For Christmas I got Debbie Ford's book, The Best Year Of Your Life. She talks about how when striving for success, what we are really looking for are feelings we get when we succeed. So while you may want to be a published and famous author, the feelings you really want are respect and admiration. So instead of pursuing success as a published author (or while pursuing success as a published author) instead focus on what in your day to day life can fill you with feelings of respect and admiration.Very interesting, huh? I never looked at success that way before. To me it's similar to what you were saying about goals and values. You may achieve the success you desired, but if it doesn't align with the values or feelings you are after...then what's the point?
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I really like your blog. I'm going to have to add it to my links on my blog. Very good questions. For Christmas I got Debbie Ford's book, The Best Year Of Your Life. She talks about how when striving for success, what we are really looking for are feelings we get when we succeed. So while you may want to be a published and famous author, the feelings you really want are respect and admiration. So instead of pursuing success as a published author (or while pursuing success as a published author) instead focus on what in your day to day life can fill you with feelings of respect and admiration.Very interesting, huh? I never looked at success that way before. To me it's similar to what you were saying about goals and values. You may achieve the success you desired, but if it doesn't align with the values or feelings you are after...then what's the point?
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: 12:17 PM
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