I bet you set a lot of goals.

We all do. Ultimately, we set goals for what we value. That means End-Product Values - such as achievement, wealth, health, learning or wisdom - are a type of goal.

Just an ill-defined one.

That's because End-Product Values, or EPVs, don't come with specificity or deadlines. Winning a gold-medal at the Olympics isn't an EPV. Achievement is.

So goals are refined EPVs.

We take the EPV and set a specific target and timeframe. Not just wealth - but start a business in the summer. Not just health - but eat less potato chips every day.

We make our EPVs real in two ways - Big-Bang Goals and Designed Routines.

Big-Bang Goals are the ones you stick on the wall, like running a half-marathon. Designed Routines - like running every day for twenty minutes - might not seem like a goal, but meet the requirement of a specific target (run for 20 minutes) and timeframe (everyday). In fact, Designed Routines more often help Big-Bang Goals - the Olympian doesn't win the gold-medal without a day-in day-out struggle.

So without a Big-Bang Goal or Designed Routine, that End-Product Value...

Well, it's not really something you value, is it?

As Kristoffer says, "Actions speak louder than values." If I spend more than I earn, then I don't really value wealth. Or, at the least, I value spending or surviving more.

So one test of what you really value is how you behave.

If you design your EPVs into your routines, you live your EPVs every day. If you set a Big-Bang Goal but don't work towards it - well, that says something about the EPV. Or at least the expression of that EPV in your Big-Bang Goal.

How are you living your End-Product Values?