Why is it So Hard to Keep my Goals?

By: Katelyn Tasker

How are those new year’s resolutions going? Do you find it hard to set goals? Or, when you do set goals, do you find it hard to keep them?

A quick search online suggests that the majority of people who set New Years’ Resolutions each year don’t manage to keep them for even a month – so if you’re already struggling to keep the goals you set you are not alone!

One reason why we can find it hard to set and keep goals is that often the goals we set aren’t connected to our values. We can find ourselves setting goals just because we feel we should without a clear reason why.

This is where it can be helpful to think about the difference between goals and values:

Goals are usually simple, clearly defined and involve concrete targets, like, go for a walk each day. In contrast, values are not strictly achievable. Rather, values are something that you want to be or work towards, like, being a good mother or friend. Values help us make choices based on the direction in which we want our lives to go.

Values-Driven Goals

Knowing what your values are makes it much easier to set and keep your goals, as goals that are based on values give them a firm foundation and provide clear motivation.

So, the next time you go to set goals, stop and think about your values first and set some goals around those values. Working towards values-driven goals will ultimately help bring you closer to becoming the person you want to be. Furthermore, research suggests that living a values-driven life helps promote resilience and wellbeing.

Article supplied with thanks to The Centre for Effective Living.

About the Author: Katelyn Tasker has a masters of clinical psychology, has worked in anxiety research, as a school counsellor, and in private practice work for adult mental health in Sydney.

Feature image: Photo by Estee Janssens on Unsplash