The difference between values and goals and why it matters

CRICOS QLD00244B NSW 02225M TEQSA:PRF12081

The difference between
values and goals and why it
matters
How to utilise them for your academic success
Asha Honeysett

And so it begins…
University…
 Another semester…
 Another assignment…
 Another exam…
Why is this important to you?
What can you put in place to
succeed?

Poll time
How many of you, know why you’re here?
1. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, why
I’m at university, studying this degree.
2. I know with some certainty why I’m
studying at university, studying this
degree.
3. I have a little idea about why I’m at
university, studying this degree.
4. I have no idea why I’m at university,
studying this degree.

Objectives
1) What are values and goals and why they
matter
2) How they differ and how they work in
conjunction
3) How to determine your values and connect
them to effective goal setting
4) How to utilise values and goals to set you up
for success

Values: What are they?
“A value is defined as a principle, standard, or quality
considered inherently worthwhile or desirable. Individuals,
groups, and whole societies hold values. Values are what
motivate and fulfil you. They imbue your work and your life with
meaning. …In essence, a value is what is important to you.”
Julie Jansen.
“Your heart’s deepest desires for
how you want to behave as a
human being; they are the
qualities you want to bring to your
ongoing actions.”
Russ Harris.

Values: What are they?
Leading principles that can guide and motivate
us as we move through life:
 Overarching
 Inexhaustible
 Intrinsic
 Positive
Essential in creating a meaningful life

Values: What they aren’t
 Values are not about what you want
to get or achieve
 Different to goals and rules
 Goals are about what you want to get
(e.g., job, house, partner, children)
 Values inform how you want to
behave along the way of working
toward your goals (e.g., be kind,
loving and forgiving)

Values: What they aren’t
 Rules tell you how to live your life:
the right and wrong way of doing
things
 Rules can usually be identified with
the words ‘right’, ‘wrong’, ‘good’,
‘bad’, ’should’, ‘shouldn’t’, ‘have to’,
‘must’ and ‘ought’
 Values give us a sense of freedom
because we can use them flexibly
 Rules often give us a sense of
restriction or obligation

Values: Why they are important
 Provide a sense of vitality
and meaning in everyday
lives
 Provide sense of purpose
and fulfilment
 Fundamental change to
how we view and manage
stress or painful life
circumstances

Values: The benefits
Even small encounters with value-based work can
have big outcomes
Short-term outcomes of brief value-based work
 Feel more powerful and in control, proud and strong
 Increase sense of connectedness, empathy and love toward others
 Increases tolerance for pain and discomfort; reduces rumination
after a stressful experience

Values: The benefits
Long-term benefits of brief
value-based work
 Increase GPAs
 Improve mental health
 Decrease doctor visits
 Help make meaningful behavioural
changes including weight loss,
quitting smoking, and decreasing
drinking
 Assists in persevering with hardship
or in the face of discrimination
 Decreases self-handicapping
(negative self-fulfilling beliefs)

Example of brief values-based
work – Try it out
 Choose one value and describe why
it is important to you.
 Describe what you do every day to
live this value.
 Describe what you could do more of
to more fully live this value.
 Describe how this value might guide
you through a challenging
circumstance.

What happens when our lives
are not in line with our values?
 Often occurs when we are experiencing values
ambiguity - Uncertainty regarding what is important
to you and which value to put time and energy into
E.g., value of hard work clashes with value of
enjoyment
 Can lead to procrastination, frustration and a sense
of helplessness
 Important to consider which value is most important
in which context and having acceptance over the
reality that we cannot live all our values at once or in
every context
 Having clarity of which value to connect into when
working toward goal attainment is critical in
perseverance and ability to limit distractions

Poll time
How many of you, know
what your personal
values are?
1. I can easily identify my
values.
2. I have some idea what my
values are.
3. I am unsure what my values
are
4. I have no idea what my
values are.

Determining values
Asking ourselves values driven
questions
 What is important to me?
 What do I want my life to stand for?
 What sort of qualities do I want to
cultivate as a person?
 How do I want to interact with and
relate to the world, other people, and
myself?
Asking these questions in particular
areas of our life…

Study related values questions
 What do you value in your study?
 What would make study more
meaningful?
 What kind of student would you
like to be?
 If you were living up to your own
ideal standards, what personal
qualities would you like to bring to
your study?
 What sort of friendships and/or
working relationships would you
like to build while you are at
university?

