Your Guide to Goal-Setting That Sticks—Start with Your Values
Did you know that less than 9% of Americans stick to their New Year's Resolutions? There's a better way to succeed. So what is the goal-setting secret that will help you turn your dreams into achievements? Aligning your goals with your personal values.
We've discussed the power of understanding your personal values before, but today we're going to look at how they can completely change your relationship to goals. We’ll start by revisiting personal values, then we'll explore their connection to goals, and finally provide you with a step-by-step guide to align your goals with what matters most to you.
It's a powerful formula that you'll want to try today, so let's jump in!
Understanding Your Personal Values
If you haven't read my last article about values, I did a deep dive into what values are, why they're important, and how to define them. You can read that now on my blog for a refresher, but don’t worry if you don't have time—I’ll give you a quick refresher here before we move into actionable steps.
Values are the core beliefs that shape how we think, act, and connect with the world around us. They serve as our compass, influencing everything from personal decisions to how we build relationships and pursue a meaningful life. These guiding principles arise from many sources, including:
Family upbringing
Cultural traditions
Personal experiences
Challenges or trauma
While some values remain anchored within us, others may evolve over time as we grow and adapt. Developing a clear understanding of your values is essential for navigating life’s complexities, as it provides direction, purpose, and motivation. When your actions align with your values, it fosters a greater sense of satisfaction and well-being, while living out of alignment can lead to stress or discontent.
Goals and Values
So, how do your values relate to your goals? Your values act as a guiding compass when it comes to setting goals. They reveal what truly matters to you, so you can set goals that align with your authentic self. When your ambitions reflect your core beliefs, they are no longer just tasks to check off—they become meaningful pursuits that you are motivated to work toward.
This alignment offers many benefits, such as:
Purpose: When you know why your goal matters, it's easier to push through and stay committed over time.
Satisfaction: When you reach a goal that aligns with your values, you'll get a sense of fulfillment that lasts, rather than the emptiness that can come from chasing goals tied to external pressures.
Forward Movement: Accomplishing value-driven goals leaves you with a sense of taking steps toward building a life that reflects your priorities.
Balance: Knowing your values means you'll know what is most important and be able to make decisions that leave you with a sense of accomplishment without overwhelm
By grounding your ambitions in what truly matters to you, your goals reflect who you are at your core, and pursuing them feels natural, making it easier to overcome obstacles and sustain effort over time. But how do you accomplish that sense of alignment? Keep reading for 5 simple steps to make sure your goals align with what matters most
5 Steps for Aligning Goals with Values
Now that we've got an understanding of values and goals, it's time to create your own. Grab something to write with and follow these steps to create goals that are in harmony with your values:
1) Identify Your Core Values
Action: Reflect on your values using the questions and infographic provided. Write them down and rank them in order of importance.
Personal values are a reflection of what truly matters to you, and identifying them is essential for living a life in harmony with them. Because defining them can be a big process, I have an in-depth guide to values, including practical tips for defining yours, on my blog.
If you're short on time, I've included the infographic from that post here, so review it before asking yourself these questions and writing down your answers:
What makes me feel fulfilled?
Which principles guide my decision-making?
When have I felt the most at peace or proud of myself?
Once completed, use your answers to write down some values that are reflected there. You can pick from the list on the infographic, or create your own.
2) Reflect on Your Current Goals
Action: Reflect on your goals, dreams, and ambitions and write them down. Then make a list of any factors that might affect how you work toward them. Include strengths, weaknesses, and priorities, such as physical or mental conditions, time constraints, resources, and training.
Once your values are clear, take a close look at your current goals or desires. Anytime you start or recommit to a new goal, it's a good idea to reflect on your current strengths, weaknesses, and priorities, in addition to how they align with your values.
Let's look at some examples:
If "health and wellness" is a key value, a goal of walking five times per week might be a good one. However, while a goal to walk outdoors for 30 minutes might be a top priority in the lazy, sunny days of summer, it might be less of a priority in the middle of the holiday season. Instead, you could make a goal of walking on the treadmill or doing an indoor workout.
If "community involvement" matters to you, a goal of volunteering your time might be a doable option. Whether you choose to volunteer on a neighborhood committee, visit a retirement home once a month, or spend a weekend cleaning up a local park will depend on factors like your skill set, physical abilities, and time constraints.
Part of setting goals that align with your values is to be honest with yourself. This has two parts. First, acknowledge your limits and only commit to what you can reasonably expect to accomplish. Second, acknowledge your strengths and be willing to embrace and use them. Adjusting your goal to reflect these factors will make you more successful in your endeavors.
3) Set SMART Goals
Action: Use the SMART Goal Formula to further define your goals.
