Setting goals and not achieving them too often leads us to shame and self-doubt. I want to encourage you to possibly stop goal-setting for a moment and focus on what you care about. Start with livable goals that begin with what you’re already doing, succeed from a place of plenty rather than wasting energy trying to leap from lack. We can explore this by exploring the religious practices of Lent, diving into Values, and seeing how what is important never leaves us.
Steps of Value-Based Living: (“Identifying Values” worksheet on the Resources page)
- Identify an area of your life you’d typically set a goal based on lack or self-denial
- What Value is associated with that area?
- Select 2-5 other Values that come to mind, or are associated with, that initial Value.
- What are healthy behaviors to support that Value?
- Consider how others are supporting those same Values and how you may bring such behavior completely or in part, to your own life.
Following the 5 steps of Value-Based Living will provide a foundation on which to base your goals. A resource to help create lifestyle habits that will allow you to reach your Value-based goals is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Create an environment that enables your desired objectives by setting up a routine of supportive daily practices.
Setting Goals
When setting goals using the S.M.A.R.T. method.
- Specific – clearly state your objective
- Measurable – based on your specific description, how will you know you have achieved it
- Achievable – your goal should require you to stretch but not be so expansive that it is impossible to complete
- Relevant – your objective must be relevant to you and your life, not for the benefit or desire of someone else
- Time-Bound – when will your goal be completed, again this is a specific date