Having goals that don't fit with your overall values is like riding in a buggy with two horse that are going in opposite directions - it's mayhem. You can have the most inspiring goals, but if they are not supporting your personal values, your success won't feel like success.  For example, Joe finds that his biggest values are community involvement, integrity, and leadership. In his current job, he is a supervisor at a non-profit organization that offers scholarships and training to under-served student populations. He learns that all the funds are not being directed to students as he once thought. Despite him meeting his values of community involvement and leadership, Joe may feel dissatisfied with his job because the organization is not one of integrity. Joe must develop new goals that align with his values to bring him balance and happiness.   Create SMART goals - those that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Ensuring that your goals meet these requirements can help you accomplish you goals faster and move closer to self-actualization. Self-actualization is a careful balance of goal completion and values. Whenever one becomes misaligned, you will need to revisit both your values and goals. If your values shift, for example, because you have a family, you will need to create new goals that coincide with these new values. Committing to becoming a lifelong learner is the ultimate step in achieving self-actualization. A lifelong learner is one who uses information and experience to expand his own horizons and his life accordingly. Become a lifelong learner by:  Questioning your assumptions - Think twice about unquestioned beliefs or biases, asking yourself "What else could I assume?" or "What evidence do I have for or against this assumption?"  Teaching learned skills to others - Whether it's information from your career or study gleaned from a hobby, teach it. Teaching what you know to others helps you gain exposure, allows you to be seen as an expert to others, and enhances your knowledge of the subject.  Reading books Cultivating relationships with intellectuals Journaling Meditating Engaging in problem-solving Joining organizations Attending workshops Getting involved with projects Passions are activities that you are willing to invest time and effort into because they bring you great pleasure. Passions result in a decrease in negative emotions and increased psychological well-being. These can range from writing to running to collecting stamps. More than likely, these passions will also align with your values in life. If you have trouble pinpointing any passions, think about the last event you attended. You had to buy a ticket, coordinate your schedule with a buddies or partners, and find something to wear. You put in a lot of effort to go to this event. Now, think about other events you have attended over the past year. Do you notice any recurring themes?

Summary:
Set goals that align with your vision. Reassess your progress over time. Learn constantly. Find passions.