Values assessment
 Barrett Values Centre: Online
Personal Values Assessment
• Free Test and report provided:
• https://survey.valuescentre.com/survey.h
tml?id=5l1OmCPgJO7OG_33NjatBw
• Out of the following list please
select ten of the following
values/behaviours that most
reflect who you are, not who you
desire to become.

Values
Perseverance
personal fulfilment
personal growth
personal image
power
professional
growth
accountability
achievement
adaptability
ambition
balance
(home/work)
being liked
being the best
caring
caution
clarity
coaching/
mentoring
commitment
community
involvement
compassion
self-discipline
leadership
listening
making a
difference
openness
patience
competence
conflict resolution
continuous
learning
control
courage
creativity
dialogue
ease with
uncertainty
efficiency
enthusiasm/
positive attitude
entrepreneurial
environmental
awareness
ethics
excellence
teamwork
trust
vision
wealth
fairness
family
financial stability
forgiveness
friendship
future generations
generosity
health
humility
humour/ fun
independence
initiative
integrity
job security
well-being
(physical/
emotional/
mental/ spiritual)
wisdom
recognition
reliability
respect
reward
risk-taking
safety

Studying in line with your values
 Out of the 10 values that you
identified, to what extent are you
utilising these in your approach to
study?
 What values are being fulfilled by
your study?
 Are there other values that you
would like to be incorporating
more into your study?
 How might you begin doing that
today? (Does this require you to
do more of something or less of
something)

Common things students say to
themselves
 I can’t cope
 I’m too stupid
 I’m worthless
 I’m a failure
 I may as well give up now
 I’m not good enough

Finding purpose in pain…
 Geared to avoid discomfort
 What does discomfort indicate to us?

Growth mindset:
 If you are currently in the process of experiencing a difficult set of circumstances,
and you could develop personal strengths, qualities or abilities that would assist you
to move through this experience, what would they be?
 If you were to look back at these circumstances in the future, what would you like
to say about how you handled yourself and the situation?
 What would you like your growth curve to look like?

Some questions for you to reflect on:
1. In any moment, in any circumstance, who is the one human being
who can always be there for you?
2. Better than anyone else on this planet, who is the one human being
who can understand and empathise with your pain?
3. Who is the one human being who can truly and completely
understand just how much you are suffering?

Allowing space for the discomfort so we can live by our values and
achieve our goals: Self-compassion/expansion exercise
Even for the darkest storms, the
sky always has room

Where to begin
In moments of distress or discomfort:
1. Grounding
2. Connecting with the present moment
3. Determining with clarity what is important to
you, in this circumstance, in this moment
(i.e., which value is important for you to
connect with to move forward in a
meaningful way)
4. Values to committed action (behaviourally
based goals that you can commence to do
something to help)

Grounding in the present moment

Tapping into your values
1. Think about a situation that has been causing some concern and/or discomfort
(e.g., an upcoming assignment, and exam, a difficult conversation with
someone).
2. Tap into your values: values driven question or values exercise
1. In the face of this challenge, what do you want to stand for? If you were to
look back at these circumstances in the future, what would you like to say
about how you handled yourself and the situation? What would you like
your growth curve to look like?
2. Examine the list of values and choose up to three values that you can use
to guide you in navigating the situation effectively and bringing you closer
to the outcomes you desire.
3. Values to committed action. Choose the most important value to you for this
situation.

Values to committed action
(working towards and achieving goals)
Committed action: taking effective action, guided by our values
It is through ongoing values-congruent action that life becomes rich,
full and meaningful (don’t just stare at the compass)
Exercise:
From your selected values, start by choosing one value that you would
like to live more fully. Document:
1. What behaviours or actions do you already do that support living
this value?
2. What could you stop doing, to better support or live this value?
3. What could you start doing, to better support or live this value
more fully?

