Do you ever feel overwhelmed by #RiseAndGrind culture? Do you ever feel like you have to be #CrushingIt 24/7? There’s a lot of pressure on social media right now to be setting up goals and knocking them down.
Hannah Thompson, Dietetic Intern
Monday, June 20, 2022
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by #RiseAndGrind culture? Do you ever feel like you have to be #CrushingIt 24/7? There’s a lot of pressure on social media right now to be setting up goals and knocking them down. I think that’s great! But we need to make sure we’re setting goals that align with our values. We need to set goals that fit with our purpose and our unique gifts. Your goals will not be the same as your best friend’s goals. I often hear people talking about “failing” to meet goals they set for themselves. I hear: “I’m trying to go to the gym 5 days a week and I only went once! I suck!” or “I tried going vegan but I love meat too much.” When I hear about these kinds of “failures”, I wonder: ‘Are these even goals this person wanted to accomplish anyways?’
Who are we setting goals for? Who are we trying to impress? Who are we listening to about what we “have” to do to be successful? The purpose of goals is to push ourselves to be a better, more developed version of ourselves. The purpose of a goal is not to duplicate our favorite Instagram influencer and fit into their mold.
I like to set value-based goals. These are goals that align with my values and my intentions. This way, when I accomplish my goals, they reinforce the person I am and who I want to be. When we aren’t living in alignment with our values, we suffer as a result.
Let me walk you through the process of setting value-based goals. I’ll use myself as an example.
First, define your values.
I encourage you to start by listing out your values. Don’t think too hard or take too long-these should be things that you innately know. You can always reassess and realign in a week, a month, or a decade. Here’s a list of the first values that came to my mind for me:
- Being a good friend and family member
- Prioritizing myself, my needs, my wants
- Serving myself delicious food
- Expressing creativity
- Quality alone time to recharge
- Doing work that is meaningful (passion, joy, impact)
- Being authentic
Tip: Ask yourself, who do I want to be? Your answers are your values.
Second, set an intention.
To really achieve our goals, we have to do more than know our values. We have to know how we’re going to go about living up to those values. We do this by setting intentions. Your intentions are formed from your values and your current needs. For instance, let’s say I’m feeling sleep deprived and my relationships are suffering as a result.
Let’s go back to my values, specifically being a good friend/family member and prioritizing myself and my needs. When I sacrifice sleep to work more or watch Netflix, I am not living in alignment with my values. I end up not having the energy or mood to be a good friend, and I’m not prioritizing my need for sleep! When I recognize that, I can set an intention around sleep that aligns with my values. An intention that aligns with my values and current needs might look like “I want to have sleep habits that are supportive to my life”.
Tip: Ask yourself, how can I be that person I want to be? Your answers are your intentions.
Third, set your goal.
Now we are ready to set our value-based goals using our intentions as a guide. Goals are more specific than intentions and ultimately lead back to your values. Let’s break this down:
- My values related to goal: Being a good friend and prioritizing my needs
- My intention related to goal: I want to have sleep habits that are supportive to my life
(By prioritizing my need for sleep, I can be a better friend/family member and live in alignment with my values)
Examples of potential goals based on my intention:
- I will set my alarm 1 hour before I want to get to bed. This will remind me to start winding down and getting ready for sleep.
- I will go to bed at the same time every night during the week (+/- 1 hour)
- I will buy light-blocking curtains to make it easier for me to sleep at night.
- I will make my bed every day so that it looks warm and inviting when it’s time for sleep.
Viola! Now you’re REALLY going to #CrushIt with goals that align with your values and bring you closer to who you want to be.