Now that you've identified your values and used them to define your goals, it's time to break it all down into smaller, manageable steps. When setting goals, ensure they are specific, actionable, and reflective of your values. This makes it easier to stay consistent, and allows you to see the progress along the way.
A proven method of effective goal-setting is SMART goals. Let's take a closer look at how these work with the example of someone who has the goal to "Get in shape":
1. Specific - Be very clear about what you want to accomplish.
1. TIP: Identify what "Get in shape" means? Is it reaching a certain weight? Meeting a specific step count or minutes of activity? Completing a milestone?
2. Example: Train for and complete my first 5k.
2. Measurable - Find a way to measure your progress.
1. TIP: A measurement can be things like distance, days of training, specific changes to your body or feelings, etc. Habit trackers and charts are a great resource for measuring progress.
2. Example: I will train 4 days per week until I can run 5k or more.
3. Achievable - Be realistic about what you can accomplish.
1. TIP: If you don't know how long or how much effort something will take, overestimate. You can also ask others with experience to help you make a realistic guess. It's better to give yourself too much space and finish early than set yourself up for failure.
2. Example: Complete the 5k. (For someone who hasn't done a 5k before, a goal to "run the whole thing" or "finish in 30 minutes" may not be realistic.)
4. Relevant - Keep it focused on the area you're working on, and set a separate one if your goal seems to be going off on a tangent.
1. TIP: Ensure it's aligned with your values and long-term goals.
2. Example: The long-term goal is "get in shape" and the SMART goal is to actively work toward a 5k, which moves you toward the overall goal. This goal would also be in line with values such as wellness and balance.
5. Time-Bound - Set a time frame for accomplishing the goal.
1. TIP: This can be a date, time, or number of days to finish. On that day, assess your progress, and either set a new goal or extend the end date.
2. Example: Within 3 months.
So, for a goal of "Get in shape," our SMART goal might be "Run a 5k within the next 3 months by training 4 days per week.
4) Reflect, Assess, and Adapt
Action: At least once per month, reflect on your goals, assess your progress, and make any changes needed to keep them in line with your values.
Life changes, and so do our values and circumstances. To maintain alignment with your goals and values, be sure to reflect regularly on whether your goals are still a good fit and reassess your priorities to ensure you're spending time on the things that matter.
For example, if your value is balance, but you've committed to a goal that demands more time than expected, you could adjust it by scaling back the time you spend working on it or extending the time frame you've given it.
Or if you're highly value-driven toward creativity, replace a mismatched goal like running a marathon with something that fulfills your passion, like taking a photography workshop.
Be willing to adapt as life changes and embrace new insights. They might just lead to fresh goals that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
Examples of Goals That Align with Personal Values
1. Health and Wellness
Rachel, a busy executive, swapped gym workouts for 30-minute outdoor walks, aligning her health goal with her love for nature. By the end of the month, she expanded her activities to biking and yoga, rediscovering energy and joy in her routine.
2. Personal Growth
Mia chose a graphic design course over career certifications, dedicating three evenings weekly to learning. By the end, she created a digital portfolio, landed freelance work, and reignited her passion for creativity.
3. Relationships
To strengthen their bond after becoming parents, Lily and Dan committed to two kid-free date nights monthly for six months. By honoring the high value they both placed on their marriage, their connection deepened, and their relationship became stronger than ever.
4. Contribution to Community
After reading about rising homelessness in his city, Jason set a goal to volunteer at a shelter one Saturday a month for four months. This quickly grew into bi-weekly visits and eventually led him to organize a workplace donation drive, finding fulfillment in helping others.
5. Financial Stability
Overwhelmed by credit card debt, James decided to take control by setting a goal to pay off one card within six months by budgeting, cutting unnecessary expenses, and diverting extra funds to payments. Within six months, he cleared one card and gained control over his finances. Though initially challenging, he soon found that financial stability was much more rewarding than his spending.
Each of these examples highlights how aligning goals with values creates focus and intent. When you live and work in alignment with what you care about most, your efforts feel rewarding, and your achievements bring true satisfaction.
Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions in 2025
As the New Year approaches, it's the perfect opportunity to reflect on your values and set meaningful, achievable goals that will bring you closer to the life you envision. Whether it's improving your health, fostering relationships, or pursuing personal growth, the tips and strategies we've shared can set you up for resolutions that last.
Are you ready to experience the benefits of value-aligned goals? A Holistic Wellness Coach can be your guide and ally through the process, helping you identify what matters and holding you accountable as you work toward your goals.
At Remedy Box Wellness, I will give you the support you need to take your goal-setting to the next level. We'll define your values and use them to develop goals and make decisions that align with you and your lifestyle. Make this year your most fulfilling yet—Schedule your Discovery Call today!