StepUp to Life

I found this great self-development do -it- yourself workbook at the thrift store. It is entitled “Charting your Goals” by Dahl and Sykes.

Sometimes we take the things that happen in our lives for granted. But I have come to understand and now believe that not even the chance encounters are ordered.

I say this because I needed to have a conversation with myself about my goals. I was lead to this book. This was what I needed. Have you ever experienced this kind of thing happening to you before?  Tell me about it, I am really curious to hear.

If you have been following my blog I have gotten somewhat sporadic about my writings. Remarkably before I even found this workbook I started writing with this very same title. I didn’t get very far because my computer started acting up and before I could settle to write, my page disappeared. I was really disappointed. I noted to myself that I must remember to save as I write.

There are numerous personal life-goal planners and self-development books on the market. But for one dollar I am happy with my investment.

This book contains self-directed exercises that will help you achieve your personal and business objectives in the areas of career, health, relationships, finances, personal growth, and values clarification.

There is not a specific order to complete the exercises but I started with the values clarification section. I believe that a lot of the roadblocks in my personal development have been due to conflicts with my values. In other words, my long-term goals and objectives go against, contradicts my fundamental values. So what do we mean by values?

Values

“Values are standards or qualities which you consider worthwhile or desirable. Values help you to establish your sense of purpose and direction and act as a guidepost that assists you in measuring the quality of your life”.

It is very important to understand your values as it gives you insight into your decision-making process. Every day we are confronted by many choices, most of which require almost no thought. You respond to them intuitively. Other however require careful consideration, a quiet reflection. Your personal values influence both your intuitive and intellectual decision making.

If you make a decision that is consistent with your values you will experience a sense of comfort that you made the right choice. If however your decisions are not aligned with your values, you will likely experience a sense of discomfort and concern.

One example cited in the book relates to someone having good health as an important value while at the same time is a cigarette smoker. The inherent conflicts may force the smoker to rationalize their decision which in turn set up internal contradictions. Until there is a resolution there will be tension or stress which the contradiction creates.

The above example while intuitively appealing means little to a non-smoker like myself. However, one example that comes to mind, is the desire to have wealth, riches and a fat bank account, while at the same time extol humility, sobriety and simplicity. That definitely seems conflicting and resonates with me. The stress and tension this anomaly creates resonate with me. I, therefore, need to spend the time to think about my own values. I need to ask myself what is really important to me? What brings me true satisfaction?

In my next blog, I will tell you how we can clarify our values. If you find this interesting as I am, then feel free to send me a feedback.

Sheila Giddings