Guiding Thought

What do you value? How much do you value it? When you clarify these questions, you establish the value of your goal. Then, consciously bring this value to all your thoughts and actions, measuring your behavior against the criteria set by your values. The means for accomplishment reveal themselves as you clarify your intentions.

Reflection

Today we approach goals  in reverse.

Most often, when people set goals, the first thought is, “what do I want”, or “what do I want to achieve?” When the goal is set, the next step is to set up the tasks and timeline necessary to accomplish the goal. Rarely, if ever, do people consider the value of the goal, or if it’s worth achieving, really worth achieving. This is where some thoughtfulness on what is worthy would be useful; what are you worth?

Instead of goal setting first, today you are asked to evaluate your own values (“e-value-ate”–I just got that). This assessment brings to light the value of your goals.

Maybe this is why some people would not like to first evaluate their goals. Upon evaluation, the absence of real value might be revealed. Why question the value of wanting that new job/car/kitchen, when it’s so much easier just to want it?

What is really cool about this process is that the values take the place of trying to figure out what the tasks and timeline are, in the conventional goal-setting process. Instead of thinking and planning what to do, just think about which actions will reflect your values.

Your values lead you to right action.

Then, before you know it, the means for accomplishment reveal themselves.

I know this sounds really backward, and you might be thinking “how can this work?” This is the spiritual approach, which (of course) is reverse from what the material approach would be. It takes some mental adjustment, but it works.