Hitting the Bulls Eye of Your Values
About goals, values, the Bull's Eye worksheet, and my debut on the voice recorder!
Greetings Wonder Woman,
How has your week been so far?
Today's post is a continuation of the previous one, where I shared personal as well as general reflections on what it means to approach 40 and reminisce about the last five years since my children arrived. Please have a look if you haven't already!—> CLICK!
In the comment section of the article, there were discussions about the usefulness of the bull’s eye. Therefore, as promised, this post will focus entirely on the bulls eye exercise, complete with a PDF at the end for you to print and follow.
If you believe that this may help another individual on their life journey, please consider sharing it with them.
Understanding Goals and Values
Before we dive into the steps and complete the exercise, let's think together about the difference between goals and values, and why distinguishing between them might be useful.
Goals are specific, measurable objectives that we strive to achieve, often centred around specific outcomes or accomplishments. In contrast, values are guiding principles that reflect what is truly important and meaningful in one's life. While goals provide direction, values serve as a compass, shaping the way we want to live and the person we aspire to become.
Understanding this difference is pivotal. Goals may involve tangible achievements (like improved time management, weight loss, or gaining 100 subscribers 😉), but values delve deeper, focusing on the qualities of presence, connection, and compassion, for example. Research shows that goals that flow from our deep values are more meaningful and more likely to be achieved1.
If you would like to know more about the difference between values and goals, please watch this short video by the brilliant Russ Harris.
Values vs goals by dr Russ Harris (YouTube video)
Steps to complete the Bulls Eye
Step 1: Identify your values
I offer you two ways to identify your values. You can listen to the imagery exercise called "Your 80th Birthday", which can potentially help you identify your values. Alternatively, you can jump to the questions below the recording. Or, you can do both if you wish; they are not mutually exclusive! :-)
80th Birthday Exercise Recording (apologies for a tired voice, as a mum of two poorly little beings!)
What values do you think emerged for you from this image?
The following questions can also help you come up with your values:
A) Self-Care and Health:
Potential values to consider: wellness, balance, nourishment, fitness, rest, serenity
Physical Well-being: Assess your physical health, including exercise, nutrition, and sleep patterns. Are you prioritising your body's needs?
Mental Health: Reflect on your emotional well-being. How do you manage stress? Are you engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation?
Self-Compassion: Consider your relationship with yourself. Are you practising self-compassion and allowing space for self-care activities?
B) Education/Work:
Potential values to consider: growth, mastery, challenge, achievement, learning, innovation
Career Satisfaction: Evaluate your satisfaction and fulfilment in your current job or career. Does it align with your interests and aspirations?
Learning Opportunities: Assess if there are opportunities for growth and learning in your current educational or work setting.
Work-Life Balance: Reflect on the balance between your professional and personal life. Are there adjustments that could enhance your overall well-being?
C) Personal Growth:
Potential values to consider: self-discovery, resilience, reflection, empowerment, fulfilment, transformation
Hobbies and Interests: Consider your engagement in activities you love. Are you making time for hobbies and interests that bring you fulfillment?
Skills Development: Reflect on opportunities for personal and skill development. Are there areas where you would like to grow or learn new things?
Personal Values: Connect with your core values. How aligned are your daily choices with what matters most to you?
D) Relationships:
Potential values to consider: connection, communication, trust, intimacy, support, harmony
Family Dynamics: Reflect on your relationships within the family. How are you nurturing connections with your partner, children, and extended family?
Friendships: Consider the quality of your friendships. Are you maintaining meaningful connections with friends who support and uplift you?
Communication: Assess your communication patterns. How effectively are you expressing your needs and listening to others?
Step 2: Place a cross in each of the four areas based on how closely you feel you are living your life according to that value. Refer to the PDF at the end of the article to download your free copy!
Step 3: Reflect
How near or far your life is from your values? What do you notice about bulls’eye? Which of these 4 areas do you think is the most important right now?
Step 4: What’s in line and out of line?
Recognise which actions you are already taking, are in line with your values, which are out of line. Please see the worksheet for that part!
Step 5: Make it happen!
Take a small step to make changes. Research shows that goals that flow from our deep values are more meaningful and more likely to be achieved. Follow the process:
Describe the value (e.g., I want to be healthy).
Imagine how it would look like in real life (e.g., having more energy in the morning; body being more flexible; swimming in the morning).
Commit to change: this morning/tonight/this week, I am going to… (do a 5-minute stretching before going to bed; do 1 sun salutation sequence between my clients).
Thank you for taking that journey with me. I would love to know, how did you find the bulls eye exercise?
Are there areas where your values are not currently reflected in your day-to-day choices?
Are there any values that seem to be in conflict with each other?
What small actions or changes can you make in your daily life to better align with these values?
Are there ways to communicate and align values with your loved ones?
Warm wishes,
Chase, J. A., Houmanfar, R., Hayes, S. C., Ward, T. A., Vilardaga, J. P., & Follette, V. (2013). Values are not just goals: Online ACT-based values training adds to goal setting in improving undergraduate college student performance. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 2(3-4), 79–84.
This is a great exercise Aleks.. Thank you! 🙏👍🧡