We’ve all heard of the strategies for goal setting, whether you have ADHD or not. I’m a big believer in S.M.A.R.T Goals and will get to that in another post. But before you even start with developing those S.M.A.R.T goals, you first must find your why.

A goal is only as good as your reason for doing it. What do I mean by that? You can create the best goal in the world – most objective, measurable, and timely goal on earth, but if you have no skin in the game (read: no motivation), then it means nothing. We often think we have a good reason for doing something, but until we sit with ourselves to truly identify our values and purpose, our goals will fall flat.

Finding your “why” is step one of the goal setting process. Want to move your body more? Okay, why? Sit with the motivations and reasons so you can really determine what it is that you want to accomplish and why.

Values-Based Motivation

Want to make sure you can stick to the goal(s) you set for yourself? Enter: Values. You know the word, but what does it truly mean?

Values are the meaningful beliefs we hold in high regard in our lives. It’s what we find most important in our lives and in society. There are lots of different values people hold true to themselves, and everyone is different. For some, faith or religion is a deep, meaningful value in one’s life; a value by which all other facets of their lives abide. For others, religion does not hold this same weight in their lives. You need to think about the core values that are meaningful to you. We have lots of things we think are important, but look deeper and find the one’s in your core that hold the most meaning for you.

In order to do that, I created a simple Values Worksheet for you. It has a list of over 50 values people commonly identify for themselves. There’s also space to jot down some others that come to mind. This exercise is very helpful to determining the most important things in your life. What you may have held as a value in your early 20s, may not be in your top 10 any more. Our values system can change over time and with new stages of life. Feel free to reuse this values exercise again and again or share with others!

If you’re ready to dive into determining your why and get started on living your purpose based on your values, click the image above to access your free values worksheet! And don’t forget to follow me on Gumroad to keep up to date with all my freebies, products, and eBooks! And while you’re at it, subscribe to my Substack for even more ADHD content!

Want to work with me?

I am an ADHD coach and behavior analyst, specializing in helping people accomplish their goals. If you’re interested in working with me one-on-one, sign up for a free 15-minute Zoom call with me to determine if 1:1 coaching is right for you!