The Direction Your Life Takes Depends on Your Values, not Goals

What mark would we like to leave on this world after everything is over? Sometimes we find ourselves feeling like we have no control. It feels like we’re on a big bus going anywhere our fellow passengers want. We make decisions based on what people around us say we should do. And so, we end up taking paths heading a completely direction than our values.

We carry baggage full of insecurity, getting heavier and heavier as time passes, and leaving no room for our values. As a result, we are blinded to the fact that time does not stop. And that turning back is not always possible.

Values ​​are life’s signposts

To begin with, a value is not an outcome or goal. A value cannot run out, it is always there. Values ​​define the words we use to shape our lives: acceptance, persistence, order, conformity, impartiality, intimacy. It is a long list of directions we use to choose goals that really matter to us.

Regrets at the wrong time

Bronnie Ware, a Canadian nurse, collected the last regrets of her patients in a palliative care unit over several years. An article published later by the Harvard Business Review corroborated the same information. There are 5 common regrets of people who are going to die, “I wish I…”:

Let’s remember the key is to anticipate this frustration, to find our values ​​and to set objectives which that give meaning to this journey of life. Psychological professionals help people go from words to action. The first step is to identify our values ​​and prioritize them based on where we are in life.

From that point, short and long term goals are established. This means our values ​​will form the pillars upon which we will be setting long-term goals. Objectives that really give us meaning and the opportunity to grow and be happy with ourselves.