A Value’s Driven way of Goal Setting
New Year, Already Burnt Out? You’re Not Alone.
The New Year often arrives with unspoken pressure: improve, optimize, do more. We notice the neighbors enrolling their kids in new sports, remodeling their homes, setting ambitious goals - and suddenly it feels like we’re already behind. If it’s January and you’re exhausted, that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.
Burnout isn’t just a workplace issue. It can show up as emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, or feeling disconnected from responsibilities you once enjoyed. It’s often tied to our social roles, family demands, and the invisible emotional load we carry - especially after the holidays.
Instead of asking, “What needs fixing?” what if we began with, “What’s already working?”
Step 1: Start with Reflection, Not Comparison
Goals rooted in comparison often reinforce perfectionism and achievement-based worth. Reflection helps us move toward sustainability.
Ask yourself:
What’s been going well?
Maybe your mornings feel calmer, or your family has a reliable rhythm that works.Where have we felt connected?
Weekly family dinners, shared walks, or movie nights count more than we often realize.What feels heavy or anxiety-driven?
Is it over-scheduling, saying yes out of obligation, or trying to “keep up”?
Not everything needs to be optimized. Some things need to be protected.
Step 2: Identify Values before Setting Goals
Rather than setting rigid goals, consider identifying two core values you want to lean into this season - individually or as a family - and gently align your choices with them.
For example:
If connection is a value, consider a weekly no-screen night, a shared activity, or a short evening walk together.
If faith is central, maybe that looks like reading scripture before dinner or listening to worship music on the way to school.
If rest or presence matters, it might mean saying no to one extra commitment.
These shifts don’t need to be dramatic. Small, consistent changes are often the most sustainable - and the most healing. As a family, consider bringing your children into identifying some of these values. When the whole family is on the same page, it can help in moments of stress to center back on these collaboratively made values.
A Gentler Way Forward
Burnout isn’t a sign you’re doing life wrong - it’s often a signal that something needs care and attention. From time to time, return to these questions: What’s going well? Where have I felt connected? What feels anxiously driven?
As the answers shift, our goals may shift too - and that’s a good thing. When we make small, values-based adjustments, we create a more sustainable and connected way forward. This New Year, consider choosing alignment over achievement and compassion over comparison.
You don’t have to do more to be enough. You may need to do less - more intentionally.
Here at Atlanta Wellness Collective, we want to help. For support, contact us or schedule an appointment online.
This blog post was written by Ansley Brague.
This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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