Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

GOALS

Please list 3-5 personal and/or professional goals.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

PRIORITIES

Image courtesy of Julie Welch, MD

Please list your top 3-5 priorities (in life – inside and outside of work).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

Physician Time Management
Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

Assessment

1. Do your goals align with your priorities and values?

2. How does the connection or disconnect between your priorities and

your goals affect you?

3. Can you re-order or re-write your goals to better align with your
priorities and values?

New and improved priority-driven goals!

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

Physician Time Management
Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

Facilitator Guide – Small Group Activity (15 minutes)

Description
Using the Resource 5 worksheet, participants will reflect on their goals and values, as well as their
priorities, in an effort to best align their purpose and drivers with their actions. In this session, participants
will:
• Identify their most important goals, both personal and professional
• State and rank their more important priorities in life
• Discuss any discrepancies in one’s goals and priorities
o Acknowledge how this impacts their life, including mental well-being
o Work to realign goals with priorities

Objective
• Discuss the importance of identifying and maintaining prioritized goals.

Recommended Sequence
1. First, have participants identify their most important values. A list of values may be provided to assist
in this step.*
2. Next, have participants list their most important goals in life, including both personal and professional
goals.*
3. Then, have participants list their most important priorities in life, again including both personal and
professional priorities.*
4. After the participants have completed these lists, have them reflect and discuss any obvious
misalignment of their goals and their priorities.
a. Is the first goal professional but the first priority family-oriented?
b. Presenter may provide additional examples of self or colleagues if participants are unwilling
to share their personal goals/priorities and assessment.
5. Lead discussion on how misalignment of goals and priorities may impact perceived success and
happiness.
6. Using an example from the group or self, presenter should give an example(s) of how to realign one’s
goals and priorities.
a. Also discuss how this can positively impact one’s perception of self (happiness), ultimately
leading to improved resiliency and greater satisfaction and success.
7. Encourage participants to repeat this exercise (identifying and aligning one’s goals and priorities)
routinely as they will change with time and life events.

*No discussion of the purpose behind these ranked lists should be discussed before participants make
these lists. If the purpose for aligning one’s goals and priorities is discussed prior to making these lists, a
participant’s responses may be biased based on the knowledge of the interconnectivity of each list.

Points of Emphasis
• Alignment of goals and values will create a greater sense of achievement, inner balance, and
happiness.
• Happiness positively impacts productivity and success.
• Removing goals that do not align with priorities may increase efficiency and structure time to be
more aptly spent on goals of importance.

References
Achor S. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and
Performance at Work. New York: Crown Business; 2010.

Appendix F: Values, Goals, Priorities

Physician Time Management