Norms – Something that is usual, typical or standard

Values – principles or standards of behaviour, one’s judgement of what is important in life.

Our norms are what we are surrounded by and exposed to, our values are what we consider important. If there is a mismatch this can have a negative effect and may become a barrier to pursuing our goals.

Goal Contagion – automatic adoption of a goal upon perceiving another’s goal-directed behaviour a.k.a. we adopt the same goals as those we exposed to and surround by.

If there is a goal that we value, placing ourselves in an environment where it is the norm will help us adopt that goal, change our standards and receive support and encouragement.

Identifying our values informs which standards we want to pursue and what Norms we should seek out in a community.

This can increase our motivation through faster rates of improvement, improved community and increased autonomy (see Self-Determination Theory) as well as reduce mental ‘friction’ or resistance.

Values inform the Norms you Should Pursue to Achieve your Goals.