Goal setting

& Core Values

by Eric Klein

www.dharmaconsulting.com

This report is part of the Core Values program from Dharma Consulting or via
the website w w w.dharmaconsulting.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by
any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written
permission of the publishers.
This is part of the entire ResistanceFree Change series which includes DVDs,
audio programs, online training, etc.

For information on Resistance-Free Change Training Programs,

contact:
Online: www.dharmaconsulting.com
Snail Mail: Dharma Consulting, 1455 Hymettus Avenue, Encinitas,
CA, USA 92024
Telephone: 760-436-5535
Email: eric@dharmaconsulting.com

Eric Klein, Dharma Consulting 2008 All Rights Reserved

www.dharmaconsulting.com

When I first moved to San Diego, I had a hard time finding

the ocean.
Heres the reason: Id lived my whole life on the East coast. I
had this deeply embedded sense-of-direction that the ocean was
East. So, to go to the beach, I always headed east. Eventually,
Id hit the water.
For weeks, after moving to San Diego, whenever I wanted to
drive to the beach, Id pull onto Highway 8 heading East. And
drive towards the desert.
Its like my internal GPS system hadnt updated itself to living in
California.
My internal sense-of-direction was still equating beach
with East.
So, unless I was paying attention, my automatic pilot would
steer me in the wrong direction.
The same thing can happen to you, when youre setting goals.
The goals you chose may be taking you in the wrong
direction.
When you sit down to set goals whether for your personal life
or your professional career its important that youre heading
in the right direction.
Otherwise, you may set perfectly reasonable and welldesigned goals.
Goals that are measurable and specific. That have timetables
and benchmarks. Robust goals that follow all the guidelines of
the goal- setting gurus.
But, theres a problem. And its a big one. The problem is one of
direction.
Before you set your goals be sure that youre heading in
the right direction.
If your goal is to spend the afternoon at the beach, be sure
youre heading West (if you live in San Diego).
If you dont, all the time and effort you put into achieving your
goals can take you (and your life) in the wrong direction.

Whats the wrong direction?

The wrong direction is away from your core values. Away from
your own deep sense of purpose and passion.
Its possible, after all, to set and achieve goals that leave you
feeling empty and inauthentic.
You may hit the numbers; finish the project; do what you set out
to do. But, even if you win a gold star and lots of applause, you
can still have an empty feeling in your heart.
This happens when your goals are out of synch with your core
values.
Many people lose track of their core values while growing
up.
As a child you look to adult authorities for guidance. Without
thinking about it you adopt the values of those are older and
more experienced. Its natural and it also can put you on a path
that steers you away from your deeper core values.
When you join an organization and enter a work culture, you
look to your peers for guidance and advice on how to behave
and succeed. Imperceptibly, their values become yours.
Inherited values arent bad. Theyre just different from core
values.
The problem comes when your goals are directed by
values that come from others and not from your core.
You may perform well, but if you are not aligned with your core
values, passion and purpose are hard to sustain. When you use
inherited values to guide your goal setting, you tend to drift off
course.
To get back on course start with core values.
Before you set goals, establish your direction guided by
core values.
If youre reading this report, you already know that core values
are those deep motivators that are the source of your passion
and purpose in life.

(This definition is covered in the Choosing Core Values workbook

available at http://dharmaconsulting.com/products/my-corevalues ).
When your goals are aligned with core values, youll not only be
more energized and engaged, youll also have the confidence of
knowing that youre moving in the direction of authenticity and
integrity.
Heres how to set your right direction & establish goals 1) Review your core values
Start by looking on page 10 of your Core Values workbook.
Thats where you documented the three core values that are
most primary, central, and core to your passion and purpose in
life. If you dont have a set of Core Values cards or a Core Values
workbook go to http://dharmaconsulting.com/products/mycore-values
2) Set your context
Now, consider the context for this goal setting session. Are you
focused on your work? A relationship? Your health? Be specific as
possible. By setting the context for goal setting, you provide a
container within which your core values can come to life.
My context for goal setting is:
_________________________
3) Express your values
Next, define what it means for you to live your core values in
this specific context. Remember, how you express your values
can vary with the context. The full and authentic expression of
the core value love will likely be different at home than at work.
Complete the following sentences. Write from your heart. Youre
not yet setting goals. Rather, youre discovering what it means
to you to live your core values in this specific context.

Value:
Meaning: What it means for me to live this value fully &
authentically in (write context here) ________________:
.
.
.

Value:
Meaning: What it means for me to live this value fully &
authentically in (write context here) ________________:
.
.
.

Value:
Meaning: What it means for me to live this value fully &
authentically in (write context here) ________________:
.
.
.
Now, that youve established direction based on your core
values, its time to set goals.

4) Set your goal(s)

Read over what you wrote in step 3. Ideally, read the words out
loud. Notice how you respond to the words. What images arise?
What thoughts? What emotions?
You dont need to do anything about any of those responses
other than be aware. Awareness is the most important factor in
setting and achieving goals that are aligned with your core
values.
Read the words from your heart. Inspire yourself with the power
of your core values.
Then keeping connected to your core values, declare a goal that
you want to achieve. One that is a direct expression of your core
values.
Now, write it down. And read it again. Out loud.
If you have more than one goal repeat the same process.
Dont make a laundry list of goals. That kind of listing process is
usually disconnected from the heart and guts of your core
values. Be focused. And concentrate on one or two goals that
really matter.
My goal:
.
.
My goal:
.
.
My goal:
.
.

Aligning your goals with your core values does not

eliminate the inevitable challenges or changes of life.
Life is a bumpy road. And nobody, regardless of how it looks
from the outside, gets a smooth ride.
Bumps are manageable when your direction is right.
Bumps are part of the process; the expected ups and downs that
you encounter on your values-based path.
You dont get knocked of course by the bumps or the challenges.
You learn from them and use them to deepen your connection to
core values.

About the author

Eric Klein is a visionary, author, community leader,
business advisor, and professional speaker on leadership,
and resistance-free organizational change.
For 20 years, Eric has worked with over 18,000 leaders
from a wide variety of settings: Fortune 500 companies,
healthcare, municipal, governmental and non-profit
organizationsas well as mid-size companies.
Over the past two decades Eric Klein has been a leading
voice in the movement to bring greater spirit, meaning, and
authenticity to the workplace. His transformative message
and practical approach has helped leaders create
organizations where values and purpose fuel productivity,
accountability, and collaboration.
Eric Klein has held management positions at two Fortune
500 companies and successfully developed businesses in
the education, publishing, and consulting industries. Eric
combines his experiences in business with 30 years of
teaching and practicing meditation.
Erics most recent book is You are the Leader Youve
Been Waiting For: Enjoying High Performance and High
Fulfillment at Work won a 2008 Nautilus Book Award for
being a world-changing book promoting positive social
change and responsible leadership.
He is also the co-author of the best selling book
Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the
Power of People at Work (over 250,000 copies sold) and
To Do or Not To Do: How Successful Leaders Make Better
Decisions based on research and experiences with more
than 200 companies.
His unique work has been featured on CNN and in the LA
Times, HealthCare Forum, The American Medical Journal,
Leadership Reflections, Quality and Productivity, and the
Association Management Magazine.

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