Do you find yourself wondering about where you’re headed next? Do you wonder if the goals and values you set out to achieve are really all that important to you now? Are you thinking that it’s time to reevaluate?
Well, you’re probably right. Just as it’s important to go to your filing system periodically and throw out all the old papers that you’ve been holding onto, it’s equally important to take a little time to evaluate where you think you’re headed and throw out the ideas that no longer work.
Most of us think we know what we want, and what’s of most importance to us. We think we know how to get there, or at least what direction to head. But, unless we’ve taken the time to examine “under the hood”, then it’s difficult to understand what really drives us, let alone what causes us to make the choices that we’ve made over time.
Goals are important. But in truth, goals are simply a way to make us feel better, to convince us that we’ve done or are doing something of value. Goals are a result, a final vision of what we think we want.
Achieving any goal provides us with the end result, but not always with the experience that we have been seeking. Have you ever noticed how people who achieve their goals don’t always feel satisfaction? They are often more excited and engaged while they are pursing their goal, not after they’ve achieved it. And so they set and run after another goal.
What most of us are seeking when we set goals, is a particular experience that the goal itself represents to us. And usually, that experience could be expressed in many different ways, it doesn’t necessarily have to be through any one particular goal or outcome that we’ve set.
This is one of the main reasons it’s so important to discover your true values. Understanding your core values will give you a clearer idea of what it is you are trying to achieve. And once you understand that, you are in a better position to make choices that fulfill your values and bring you the satisfaction of the experience you were seeking in the first place.
New Years is traditionally a time to assess where you’ve been and set new goals for what you want to accomplish in the coming year. When you take the time to understand what motivates you, you’ll not only set better goals that are in alignment with those values, you’ll have a better chance of staying on track with the goals you’ve set.
From now through New Years, I’ve put my 3-part Strategic Goal Planning book on sale through a special link at http://KatieDarden.com. Take advantage of this limited time offer today.
My very dear friend, Lynette, lost her beautiful two year old daughter, Brennan, sixteen years ago today. Over the years she has gone through several levels of healing, including creating an "angel day" to celebrate her daughter's brief time on earth.