The ordinal value of every non-primary goal is elevated as the highest valued goal is achieved. Once successful fulfillment of a goal is achieved, the question immediately becomes: what next? Achievement and satisfaction of goals opens the door to further goals rising to point of action.
As enabling prerequisites to achieving a goal are recognized, they gain the priority of the goal they are expected to enable. The value of the desired goal does not change, it’s value justifies the priority of the prerequisite actions.
If a goal becomes recognized as unattainable – such as one of its logically identified prerequisites being impossible or outside one’s resource expenditure capacity – then it’s value must immediately disappear (or at least sink to below the level of attaining the resources). Emotionally it may linger, but any further activity cannot be classified as purposeful action towards the goal along the paths previously selected.
Recognizing that situations and priorities may change, that achievement is possible, that judgments about what is necessary, possible, plausible and impossible can fluctuate; it should be apparent that without even metricizing the cost and rewards, values are in a system of dynamic change.
Everyone that acts has a system of values, including oneself. Recognizing this is a prerequisite to controlling the value of one’s own values.
Pursuit of Value 