Values and Goals

My view towards therapy and coaching is very much focused on values and goal-setting. So what does it entail?

It entails:


(1) Identifying what you want in life. That means goal-setting. Setting SMARTER goals (to be discussed later).
(2) Identifying what your values are in life and living in accordance with them. (to be discussed later).
(3) Setting weekly action plans and reviewing your progress regulary.

Psychological problems that people face in life (e.g., Anger Management, Stress, Anxiety) stem back to the fact that they (1) don't live in accordance with their values and (2) don't know what they want in life. Simple. Then why don't people do this? We are not taught these skills, ever.....period! These skills are what should be taught at school to prepare students for real life.

It is also important to follow your intuition. You know that little voice at the back of your head. Your mental compass that points you in the right direction. My strong viewpoint is that people discredit it (intuition) and don't look to it to guide them in life.

Ok so you are probably asking how do I know what my values are? Values are things such as; honesty, integrity, hard work, importance of friends, family etc. During this step, it is not about repeating what society tells you should do or what the 10 commandments are. What are YOUR values? What are the 3 or 4 values at the forefront of your mind that are NON NEGOTIABLE.

Once you know what your values are, then you need to set some goals. To set goals, identify 3 areas of life that are important for you (e.g., work, financial, fitness, family, romantic) and go through the following process for each goal:

(S)pecific - what exactly do you need to do and what is it that you want?
(M)easurable - how are you going to measure your progress on a weekly/ monthly basis?
(A)ttractive - how motivated are you to achieve this goal?
(R)realistic - how realistic is this goal for you?
(T)ime-framed - by when do you want to achieve this goal?
(E)cological - what factors in your environment is going to affect this goal?
(R)eason - why do you really want to achieve this goal?

Knowing what your values and goals are is a really good start, especially if you are dealing with a psychological issue.

www.psychologistbrisbanenorth.com