Houghton Lake Resorter | Ditch Your Resolutions: Look to the Why

We are weeks into 2025, so it begs the question – how are those New Year resolutions going?  If you are like many people, you may have unknowingly celebrated “Quitters Day.”  The second Friday of January is the date by which a significant number of people have stopped working on their resolutions.  Why? Change is hard!  And most of us create resolutions that are too vague (“I want to be healthier.”), too difficult (“I am going to exercise every day.”), or based on an emotion (“I want to feel happier this year.”). 

What if I told you there’s a powerful, completely free tool that can help you stay aligned with the life you truly want to lead – no matter the situation? Sounds too good to be true, right? Keep reading to discover how understanding and living by your values can transform the way you navigate your life.

Values are the things that matter to us, what we stand for, our sense of purpose. They differ from our goals, morals, and ethics.  Values are our guiding principles for how we want to live our lives.  There are dozens of values, specific to each of us, and whose importance often changes at different stages of our lives.  While far from an exhaustive list, some examples of values include health, financial security, community, spirituality, honesty, free time, and helping others.

So how do you identify your current values?  It can be as basic as asking yourself what is most important to you right now.  There are also several free resources you can find on-line.  Once you have generated a list, choose the top three that are the most important to you at this phase in your life.  Spend some time thinking about the “why” behind your values.  This is what helps us to persist, especially when life is challenging or when we have to make difficult decisions.  For example, if one of your top values is financial security, why is that important to you?  Be as specific as you can.  It may be because you want to be able to provide for your young family, and so pursuing a more challenging job that offers higher pay may be a way to do that.  But let’s say that you are towards the end of your career and are offered a position for higher pay but that requires significant travel.  At this stage in your life, you value spending time with family more than earning extra money.  This is one way in which knowing your values helps you to make decisions that are consistent with the life that you want to live.

Let’s take a look at the popular “be healthier” resolution.  What does this mean, exactly?  Are you going to “exercise more and eat better?”  Even if you defined what those goals mean, what keeps you on track over the next year?  How do you keep up your motivation when you don’t want to exercise, have a craving for fast food, or are faced with any number of challenges life throws your way when you least expect it?

Instead, what if we identified “health” as a value?  Again, what is your “why.” Why are you going to engage in behaviors that promote health (e.g., parking far away from a store entrance to increase walking) versus those that are easier or more comfortable (e.g., park as close as you can to the entrance; it’s winter after all)?  Maybe it’s because you want to be alive and active enough to see your kids or grandkids grow up.  Or perhaps you are a caregiver and want to be able to continue to care for your loved one at home.  Your “why” powers your “how.”

A final tip on the topic of values – try to conduct a values check at least once a year.  You can reflect on the past year and determine if you acted in a way that was consistent with your values.  You may want to write down your thoughts on this, including successes and challenges.  Then, identify your top three current values and set those as your guiding compass for the next year.  It helps to make a note of your top values so that you are frequently reminded of them.

Living a life based on our values helps us with decision making, has been shown to improve mental health, gives us a sense of self, and helps us to live a life with purpose.  Contact me if you are interested in learning more!