Poll time
How many of you know how
to create a meaningful and
achievable goal for yourself?
1. I know how to create a
meaningful and achievable
goal for myself
2. I have some idea of how to
create a meaningful and
achievable goal for myself
3. I do not know how to create a
meaningful and achievable
goal for myself

Poll time
How many of you follow
through with the goals you
set for yourself?
1. I always follow through with
the goals I set for myself
2. I sometimes follow through
with the goals that I set for
myself
3. I rarely/never follow through
with the goals that I set for
myself

Effective Goal Setting
Step 1: Tap into the value set underlying the chosen course of
action
Step 2: Set a SMART, PB goal
Step 3: Identify the benefits
Step 4: Identify the barriers
Step 5: Make a commitment
Step 6: Set-up support
Step 7: Set reminders
Step 8: Record and reward progress

Setting goals and taking
committed action
SMART Goals:
Specific: specify the actions you will take; when, where, who or what is
involved.
Meaningful: The goal should be personally meaningful to you. If it lacks a
sense of meaning or purpose, check in and see if it is really guided by your
values.
Adaptive: Does the goal help you to take your life forwards in a direction that,
as far as you can predict, is likely to improve the quality of your life?
Realistic: The goal should be realistically achievable.
Time-bound: to increase the specificity of your goal, set a day, date and time
for it.

Setting goals and taking
committed action
Personal best (PB) goal-setting
Aim:
 Create a personalised standard of excellence with a map of how
to get there
 Do as well or better than previous efforts/performance

Personal Best (PB) Goal-Setting
Criteria:
 Specific – identify precisely what
you are aiming for (outcome and
process goal)
 Challenging – raises the bar,
achieves ‘flow’
 Competitively self-referenced –
competing against him/herself

Personal Best (PB) Goal-Setting
Benefits:
 Increases student motivation
 Self-efficacy
 Persistence
 Classroom participation
 Enjoyment of learning
 Task interest
 Flow
 Engagement
 Teacher relationships
 Resilience

Identifying benefits and barriers
to goal success
Identify the benefits:
 The most positive outcome/s of achieving this goal are:
 Achieving this goal would allow me to:

Identifying benefits and barriers
to goal success
Identify the barriers:
 What are the potential internal barriers that could interfere with you achieving your
goals (e.g., uncomfortable thoughts (see common thoughts students have) and
feelings (anxiety, helplessness, frustration, low motivation):
 If these come up, I will use these skills to help re-engage with the task at hand
(e.g., practice self-compassion/expansion exercise, grounding in the present
moment exercise):
 What are the potential external barriers (e.g., resources, competing demands,
interpersonal conflicts with others involved):
 If these come up, I will take these steps to navigate the barrier:

Set yourself up for success by
making a commitment
 Make a public commitment to your goal to increase the
likelihood of you following through.
 I commit to my values-guides PB SMART Goal here:
 Now say the commitment out loud (ideally to someone else).

Set-up support to increase
follow-through
 Utilise social support to increase motivation
 Find the right fit: friend, family member, partner, co-worker,
neighbour
 Formal support: community group, course, online networks

Set reminders
 Messages or alerts on mobile,
computer, calendar
 Ask people in support network to
check-in and/or remind
 Sticky notes on the mirror, fridge,
car stereo
 Symbol: accessory, something that
you carry with you that every time
you see or touch it, it serves as a
reminder
 Recurring event/habit to cue the
new behaviour

Record and Reward Progress
 Write down your step-by step plan in a journal and record your
progress (use graphs, drawings or symbols that plot or mark
your progress)
 Reward yourself (small rewards e.g., self affirmation, telling a
supportive friend, noticing the difference your actions are
making in your life)

The continuation of the journey
 Today was just the beginning
 Values and goal setting work is a continual pursuit
 Being able to acknowledge difficulty and when our mind is telling us
that we are stuck is an opportunity to check the compass and decide
on a path worth travelling
 Practice is progress: these strategies may feel foreign. The more you
spend time on a daily basis connecting with values and
demonstrating committed action the more your life becomes rich and
meaningful
 There is always help available, and if there isn’t, there’s always you.
Be kind to yourself, be in the here and now, tap into your values and
take a step toward living them

The continuation of the journey

Poll time
Proof is in the pudding:
1. I have increased knowledge and
skills on how to determine my
values and set meaningful and
achievable goals
2. I am unsure if I have increased
knowledge and skills on how to
determine my values and set
meaningful and achievable goals
3. I do not have increased
knowledge and skills on how to
determine my values and set
meaningful and achievable goal
for myself

More Resources

Questions?

The difference between values and goals and why it matters

More Related Content

Similar to The difference between values and goals and why it matters

More from University of Southern Queensland

Recently uploaded

The difference between values and goals and why it matters

Editor's Notes