Setting new goals? Don’t forget the most important part…

Understanding the things we value most gives us so much power when it comes to making decisions. Within the Assemble Financial Coaching program, we do some work on identifying our current values and using them to assess our spending, which is an effective strategy to ensure where our money goes is intentional.

I value my health – I’ll pay a little extra for organic and skip the chips thanks. I value friendship – I’ll cook us dinner at home so we can catch up properly. I value growth – I can’t stay too late; I’m doing a course this weekend.

Our behaviour reflects our values, and those values have brought us to exactly where we are in our lives right at this moment. Will those same values however, help us achieve our new goals? This is an important question to ask ourselves as we move forward.

When I look back at some goals that I set but did not achieve, I can see that my behaviour wasn’t in alignment. This was because I hadn’t considered the values that I also needed to incorporate into my life to achieve them. When we set new goals, as many do at the beginning of a new year, it’s also a good time to consider what new values we may need to adopt to achieve them.

Here are some quick and easy steps to make sure everything is in alignment, giving you a much better chance of achieving your goals:

1. Write down your current values.

Knowing our current values is important. If you’re unsure of them or think they may have changed; you will find the Values Exercise here on Coach’s Corner.

2. Set your 2021 goals.

Write them down and be specific about what you want to achieve.

3. Consider what values you need to achieve those goals.

Think carefully about what you will need to do and who you will need to be to achieve your goals. What values will you need to draw on when you’re doing those things and being that person? Will you need determination for example, or courage, focus or vitality?

4. Do you already possess those values, or will you need to adopt new ones?

Write down the values that you already have and any new ones you will need to adopt to achieve your goals.

5. Make the decision to embody those values.

Now that you know which values are required to achieve your goals, make the decision to choose these moving forward. Make a note of them where you can see them often – put them on your vision board, create a phone screensaver or put them on your bedroom wall. Regularly remind yourself of what values you will embody moving forward. (*Psst! Don’t skip this step! It all begins with a decision. Your decision to make a change can create the largest shift in your behaviour, and hence, your life.)

As the months go by this year these values will determine our behaviour, they are therefore a key part of setting any goal. Choosing values that will help us achieve them can make all the difference when it comes to achieving our most desired results.

What values will you decide to live by this year?

If you’d like some help setting achievable goals and uncovering which values are needed to make 2021 successful for you, book a private coaching session now via Coach’s Corner.