New Year's Resolutions: Goals, Values, and Things "Too" Do

The new year is a valuable time to refocus on life and set new goals. What you choose within your life scope is completely up to you. However, when you align your values with your goals, your chances for success increase dramatically. What are your values? You might start by looking at your checkbook and see how you spend your money. Or perhaps do a daily time log and see where you spend your time. These external indicators can help clarify what you might value outside of yourself.

What about internally? What are the core values that set the foundation for who you are so much that if they were taken away, it would no longer seem like you? What attributes or values are thematically woven through your personal life, school life, family life, and your business life? Setting resolutions or goals allow us to reflect, evaluate, and plan for what we want. Often times, people use “I should” and “I need to” when in actuality, they do not want to or they lack the belief or faith to do it.

Goals can be defined as process oriented or outcome oriented. Do you want to adapt a healthy habit which is an ongoing process or do you want to complete a marathon? While using both process and outcome are important, you might find that you value one more than the other. I enjoyed talking with another person who, like myself, had a mentally challenging workout today. As I listened to how she struggled with her performance feeling completed defeated with her swim workout, I could relate to my own mind over matter battle with the stair climber. For me, enjoying the music and focusing on the tunes rather than the time proved to be a helpful tool. We both agreed that enjoying the process helped us complete the task for today.

A final note to consider when determining your New Year’s goals is a short “too” do list:
too many- pick two
too unrealistic- make it achievable (either as a process or outcome)
too vague-clearly define with an action plan and write them down
too little faith- believe in yourself

All the best and choose to grow in 2012!