How are Values and Goals Related?

Last week we began to explore values in connection to 10 common life domains. Sometimes when working on clarifying values it is easy to list goals. Hence, let’s take the time to look at the difference between the two and how they are connected.

Values are our hearts deepest desires for the way we want to interact with and relate to the world, people and ourselves. Values offer a way for us to know what goals we want to work on. They are motivators to energize us to act on those goals. However, values are not goals.

If I ask you to go west would you ever finish going west. Can you go further west than California? Of course you can. Going west has no end.  However, if I asked you to go to California you can arrive there and you have accomplished the goal. It is accomplished and you can give it a check mark.

If this is not clear that is okay. Here is an example from my life. Two domains I find I have strong values attached to are 1) Career/Employment and 2) Education/personal growth and development.

They overlap. The value connected to my career are to offer my clients the highest quality care possible. Hence, I hired a supervisor to work with on cases and skill development. Also, I see my own therapist as well as a coach. Education and personal growth and development is intrinsically satisfying. Additionally, the later supports my Career and employment values. I love learning and sign up for workshops and classes ofter. Most recently, I participated in a workshop on EMDR and another one on ACT with John Forsyth.

More to come:

Just to let you know. I will be out of town visiting the west coast for two weeks. I missed last weekends post I was busy preparing to be gone.

I have written a couple of posts for the time I am gone.

(c) 2011 Brenda Bomgardner, MA, NCC