The Value Shift: A New Approach to Setting Intentions for the Year
If you are like a lot of people (approximately 40-50%), you entered the new year with new hope, a new sense of resolution, and new goals.
If you are also like a lot of people (approximately 80%), that resolve dissipates by the second week of February, we fall back into normal routines and discouraged, we turn our back on those goals lest they remind us of our lack of discipline, inability to change, or utter failure.
There are, however, many “good” reasons why by the end of the year, only 8-12% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions much of which has to do with how we set goals in the first place. There is a whole body of work on the science of goal setting and how to make our goals more achievable, but that is not what this blog is going to be about.
If you are part of the majority, and your New Year’s resolutions are already beginning to fizzle, I want to offer an alternative and perhaps more powerful approach to setting intentions for the year: focusing on values instead of goals.
What is the Difference Between Goals and Values Anyway?
Goals are specific outcomes one wishes to achieve. For example, “reading more” might be a goal, a more specific version of which might be “I want to read X number of books this year”. We might set goals for any area of our life: fitness, work, finances, even our social or family lives.
Values instead are foundational beliefs and principles that reflect what truly matters to us and can guide our daily actions and decisions. Health, integrity, compassion, connection, growth are all examples of values.
So What?!
Goals focus on the outcomes we want to achieve, whereas values focus on who we are and how we want to show up in the world. That difference has considerable impact.
While goals that are specific, measurable, realistic, and time-bound are more likely to lead to successful change than general, unclear, overly ambitious, long-term goals, focusing on values can add a far more sustainable and meaningful approach to making your year what you want it to be.
I think the best way I can explain the difference is by talking about external versus internal, but I will talk about this distinction in three main areas.
1. External versus internal motivation.
Sometimes we set certain goals because social pressures or external influence makes us believe we “should” and not because they truly align with our deeper needs and values. Extrinsic, or externally driven goals, are harder to maintain connection and commitment to because they can feel untethered without an internal anchor.
Real change is hard, we are habit driven creatures, and developing new habits requires persistence and motivation. Internal values provide a more robust supply of motivational fuel for our goals. For example, a goal to get more fit, which might be driven by societal standards, can have a certain amount of punch, but a desire to remain healthy, agile, and strong (goal) so we can be there for our children and grandchildren far into the future (value) just has more power behind it.
2. External outcomes versus Internal process.
Goals are focused on meeting specific outcomes. A focus on outcomes emphasizes the end-result over a journey of incremental progress and the personal growth that can be experienced along the way. An outcomes focus encourages an all-or-nothing mindset where you either succeed or fail in meeting your end goal, whereas a focus on process allows you to appreciate the smaller daily changes you do make while also allowing room for recalibration and adjustments along the way. It is far more encouraging to focus on process over goals.
Further, connecting to your values, the person you want to be, how you want to show up in life, what’s most important to you in terms of how you spend your precious time, shifts your focus to the moment-to-moment choices you make daily and gives you more flexibility and choice in how to live out those values.
For instance, rather than setting a goal like "I want to read X books this year," you could focus on the underlying values such as "I value curiosity and learning." This shift in perspective moves your attention away from merely counting books and pages read, and towards engaging in activities that stimulate your curiosity and foster continuous learning. You might choose to listen to a podcast instead of scrolling through Instagram, follow IG profiles that expand your knowledge base, listen to an audiobook while driving, or even sign up for a class.
Unlike rigid goals, values act as a guiding compass that can adapt to life’s movement and changes. Since they don’t rely on specific outcomes but instead allow for flexible expression of deeper values, they are more sustainable over time.
3. External Expression versus Internal Identification.
While goals typically end once they’re achieved, values influence who we are and how we show up every day. The emphasis shifts from “What do we want to accomplish?” to “Who do we want to be?” This shift in perspective and emphasis makes values a more anchoring and powerful source for enduring well-being and meaning.
True values, ones we dig deep to uncover within ourselves, align deeply with our authentic selves. Living our values, rather than pursuing extrinsic goals, leads to greater personal fulfillment. Adam Grant states that 70 studies indicate mental health relies more on meeting our own ideals than others’ expectations. Aligning actions with values is key to our well-being. We live in integrity with ourselves.
It is a space of power, peace, and joy.
How to Make the Shift: Living a Values-Driven Year
To help get you started on this shift from goals to values, below are some exercises focused on values clarification (there are of course many other exercises available). If your journey to the life you want needs a bit of a jumpstart, perhaps give values a shot?
Exercise 1: Reflect on Past Experiences
Step 1: Think back to moments in your life that felt truly meaningful or fulfilling or when you were at your happiest. These experiences can provide clues to your core values. Use the following prompts to guide your reflection:
· When did I feel happiest or most alive?
· What was I doing, and why did it matter to me?
· Who was I with, and how did they influence the experience?
· What challenges have I faced, and what principles helped me overcome them?
Step 2: Write down 3–5 recurring themes or principles that emerge from these reflections and the values they express.
Exercise 2: Identify Your Core Values
Step 1: Review the list of common values below and select the ones that resonate most with you. This list of values is not comprehensive and you are free to come up with you own. Optionally, brainstorm values by asking yourself the question, “What is important to me in life?”
LIST OF COMMON VALUES:
Authenticity Achievement Adventure Authority Autonomy Balance Beauty Boldness Compassion Challenge Citizenship Community Competency Contribution Creativity Curiosity Determination Fairness Faith Fame Friendships Fun Growth Happiness Honesty Humor Influence Inner Harmony Justice Kindness Knowledge Leadership Learning Love Loyalty Meaningful Work Openness Optimism Peace Pleasure Poise Popularity Recognition Religion Reputation Respect Responsibility Security Self-Respect Service Spirituality Stability Success Status Trustworthiness Wealth Wisdom
Step 2: List your top 3-5 values: of the values you selected or came up with, pick 3-5 that are most important to you (to help prioritize, ask yourself “which values can I not live without?”)
Step 3: Generate your own definition for each of your top 3-5 values that resonates and makes sense to you, and then take five to ten minutes to think about, or journal, why each of your top values is important to you. Answer each of the following for each value:
Value 1:
Means to me (my definition):
Is Important to me because:
Example:
Value 1: “Connection”
Means to me (my definition): “Building deep, authentic relationships”
Is important to me because: “It is where I feel seen and understood and is where I can help others also feel seen and understood.”
Step 4: Identify how you are currently “living your values”
Step 5: Do you feel like you have neglected any of your values? If so, what actions could you take to further align yourself with your top three-five values?
Exercise 3: Use Values as a Decision-Making Compass
Using your values to guide your decision-making can be a powerful tool in creating a life of integrity and authenticity. When faced with decisions or challenges, ask yourself:
· Does this choice align with my values?
· How will this decision bring me closer to the life I want to live?
· Am I acting out of fear, obligation, or alignment with what matters most to me?
· If others’ opinions did not matter, what decision would I make?
Exercise 4: Regular Reflection and Recalibration
Our values evolve over time, so living in alignment with our values needs an ongoing process of evaluation and recalibration. Check in occasionally to ask yourself (journaling can be helpful here):
Are my values evolving, or do they still resonate with me?
Happy journey…