Values, Beliefs, and Goals
Values, Beliefs, and Goals are all great and purposeful, but what’s the difference between them, and how do they intersect with each other?
A goal is a desired ambition with an end result. Goals have an endpoint and are outcome-based. They are finite. Goals are great because they give us something to strive for. They give us direction. And, goals can be changed and (gasp) unmet. Typically, we edit our goals when they are unmet, were unrealistic to begin with, or can’t be obtained in the timeframe we originally set.
A belief is having confidence in someone or something, and it is an acceptance that something is true or exists. Beliefs inspire, cast vision, and give hope. In many ways, belief is a mindset. In some ways, belief can be a temporary truth, which means beliefs can be malleable. What one believes to be true in a moment can change because of experiences or new knowledge gained.
As a mindset, one can’t half-a$# belief and then be mad when that belief doesn’t come to fruition. Similar to a goal, lack of achievement IN THAT MOMENT doesn’t mean the goal won’t happen, or that the belief isn’t true. It may simply mean, not YET and certainly not ALL the time. Let me give you an example:
When I am in the driveway shooting baskets with my 8-year-old and he’s laying some bricks, I might say to him, “I believe in you. You can make this shot.” And then he might repeat what I said, release the ball, and..clank…he misses again. To that comes a temper-tantrum infused “See, I told you I can’t make it!!”
Does this mean that the belief in himself didn’t work? No, it doesn’t. He can make the shot, but the“opponent” against him at that moment was Doubt. Belief is a mindset that something is true, but maybe not all the time. Again, belief is confidence that something can and will happen–maybe soon, maybe later. A goal can help give belief an end point. Doubt is the enemy of belief. Doubt says, “I don’t think you can do this.” Belief says, “You can do this.”
And, to be fair, as I stated earlier, beliefs can change. How so? What if scientists proved tomorrow that the world is, in fact, FLAT, and you can fall off the face of the Earth. Yikes. So, at this point, you can choose what to believe.
Now let’s talk about Values. If you are a person who Values the truth, and you just found out the world is, without a single shred of an ounce of doubt, flat, you might change your belief.
Values are: A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life. Values are what guide a person’s actions; and, typically, a person’s values are (hopefully) what’s amplified in challenging circumstances or adversity.
So how do Values fit into all of this? Values drive behavior and actions associated with beliefs and goals. If we can imagine an old school Rand-Mcnally road map, the goal is the desired location. Belief is closing your eyes and imagining a perfectly smooth 8 hour car ride where the kids all sing songs together, there are no cookie crumbs in the seat cracks, and you only stop twice on the entire trip to pee and set up a picnic with your pre-packed sandwiches. I don’t know about you, but that’s an inspiring vision that belief has given me! Belief is having confidence that it could happen….one day. Where your Values come in is when someone has to pee just 45 minutes into the drive, and before even one song can be sung, everyone is arguing about which song to play. Your Values are like your own personal Jiminy Cricket, hanging out, reminding you, “Hey, remember when we said that we aren’t going to be a family that screams at each other when things go wrong?” Your Values hold you accountable to, well, yourself.
So, your destination (Goal) may change, and your vision (Belief) of how your trip to your destination may have to change, but, in that moment, your Values don’t. Because remember, your Values are standards of behavior…and they are amplified in challenging circumstances or adversity. Think of your Values as the compass on the map; they guide you in the right direction. You might hit a speed bump, traffic, or construction which might delay or reroute you, but Values remind you: Hey calm down, we are still going in the right direction. Riding someone’s bumper, honking, yelling, accelerating, braking, won’t help.
Values don’t ask for our circumstances to change; they guide us in how to react when our circumstances do change, because they inevitably will.
What are your Values? Why are they important to you? How would you define them? What do your Values look like in action? If you haven’t yet thought about this, I encourage you to carve out time to do so. If you aren’t sure where to start, no worries, I got you. Click on the link below for a step by step guide that will walk you through Establishing Your Values. You can use this for yourself, your team, church, school, and any other organization you are with!
As always, if I can be of service, please let me know!
https:/www.firstteammateleadership.com/resources/p/establish-your-culture-and-values
PS - Shout out to my friend, Alicia, of Arrow Alliance for the great conversation surrounding life and Values. Alicia is a business owner and “Executive Coach for the impact-driven woman,” and I can tell you from personal experience that she is a great guide! Check her out at: https://arrowalliance.coach/
