Your Goal Must Be In Alignment With Your Values

Goal setting is usually very straight forward. You write down a clear, concise goal and then begin to move forward to achieve it. The problem comes when your values are not in alignment with your goal.

A value is a standard of behavior, thought or belief you hold dear to you. This could be the importance of caring for others, integrity, friendliness, and spiritual connection to name a few. A goal is something you wish to achieve. Your values will help you make it to your named destination.

One common area of conflict between values and your desired achievement occurs is in the area of prosperity and abundance. People who grew up in a strict Christian environment may have a conflict between being prosperous and achieving a spiritual life. They may have a fear that riches could lead them away from God. This sets up a conflict on the subconscious level between abundance and spirituality. For the conflict to be resolved, either the goal or the value needs to change.

Another value could be to live life simply. This belief holds that the simpler you live, the fewer resources you use and the more will be available for other people. You could say the belief supporting this value is that resources are limited and there is a direct cause and effect between what you use and what others don't have. If you want a new car, you may run into conflict between your value of simplicity and your desire of the car.

The struggle between values and goals can also be seen in the corporate world. If you grew up in a family where being considerate of people was paramount, the cut-throat mentality of the corporate world can result in deep inner conflict. This can lead to physical issues such as ulcers, high blood pressure and heart disease. You either have to change your values or find a way to bring your actions into alignment with your values.

When setting your goals, do some soul searching as to any unintended consequences of achieving your deeply help desire that are not in alignment with your values. When you find conflicts you need to do some problem solving. What do you want more, the goal or the value? Is there a way to have both and thus remove the conflict?

Does what you hold dear to you have contradictory beliefs within it? For instance, one value you may have is the importance of caring for you and your family. At the same time you may believe having abundance is not spiritual. Is your adherence to the value resulting in fear that abundance will lead you from God prevent you from caring from your family? These types of inconsistencies can result in inner turmoil.

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